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So, out of this, me a crew people start up catalyst project
it was like okay how can we create anti-racist political education
it's trying to move white people in large numbers in the global justice
movement demonstrations and
World Trade Organization masstricht actions against global capitalism
were happening in the late 90's early 2000's it was a huge time
other momentum at energy and one of my mentors Elizabeth the Tina Martinez
incredible longtime chicano student activist in
you know she was actually a a parts 29 by coordinating committee wanna founders
the women's liberation movement
longtime mentor she was like she put out this as a call where was the color in
Seattle the creed all this conversation about race is on and privilege in
organizing is so she said to us me in the psych route white folks are trying
to figure out starting a catalyst project
she said now is the time to talk to white people when there's an
up swings when there's powerful moment I'm
this is a time to try to because people are in motion
in people learning robe when they're in motion
in ways that are sole deep there so transformative
versus kinda in activity you need use moments of momentum to really move
people
see need to do this work alotta why people would talk to her
she wrote this essay kind about racism the movement she said all these white
group key talking about how can they get more people of color to join their group
but you needed work with white groups to talk about what are the ways that day
and white groups can work in white supremacy
how can mostly-white are all white groups join in solidarity in alliance in
community
with groups and communities of color to and and challenge white supremacy works
for racial justice
so that needs to be the work so alcove
that work kinda had two different approaches
and we realized the area in retrospect we realize that we are operating for a
good while from a damage control mentality
how do we keep white people from not messing up so much
like our job is to be
anti-racist why people who build alliances and relationships with that
group that color which is good this
all good this is all part of the development process but
we started to have an idea that okay now what we need to do is try to keep a
close eye on all the white people
and try to keep them from being so destructive to the broader movement
and so destructive to people color and people colors organizations
we need to count kept track control and Limit damage but then we realize is that
you know what
over time doing that and not being super effective
was that we need to come from approach it how do we
unleash the potential %uh multi-racial democratic struggle
how do we help white people unleash their potential in the possibility to do
meaningful affective concrete visionary tray just anti-racist work
is that sound cool so damage control
unleash potential those are two frameworks
and Weezer reading your different folks and so Suzanne Farrell long time
*** southern organizer she says while the right wing is united by racism
sexism homophobia the left is destroyed by racism sexism homophobia
it so after that that math for the depressing
statement that's very true but we like okay racism sexism homophobia exists
so our job is to work to proactively as much as possible take them
on to not get so angry at people when they express those things
or to take all over anger
which should be directed the systems and how it operates
and put them on individuals in our lives we need
to understand that this is a fact %uh organizing life
that we need to try to take on it increase our capacity to work to support
people to move
outta this I'm at the unitary Universalists
well he so callous was invited
to the young religious you tear universalist National Leadership
Conference
in upstate New York in 2004 I heard in the United know I know what one was
Psylocke end to this I camp with like a hundred
I use leaders and why are you
and they are on by ear and where there to do several days and anti-racist
training and work with them
I mean just shut out a few words that you describe out the
you youth positive energy
passion hes transformer
I mean on pyrite so we're doing these trainings and is like
who are these fifteen year olds who like yeah so this is my fourth
on anti-racism trainee I actually I actually just organize one for my
regional OPCON
and I was like on one thousand buy it now learn fast II disorder has 1i
regional
come on and on you know so now trying to figure out how we can develop more youth
leaders ask mike got in and the like
you know like seventy up these like teenagers like using like complex
consensus process to make like
really actually quite effective decisions about all kinds of things on a
national con- in a level
that was like blowing my mind me who are they
and they're doing the all these I trainees in their soul like their hearts
are sole
open positive then there's like I always like spiritual rituals a bill
late at night where people are like you know stand like this if you wanna be
hugged and affirmed about the truth in your humanity
you know the
sale state stand like this if you would rather if you prefer not to be touched
but you'd rather someone just whisper how much they love you and your year
hi how are the hardest
the on you hi the but one of the things that so
as we are doing this work we like okay easy to carry ins
the z10 universalist there's a lot analysis
there's a lot like really smart thinking
in there is a lot alike real concern about how to have the right language
