THE IMPORTANCE OF THINKING ABOUT DIVERSITY FROM THE GROUND UP...
Commentary by dopper0189, Black Kos Managing Editor
I've often been struck by something that I've seen occur far too often in progressive organizations. At some point a revelation strikes someone they look up and realize "this organization doesn't reflect the diversity of progressives in America". There is a long history of this from Labor Unions and first wave feminist nearly a century ago, to Yearly Kos (NetRoot Nations precuser) and Occupy Wall St. today. Over and over progressive organization seem to constantly confront this "what's happening" moment. The question then is two fold: Why do movements that grow out of progressive ideals lack the actual diversity of progressives in America? Secondly what to do about?
1) Why do movements that grow out of the progressive movement often lack the diversity of actual progressives in America?
a) Keep the lines of communication open!
Let's do a thought experiment together. You're invited two different organizations on the same day and time. The first is run my a fellow who always stops by your house and says "hi", he always ask you question on "how things are going", and he always inquires about the organization you run. You and this fellow have little in common, because he lives across town from you, but he always shows this level of respect. The second invitation comes from a fellow who you've heard about because he has a way of always making his voice heard and you agree with most of what he has to say. But he's never before shown up at anything you've done, or given you a personal invitation. Never the less the organization he has run has similar values to the the ones you share.
So which organization do you think you would show up at?
As much as ideas, passion, and hard work are important to building a political movement, so are lines of communication and networking. Martin Luther King was able to get Labor Unions and their important white working class members to march to Washington, because he also was a fighter for the right to unionize (the day MLK was shot he was in Memphis to help a the Memphis sanitation workers labor union). As much as the battle for civil rights must have consume all his time, he understood the importance of building lines of communication.
Relationship matter. If you wait until you "need" someone to show up at your organization it's often too late. Even if folks agree with you, people hate to feel used. The conservative activist Grover Norquist founded something called the "Wednesday Group" for conservatives. Even though Grover is consumed with tax policy, he formed a group that covered an entire spectrum of conservatives. The ability of conservatives to quickly all spout the same talking points is a direct consequence of this. Don't think for a second that a hedge fund manager from NYC, a culture warrior from Mississippi, and a libertarian NRa'er from Idaho on their side have anything more or less in common than a professor at a New England school, a union steward in the Midwest, and a young person of color in LA.
By having open lines of communication conservatives have developed a "language" that ropes all these group together more effectively than those on the left. Make no mistake it was long hard work for them and it will be long hard work for us.
2) So what to do we do about it?
The first thing that I can't emphasize enough is the importance of becoming a member of blogs from groups your not a "member" of. Make it your duty to read at least two blogs or communities that you don't consider yourself a "part" of each week. If you don't feel comfortable at first joining the discussion, just lurk. Learn the "language" of that group, learn what they are concerned about, learn what "terms" enrages them. But most important make it a long term project. As frustrating or aggravating as some heated discussion may become DO NOT LEAVE. Half of life is showing up, and doing so earns you a level of respect.
It's often said that the reason family feuds are so hurtful is because you love the person your fighting with. Try to view the inevitable clashes as family infighting. Try to step back and look at the "big picture" and ultimate goal.
Secondly when building or starting an offline organization don't forget about building a diverse networks right from the groups foundation. Think about whom you invite to the initial meeting. Think about the places you recruit new members. Think about going to HBCU's (historically black colleges and universities) and recruiting there if your primary focus are social issues. Consider recruiting from majority Latino or black churches if the issues are economic.
If you've built online friendships ask people for connections and ideas. Do the work at the beginning where it doesn't seem as "window dressing" make it a conscience effort. Make the effort even if people can't show up they will respect you for the invitation. There is nothing like heartfelt word of mouth, and there is no better way to earn it.
Be a leader in this effort. It's great to be open to anyone joining your organization, but it's better to be active in recruiting. Many people pat themselves on the back because they feel "they're open to everyone" but if your that open you should also be willing to go where you're in the "minority". There is no better way to build trust than to lead by example. If you want others to join a group were they will be in the minority, show them how it's done first.
