In a report marked for official use only recently obtained by Foreign Policy, the FBI assessed that “perceptions of police brutality against African Americans spurred an increase in premeditated, retaliatory lethal violence against law enforcement,” classifying those espousing this ideology as “Black Identity Extremists," or BIEs. This document, dated Aug. 3, was internally … [Read more...] about ‘Black Identity Extremist’ Classification Sustains Racist Legacy
Organizing
A Short History of Good Cause
Image caption: Barry Thompson of the Tenants Union holds sign reading “No Evictions Without Good Cause” inside City Hall. Photo by Maddie Rose. “Philadelphia needs to treat its people who live here so much better. You know, I never liked speaking in front of people, but everything I’ve been through, living here for thirty years, I think it’s my right to speak for other … [Read more...] about A Short History of Good Cause
New Tools Needed: Community Organizing
I went door-knocking for the first time in the Mott Haven projects in the South Bronx. My college class had visited the dingy basement office of ACORN (the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now), in 2004 the largest community organizing outfit in the country. We were split into pairs, given clipboards, and sent into the hallways to talk with residents about … [Read more...] about New Tools Needed: Community Organizing
Where Do Good Organizers Come From?
Photo: Jim West, jimwestphoto.com, cropped from original. We know good organizers when we meet them. They’re accessible. They listen and show respect. They react calmly to all kinds of people, take their time to size up a situation, and engage people on their own terms. They brim with suggestions for action, but they’re open to new ideas. They’re not bossy. They … [Read more...] about Where Do Good Organizers Come From?
Base-Building and Workers’ Self-Inquiry
Illustration by Corey Brickley The emergence of the base-building trend is a very welcome development. It signifies a theoretical and practical advancement for revolutionary praxis in the US, which has been floundering and flailing for decades, unable to keep up with the restructuring of global capitalism or truly face off against its social, political, and military … [Read more...] about Base-Building and Workers’ Self-Inquiry