National Artist, Organizers, and Educators Convergence Report Back : NOLA Indymedia

This past January from the 23rd through the 25th, New Orleans hosted people from all over the nation, Canada, and Mexico for the first ever artists, organizers, and educators’ convergence.

The convergence was to call out to artists, educators, and organizers to share ideas and work in building a movement for social change. Events began Friday night at the Tulane Diboll conference center. Talvin Wilks of New World Theatre at UMASS welcomed the participants and explained the purpose of the convergence. Wilks talked the convergence’s history. In October of 2003, artists and organizers met in Flint, Michigan at the Activating Democracy Conference. There Grace Lee Boggs spoke on the need for collaboration of artists, organizers, and educators in movement building. New Orleanians, Curtis Muhammad and John O’Neal who work with The Colorlines project proposed convening in New Orleans in 2004.

Following Wilks, key note speaker Bill Fletcher, Jr., of TransAfrica Forum took the floor on the topic of movement building. Bill Fletcher, who has extensive background in organized labor, now works with TransAfrica Forum. TransAfrica Forum, according to their website, is “a non-profit organization dedicated to educating the general public – particularly African Americans – on the economic, political and moral ramifications of U.S. foreign policy as it affects Africa and the Diaspora in the Caribbean and Latin America.” Fletcher challenged progressives to participate in the struggle, not just observe it. Progressive organizers, artists, and educators need to address the sexism, racism, and classism in their work, to understand their middle class privileges and social barriers, to be a voice with the struggle and not for it. Fletcher also described the differences and similarities between Clintonian neo-liberal “first among equals” capitalism and Bush and company’s “cowboy”policies. “Cowboy” capitalism, according the Fletcher, can be summed up in four points:
a) US is a capitalist nation, and shall maintain its supremacy having no competition like the USSR during the Cold War.
b) Everyone is to be capitalist, there are to be no other economic systems but capitalism, under the supremacy of the U.S.
c) If you don’t agree, you are a terrorist.
d) The U.S. has the right to declare war on those we deem terrorists.

Youth organizers KT Kilborn and Heart Sleeve Productions in Atlanta and Catherine of the Estrada Project in San Antonio responded to Fletcher and shared some of their organizing experiences.

The floor was then opened up for cultural mapping and story circles. Story circles allow each participant to share her experiences and ideas and from that come to consensus about where to go from there, rather than debating or voting in which there usually is a losing or wrong side.

Meanwhile, about 90 students from Jackson, Mississippi and New Orleans gathered at the Tremé Center for a sleepover. The Young People Project from Jackson is a math literacy program related to the Algebra Project. Students at the Center of New Orleans enrolls students in limited size elective writing classes. These groups of young people collaborated on their common work and community based organizing. Artists from the convergence were invited to join the young people at Tremé for an arts studio/ workshop. Other artists stayed at Tulane.

The next day convergers met at Fredrick Douglass High School on St. Claude Ave. The school is the site of the Douglass Community Coalition, “a year old experiment in building community- school partnership” (from Convergence packet local case description). Saturday’s program began with artists and students sharing a few performance pieces they developed the night before.

Convergers broke off into case studies on various New Orleanian organizations that illustrate coalition work with organizers, educators, and artists. In the case studies local organizations talked about what worked, what didn’t, lessons learned, and the mechanics and methodology of movement building. Participants in the local case studies coming from a wide array of organizing backgrounds and geographical settings then gave feed back. In this way, new ideas invigorated the local organizing efforts while extending the reach of grass roots coalition building. The different local groups that held case studies include: Liberation Zone Ministries, Community United to Reform Education (CURE), Chrisitan Unity Church, Tambourine and Fan Club, Xavier University Community Arts Partnership, Making Connections New Orleans (MCNO), Institute of Women and Ethnic Studies, Ahmad Nelson Defense Committee, UrbanHeart Community Learning Centers, Douglass Community Coalition, Young People’s Project, My Mississippi Eyes, Algebra Project, Students at the Center, Planned Parenthood of Louisiana, Guardians of the Flame and Oretha Castle Haley Elementary, People’s Institute for Survival and Beyond and Jim Dunn Organizers’ Roundtable, Twomey Center at Loyola University, Ashe Cultural Center, Blackout Arts Collective- NO, Neighborhood Unity, M.E.R.G.E, and Louisiana correctional Institute for Women Drama Club.

Convergers then reconvened for lunch and report backs. During the reports, the different local case studies were asked to pose a focus, question, or specific work to everyone. These were gathered and augmented with issues like the upcoming elections and globalization. People were then asked to re- group in strategy sessions. By six pm, after a day of intense discussion, many of the participants were visibly worn out. Nevertheless, over coffee and cigarette breaks ideas kept perculating. Convergence participants were invited to attend ArtSpot’s Production of The Maid of Orleans at the Contemporary Arts Center and a performance salon hosted by José Torres Tama. The author, being exhausted from the convergence and the very successful Planned Parenthood Benefit at Café Brazil the night before, regretfully attended neither. Throughout the night convergence organizers met to assess and plan for Sunday’s meeting.

The Convergence closed Sunday morning at Dillard Cook Center. In keeping with the artistic concept, report backs were presented musically. Blackout gave a hip-hop spoken word and freestyle performance. A handful of participants then improvised the issues we came together to struggle for and against. With their body movements they told the story of the vast right wing conspiracy, freedom, and unity. A petition was proposed as a collaborative effort to address Douglass school’s dilapidated conditions. Another group proposed coordinating an American Social Forum, based on the annual World Social Forum that meets in Brazil. After breaking out into groups one last time, everyone was invited to a discounted lunch at Dillard’s cafeteria.

Overall, participants left the weekend inspired and energized, their discussions and efforts part of the dynamic groundwork of building a movement for social justice.

uoaBzQBLZ
by Jalen Friday, Jul. 01, 2011 at 3:47 AM
icJSHpLI WwgkirVQ AjCPfCzMMBw