Also don't fall into the stereotyping trap. Don't try to invite members of different groups only when your organization is doing a special focus on "woman's issues" or "LGBT issues" or "Hispanic issues". Many blacks are committed to environmentalism that goes beyond environmentalism racism, there are people in even deep dark Red States that care about LGBT issues. As elementary as this may seem it really does bare repeating. It's very easy for all of us to continue to try and recruit from the same areas and groups. Time and money are often scarce but with the power of social networking and a little commitment it's much easier to reach a broader and more diverse social network.
If these steps are followed the next "organic" progressive movement to spring forth will have a greater likely hood of "looking like America".
Make reaching out your New Year's resolution!
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News by dopper0189, Black Kos Managing Editor
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Fracking is starting to spread world wide. New York Times: Hunt for Gas Hits Fragile Soil, and South Africans Fear Risks
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When a drought dried up their wells last year, hundreds of farmers and their families flocked to local fairgrounds here to pray for rain, and a call went out on the regional radio station imploring South Africans to donate bottled water.
Even so, Shell and several other large energy companies hope to drill thousands of natural gas wells in the region, using a new drilling technology that can require a million gallons of water or more for each well. Companies will also have to find a way to dispose of all the toxic wastewater or sludge that each well produces, since the closest landfill or industrial-waste facility that can handle the waste is hundreds of miles away.
“Around here, the rain comes on legs,” said Chris Hayward, 51, a brawny, dust-covered farmer in Beaufort West, quoting a Karoo saying about how rare and fleeting precipitation is in the area.
With his three skinny border collies crouching dutifully at his side, Mr. Hayward explained that he had to slaughter more than 600 of his 2,000 sheep last year because there was not enough water to go around.
“If our government lets these companies touch even a drop of our water,” he said, “we’re ruined.”
South Africa is among the growing number of countries that want to unlock previously inaccessible natural gas reserves trapped in shale deep underground. The drilling technology — hydraulic fracturing, or “fracking,” for short — holds the promise of generating new revenue through taxes on the gas, creating thousands of jobs for one of the country’s poorest regions, and fueling power plants to provide electricity to roughly 10 million South Africans who live without it.
Major Shale Gas Basins
The study was limited to about 32 countries for which there was enough geological data to produce informed estimates
Image from the NYT, information from the Energy Information Administration
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Progressives win election in Jamaica AND the Prime Minster elect campaigns on protecting Gays! PNP wins!
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The PNP (People's National Party) lead by Portia Simpson-Miller which is the liberal party in Jamaica is poised to win today's election in Jamaica, defeating the conservative administration of the JLP (the Jamaican Labor Party) and Prime Minister Holness.*
In what many are finding a remarkable stance Mrs. Simpson-Miller has advocated not only the overturning of Jamaica statutes banning homosexuality (buggery laws) but that she would be open to having gays serve in her administration.
Jamaica is still a country with a long way to go in improving the human rights situation of it's GLBT citizens but tonight at least all those believe in human rights for all can celebrate this victory.
The soon to be prime minister starts at 1:05
Our administration believes in protecting the human rights of all Jamaicans. No one should be discriminated against based on their sexual orientation, and government should provide the protection.
* It's a little confusing but in Jamaica the National party is on the left, and the Labor Party is on the right.
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Views on what is considered racist sometimes differ from country to country, the reaction from some U.S. critics has many French scratching their heads. LA Times: Hit French movie 'Intouchables' has some crying 'racism'
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Most everyone in the low-income housing projects in northern Bondy knows about "Intouchables," the hit French film about a poor black man from their neighborhood who is hired to take care of a rich white quadriplegic.
But as dark settled over the northeast Paris suburb's labyrinth of high-rise projects, few of the young men who huddled under awnings in a stark central square said they had actually seen the film.
