Challenging White Supremacy: Multiracial Alliance and Antiracist Organizing in the U.S.

Challenging White Supremacy

Multiracial Alliance and Antiracist Organizing in the U.S.

How I Arrived at this Project

• 1998 AmeriCorps• 2001 People’s Institute• 2003 Univ of Minnesota, Ethnic Studies BA• 2003 Challenging White Supremacy• 2003 Center for Third World Organizing and

Californians for Justice• 2004 USC, American Studies & Ethnicity PhD• 2004 Critical Resistance• 2006 AWARE-LA and beginning of project

Challenging White Supremacy:Multiracial Alliance and Antiracist

Organizing in the US

“…an interdisciplinary study that employs archival, ethnographic, and literary analysis to examine alliance and organizing between people-of-color member organizations and white member organizations against the white supremacist system.” – Jeb Middlebrook

Project Questions

• What roles have white people played in past and present racial justice movements?

• When, where, and how have organizational alliances against the white supremacist system existed between white membership organizations and people of color membership organizations?

• What can this tell us about understandings of race and racism today?

Project Terms

• White supremacy (system): a U.S.-based system of racial hierarchy that uses racism and white privilege to divide and conquer white people and people of color for the benefit of the ruling elite

Power and privilege is what the oppressors exercise over the oppressed in a racist system.

The oppressed see the power and the privilege that the oppressor has and wants to have the same power and benefits.

Traditional Model (Liberal analysis)

White Supremacy System

*White Supremacist System-*White Supremacist System- A system based on the belief of A system based on the belief of the inherent superiority of white people (WASP) to all other the inherent superiority of white people (WASP) to all other races. It is a historically based, institutionally perpetuated races. It is a historically based, institutionally perpetuated system of exploitation that grants unearned social system of exploitation that grants unearned social privilege to people of white skin in the US for the purpose privilege to people of white skin in the US for the purpose of maintaining and defending a system of wealth, power, of maintaining and defending a system of wealth, power, and privilege for the white ruling elite. This system and privilege for the white ruling elite. This system bestows privilege on white people so they will align with bestows privilege on white people so they will align with the interests of the ruling elite to maintain access to their the interests of the ruling elite to maintain access to their privileged status.privileged status.

The less than 1% The less than 1% wealthy, white, wealthy, white, heterosexual, men heterosexual, men who make the who make the rules of societyrules of society

White Supremacy System

Racism is a TOOL of white Racism is a TOOL of white supremacy. Racism is supremacy. Racism is systemic but it is not the systemic but it is not the larger oppressive system of larger oppressive system of White Supremacy operating White Supremacy operating in US.in US.

WHITE PRIVILEGEWHITE PRIVILEGE- Privilege is granted to people of - Privilege is granted to people of white skin by the White Supremacist System. This is white skin by the White Supremacist System. This is

done to divide the privileged class from the non-done to divide the privileged class from the non-privileged class. White people are not aware of and privileged class. White people are not aware of and

have difficulty naming and recognizing their privilege.have difficulty naming and recognizing their privilege.

The White Supremacist system oppresses the non-privileged class. The non-The White Supremacist system oppresses the non-privileged class. The non-privileged class sees the privilege that the privileged class has and wants to have privileged class sees the privilege that the privileged class has and wants to have

the same benefits and be free from oppression.the same benefits and be free from oppression.

DEHUMANIZATIONDEHUMANIZATIONDehumanization is used to place Dehumanization is used to place people in their class. Both groups people in their class. Both groups have violence used against them have violence used against them to place and keep them in their to place and keep them in their

class.class.(Violence- Any act that makes someone, or (Violence- Any act that makes someone, or a group of people, powerless and harms the a group of people, powerless and harms the humanity of that person or group of people.)humanity of that person or group of people.)

Project Terms

• White supremacy: a U.S.-based system of racial hierarchy that uses racism and white privilege to divide and conquer white people and people of color for the benefit of the ruling elite

• Multiracial alliance: long-term partnerships between white-led organizations and people of color-led organizations against white supremacy

Project Case Studies• Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee, the Southern

Conference Education Fund, and the Southern Student Organizing Committee (1960-1969)

• The Original Rainbow Coalition: Black Panther Party, the Young Lords Organization, I Wor Kuen, the American Indian Movement, the Gay Liberation Front, the Students for a Democratic Society and the Young Patriots (1966-1969)

• League of Revolutionary Black Workers and the Motor City Labor League (1969-1970)