Even though most knew of a cousin or friend who had played a bit part when scenes were shot in Bondy, "we're too poor to go to the movies," said Ibrahim, 28, who runs the kebab restaurant in the square and declined to give his last name to a stranger.
Around the country, however, the movie has been breaking box-office records. Weighed down by a slumped economy and the gloomy prospect of austerity measures, "Intouchables" (untouchables) offers a cheerful break from reality with its modern fairy tale.
The film is being hailed as a "cultural phenomenon." President Nicolas Sarkozy liked it so much that he reportedly wants to have the cast over for dinner at the Elysee Palace.
Yet even as the Cinderella story has audiences applauding, a few critics scolded its unrealistic take on the struggles of France's poor, as well as its "easy stereotypes" of minorities, shown through the fun-loving hero, Driss. Driss is of Senegalese origin, and with his charming wit — but also unabashed ignorance of fine French foods, art and music — he livens up the stuffy world of his wealthy counterpart, Philippe.
(Devorah Lauter, For The Times / January 1, 2012)
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South Africa's ruling party has much to fete and more to consider, says Charlayne Hunter-Gault. The Root: The African National Congress Turns 100
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On Jan. 8 the oldest liberation movement on the African continent, the African National Congress, commences a yearlong commemoration of its centenary -- which, by the way, is just three years after the NAACP's 100th, whose goals and objectives were the same: freedom, justice and equality for all.
The kickoff will be in the town of Bloemfontein, where the ANC was founded, and is expected to be attended by more than 120,000 people, including foreign heads of state and other dignitaries. The celebration will be taking place as the ANC, which is also South Africa's ruling party, is beset with infighting and intrigues, including debates over the leadership at the top of the "broad church" (the description attached to the ANC's Tripartite Alliance with the South African Communist Party and the Congress of South African Trade Unions) -- a coalition whose membership, though predominantly black, is racially diverse, economically varied and both rural and urban in makeup.
Presumably, but not certainly, the voices of dissent will put their issues on hold as the ANC's leaders recall a history of protest that has its roots in a proud struggle tradition dating back to the 1600s, when countless warriors with names like Cetshwayo, Sekhukhune and Sandile stood up to white settlers with expansionary aims -- the Boers and the British -- who insisted over time that South Africa was a "white man's land." The earlier freedom fighters initially welcomed the whites, as the Native Americans did the Pilgrims, but when the whites trampled on the native South Africans' hospitality, they went into battle with their traditional weapon, the assegai, or spear. Superior firepower ultimately vanquished them, but not their aspirations.
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A Lion of the Pulpit, Aging Now, Has a Message for New Generations. NYT: The Rev. Gardner C. Taylor
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Several hours before the other ministers were to arrive, a young preacher named Reginald High drove up to a tidy town house here, the home in retirement of the greatest black churchman in America, the Rev. Gardner C. Taylor. At 93, after a lifetime of religious and political vigor, Dr. Taylor was finally bending to the ravages of age. He said he had been thinking a lot lately of the biblical Jacob — “old and weak, leaning on his staff,” yet still worshiping God.
That week in early December, Mr. High helped Dr. Taylor get out of bed and change from nightclothes into olive gabardine slacks, a brown checked jacket and a gold tie. That done, Mr. High settled Dr. Taylor into a cushioned seat, discreetly replacing the wheelchair he has recently required. On this day in particular, Mr. High knew, Dr. Taylor needed to preserve every atom of his dignity.
During his long career, Dr. Taylor led Concord Baptist Church of Christ in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, from obscurity to national prominence. He had been one of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s closest allies in the civil rights movement. He had received more than a dozen honorary doctoral degrees, had been named by Baylor University as among the dozen most effective preachers in the English-speaking world and had been awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Bill Clinton.
Behind the public figure, though, resided the private man, a mentor and teacher and inspiration to dozens of younger ministers. It was this less visible part of Dr. Taylor that mattered perhaps most within African-American Christianity, where a black pastor is measured by his living legacy, his “sons” and “daughters” in the ministry.