• American Indian Movement, the Puerto Rican Socialist Party, the Republic of New Africa, and the Prairie Fire Organizing Committee (1974-2006)

• Labor/Strategy Community Center, South Asian Network, Community Coalition, and the Alliance of White Anti-Racists Everywhere – Los Angeles (2003-present)

Project Terms

• White supremacy: a U.S.-based system of racial hierarchy that uses racism and white privilege to divide and conquer white people and people of color for the benefit of the ruling elite

• Multiracial alliance: long-term partnerships between white-led organizations and people of color-led organizations against white supremacy

• Antiracist organizing: recruiting, politicizing, and mobilizing a base of people in membership organizations and the general public to challenge the white supremacist system

TOOL developed by ©Transformational Solutions please credit for info [email protected]

WHITE ANTI RACIST VOICEWHITE ANTI RACIST VOICE TO TO SPEAK OUT AGAINST RACISMSPEAK OUT AGAINST RACISM to counter the dominant white voice and use white privilege to confront white supremacy by standing united with people of color.

ALLIANCE BUILDINGALLIANCE BUILDING WITH WITH COMMUNITIES OF COLORCOMMUNITIES OF COLOR to fight for racial, social, economic, & environmental justice by building relationships with key social justice groups working in alliances and playing a active role.

ANTI-RACIST CONSCIOUSNESS ANTI-RACIST CONSCIOUSNESS RAISINGRAISING IN WHITE COMMUNITYIN WHITE COMMUNITY to engage white communities in LA to move white folks to work with people of color.

ANTI RACIST SOLIDARITY ANTI RACIST SOLIDARITY MOVEMENTMOVEMENT BUILDINGBUILDING work with white anti racist groups across the country to build national capacity for creating national movements.

WHITE ANTI-RACIST BASE WHITE ANTI-RACIST BASE BUILDINGBUILDING IN THE WHITE IN THE WHITE COMMUNITYCOMMUNITY to create a white anti racist base that will organize within the larger white communities of LA.

© AWARE-LA- TOOL developed by Cameron Levin

info [email protected]

Why Study Antiracist Organizing Now?

• Racial inequality in poverty rates, and poverty maintained across race.


• Racial inequality in poverty rates, and poverty increasing across race.

• Racial inequality in unemployment rates, and unemployment rates increasing across race.




• Incarceration rates increasing across race, and racial inequality in incarceration.

, U.S. Department of Justice (2009)




• Increasing incarceration rates increasing across race.

• Trust in government to address these things historically decreasing / in flux.

Sites of Multiracial Alliance and Antiracist Organizing?



• Increasing incarceration rates increasing across race.

• Trust in government to address these things historically decreasing / in flux.

OR More White Supremacy?

Impact of White Supremacy on Organizing

• “Fueled by immigration fears, the economic crisis and the election of a black president, racist hate groups increased their numbers again in 2008. The Southern Poverty Law Center has documented a staggering 926 hate groups operating in our country — a more than 50% increase since 2000.” (SLPC, 2009)

• “Hate group leaders are exploiting the difficult economic times to swell their ranks, and their anti-Semitic, white supremacist propaganda is promoting violence. A neo-Nazi leader was quoted in USA Today saying, ‘When the economy suffers, people are looking for answers. ...We are the answer for white people.’” (SLPC, 2009)

Red Dots = 926 Hate Groups Green Patches = Thousands of Individuals Against Hate (SPLC, 2008-2009)

Impact of White Supremacy on Organizing

Impact of Multiracial Alliance and Antiracism on Organizing: Project Findings

• Context for reading, "Inside-Out and Upside-Down: An Interview with Anne Braden”

• Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee, the Southern Conference Education Fund, and the Southern Student Organizing Committee (1960-1969)

• 1960 Founding of Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee from Greensboro sit-ins

• 1964 Freedom Summer• 1964 Southern Student Organizing Committee (SSOC)• 1964 Anne Braden writes letter to SSOC, suggesting

“autonomous-affiliate” organizing with the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee

• 1966 White volunteers voted out of SNCC asked to organize in the white community against racism.

• End of white involvement in racial justice or beginning?

"Inside-Out and Upside-Down: An Interview with Anne Braden”:

• “If you want to get white people involved in the anti-racist movement, the starting point is not to ask them to give up their privileges. That is not a good organizing approach. White people who are struggling economically or living in terrible poverty have a hard time seeing that they have white privilege.” – Anne Braden

• “A lot of white working-class people have been turned off to our movements because they have been put down. There is an assumption among white intellectuals who think they are liberals or anti-racists that all working-class and poor whites are flaming racists. They may have been some of the people who joined the Klan, but I have met just as many flaming racists in the country-club set.” – Anne Braden


• Do we talk about race or do we just bring people together to organize around common issues?

• You have to attack the policies and practices of the society you live in. There are two different forms of attack: the common ground issues and the frontal attack on white supremacist policies and practices. In any community, you need organizations that are doing both. Living wage campaigns are common ground issues. Race and economic justice in this country are so intertwined that you can hardly talk about any economic issue where racism and white supremacy are not also involved.


• Do you think it is important to keep bringing in new people (to the movement)? – Colorlines

• “That is the biggest weakness of our great progressive movement. We are reluctant to reach the people who are not involved. It's worst among whites who consider themselves anti-racist. They don't want to talk to white people who are not involved.” – Anne Braden


AWARE-LA 2007


• Context for reading, "One Step Forward on the Path to Liberation: White Anti-Racist Organizing and its Role in the Struggle Against the White Supremacist System" by AWARE-LA

• Labor/Strategy Community Center, South Asian Network, Community Coalition, and the Alliance of White Anti-Racists Everywhere – Los Angeles (2003-present)

• 2003 AWARE-LA founded.• 2004 Radical White Identity developed, models follow.• 2005 Racial Justice Advisory Board attempted and failed. Racial

Justice Alliance formed.• 2007 AWARE holds first community event: Open House.• 2008 AWARE-LA runs first campaign. Ballot Box and Beyond:

Racism and the ’08 Elections• 2010 AWARE-LA plans second campaign.• End of white involvement in racial justice or beginning?

"One Step Forward on the Path to Liberation”

• “We also recognize that too many white anti-racist models are constructed from a deep level of guilt and shame. We believe that feelings of guilt, as one begins to fully realize the extent of the realities of racism, are an important and heartfelt process of conscious development. For us, guilt is a place to visit, not a place to live. When guilt and shame become the operating force of white people’s involvement in anti-racist work, their work and relationships are negatively impacted.” – AWARE-LA

AWARE-LA’s “Radical White Identity”

• White people have a stake in ending the White Supremacist System.

• White people need to shed White Supremacist culture in order to be fully human.

• When white people take up anti-racist work we are true allies in the struggle to end the White Supremacist System.


• 1) Roots: Understand how one’s connection or lack of connection to their ethnic identity or heritage was the price of assimilation and it shapes one’s racial identity.

• 2) History: White anti-racist people’s history of resistance.

• 3) Social position: Continually reflecting on and naming the realities of white skin privilege in every aspect of our lives.


4) Practice for Liberation (Active resistance to White Supremacy):

• Ongoing practice of decoding white privilege and racism.

• Connecting with other white anti-racists and building radical white community.

• Form alliances with people of color to work in solidarity for racial, economic, social, and environmental justice.

• Actively work to undermine white supremacy in ourselves, local communities, and the world.


• “We have found that we can engage far more people in anti-racist work when we offer folks varied ways to become active. This includes: consciousness-raising and skill building through workshops and dialogue as well as alliance building work with people of color through local and national alliances. Ultimately, no work in the white community can ever be complete without being active in larger multiracial movements to organize for systemic change.” – AWARE-LA


• “White people are uniquely situated in this system to make choices that can either contribute to or undermine the white supremacist system. During the slavery and civil rights eras, there came a tipping point when mainstream white society was forced to take a position— were they for slavery, or abolition? Were they for segregation, or integration? It is time once again for white people to take an active and visible stand against the white supremacist system by utilizing anti-racist community organizing strategies to create systemic change.” – AWARE-LA

Historical & Political Tensions

• “I made up my mind then that I would never spend another minute of my life building something that was all or mostly white because it is not going to change anything. It is a waste of time.

We deliberately organized SOC as an interracial group. It has evolved into an organization that is clearly led by people of color.” – Anne Braden

Historical & Political Tensions

• “AWARE-LA was founded November 2003 to create a space for white people to take responsibility for working with ourselves and with other white people to uproot racism, confront white privilege, and take action to dismantle the white supremacist system.”– AWARE-LA

More information

• Resources: http://www.awarela.org

• For questions for me contact:[email protected]

http://www.awarela.org/

mailto:[email protected]

Challenging White Supremacy: Multiracial Alliance and Antiracist Organizing in the U.S.

Education

Transcript of Challenging White Supremacy: Multiracial Alliance and Antiracist Organizing in the U.S.