Travis Dove for The New York Times
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Children in snow suits are a common sight during winter. But in 1962, Peter from “The Snowy Day” was something most children in the United States had never seen before: an African American character who was the hero of his own book. Washington Post: ‘The Snowy Day,’ first picture book with black child as hero, marks 50 years
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“None of the manuscripts I’d been illustrating featured any black kids — except for token blacks in the background,” wrote author and illustrator Ezra Jack Keats, who died in 1983. “My book would have him there simply because he should have been there all along.”
First published 50 years ago, “The Snowy Day” is a gentle story that revels in the wonder of an urban snowfall. It also was quietly groundbreaking, both as what is widely considered the first picture book to star a black child and in its use of collage, for which Keats won the 1963 Caldecott Medal. Writers such as National Book Award winner Sherman Alexie, who thanked Keats in his 2007 acceptance speech, and award-winning author/illustrator Bryan Collier have cited “The Snowy Day” as an inspiration.
“The fact that it’s still around — and picture books are like lettuce in the grocery store, they disappear so fast — the fact that it’s still with us is something,” said Newbery and National Book Award winner Katherine Paterson, who is the National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature. “It’s so important for a child to be able to say, ‘There I am in the book,’ ” said Paterson, whose daughters are Chinese and Native American. “That’s been a wonderful change, even in the lifetime of my children, who are in their 40s now.”
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Kudos! The Grio: Melissa Harris-Perry becomes only black female to host a political talk show in cable news
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MSNBC has expanded their weekend line-up by adding a new show hosted by regular contributor Melissa Harris-Perry. The Melissa Harris-Perry Show will launch in February and it will be the only politically-themed show hosted by an African-American woman on a cable news network.
MSNBC Vice President and Executive Editor, Yvette Miley, who is also an African-American, explains how Perry reached this level of success, "Melissa Harris Perry has earned this opportunity not just to participate in the political discussion but to lead the conversation about America's future and our future."
"This is an extraordinary experience," said Perry, who is currently a political science professor at Tulane University. "[MSNBC President] Phil Griffin and MSNBC are giving me the chance to have a much bigger classroom."
The show will debut on MSNBC February 4th and is set to air on Saturdays and Sundays between 10AM-12PM. Griffin made the announcement and explained how he is thrilled to have her join the expanded weekend line-up.
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Rick Santorum newest race based attack on Obama, just be careful if you google the word "Santorum" to look more into it. HuffingtonPost: Rick Santorum say Barack Obama should be prolife because he's black
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In today's creative use of President Obama's race by his political opponents (actually, a recently-unearthed interview from back in January 2011), GOP hopeful Rick Santorum suggested that Obama should be pro-life because -- you guessed it -- he's black. The Huffington Post has the clip and a partial transcript of the comments:
he question is ... is that human life a person under the constitution? And Barack Obama says no. Well if that human life is not a person then ... I find it almost remarkable for a black man to say 'now we are going to decide who are people and who are not people.'
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Now why do some people doubt again that Republicans are race baiters? The Grio: Newt Gingrich: 'I will tell black people to demand paychecks instead of food stamps'
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Newt Gingrich says he plans to "go to the NAACP convention and tell the African-American community why they should demand paychecks instead of food stamps."
Gingrich made the comments during a town hall in Plymouth, New Hampshire, according to a tweet from Slate writer Dave Weigel.
Gingrich has repeatedly referred to President Barack Obama as a "food stamp president", and has said he'd tackle black teen unemployment by easing child labor laws so that poor kids can work as janitors in their schools, replacing union workers.
He has also said that children in poor neighborhoods have no role models for work, and no concept of getting paid, unless it's for something illegal. He has proposed turning school children from poor neighborhoods into apprentice school janitors, replacing union workers.
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The Front Porch is now reopened, Happy New Year!