the how to use the right words the right language and
it was really clear the biggest help people didn't wanna screw each other
over
they didn't want to be doing micrograph shins all the time they want to be
splitting up
there you know cuz it was like white youth and youth collar and people want
to do the right thing
so one of the things that we realize oh a catalyst we're like okay
there's an incredible depth of commitment a passion
analysis but the next phase
to next phases were absolutely essential
one was a kak anti-racism consciousness
language culture to anti-racist practice and action
involvement in the community not just within the congregation
but also in the community to connect anti-racism
to actually try a challenge and change structures have any quality
gay involving campaign getting involved in organizations
getting into bringing anti-racism into the streets the second thing
was to make anti-racism
something that was healing and nourishing and not something
they created incredible anxiety and guilt and shame in rage in anger
those things are part of the process but we can stop there
to the uterine use were incredible
and they brought me into the attorney never slows faith
so all that brings the Arizona so it
in the build-up to Arizona it was incredible right
incredible outrage in Carmel protest I mean there's national
outrage and momentum about what was happening and Arizona both within the
state and all over the country
I mean incredible levels a public protest
from lot to different places in the you use right we're going to throw down
we're going to be there it so I was working with catalyst
with with 20 K the migrant justice group
and Phoenix where rocket society doing you know who's there like help support
the direct action mass
a civil disobedience a whole range a group
and we knew people like okay to use are coming
you know talking like Ken Brown who is like in the district
a you know district organizer there were talking to them
the user coming they're gonna be really involved that's awesome
but then we can't be it became clear that there were a lot of people who are
going to be doing civil disobedience
in general sorry I okay we needed drastically increase the amount of
people who are doing civil disobedience
we need to have mass action
and so people are working on that both within like the point a community
with and a whole range and the basic
strategy was we need to get influential people in different parts at these
different communities
to commit to doing civil disobedience and talk to their people about why
they're doing it
into both lead through words but also through example
and so I remember we did we had these beatings every day
and would have liked the list up like how many people do we have committed to
doing it
at first I was like 12 people 12 people total
and you use it was you know six people
and I members guys are talking and ice are talking always if I Q U organizers
and a lot to you organizers were really
better in amory
about what they felt was going to the lack radical action by use
like you know all the user guide com there is no like
wear their shirts they're not going to the actual actions
they're gonna like go and sing in service they're gonna like show up here
show their faces go
leave all the like real activity to like the local community
and then say in all their newsletters for the next ten years that they were
there and they're awesome
that's all it's gonna happen as I cool what we do
different cuz I mean it was clear the momentum was there in a lotta you were
feeling it right
the momentum was there for something not like that
the momentum was there for something that was going to be incredible they
could be far more transformative
and so but then I start talking all these other organizers
who said that they felt like there was an incredible amount
a sphere holding back
potential you involvement a lot of people who wanted to do something more
radical said well I feel accountable
to these congregations who are really afraid and don't want to do this
alright feel accountable in this wacky accountable camel camel camel camel
all these people start talking to how accountable they felt 10 not doing what
they thought
would be the best thing to do
and says I okay that's great but there's this level of accountability
but the level this accountability is actually creating
a roadblock to momentum
so we need to do some things here to the first thing with tristar getting
you use arrested earlier on so like yeah our comrade here from Arizona
who wear was part one of the early civil disobedience actions
and did it and rocked it another example another leader in the community
but there was also how can we get references in Frederick gray
to do civil disobedience I'm and so she became like my
key like I need to have in yes and multiple conversations with her about
why
this needs to happen
and it was tricky I'm a share something with you I don't usually share
to she felt very accountable to point a which is understandable
but there were differences in opinion in point de about civil disobedience
the folks who were more connected to the grassroots in my opinion
the people who are more really involved in organizing this
were like yes civil disobedience but there were some folks who work as
involved who are kinda stepping back but we're also leaders
who are like I don't think this is the right thing to do
in so sometimes we organize it gets complicated right it's not always easy
it's not like well let's just do appoint a says
so in that moment it was like
yes let's do appoint a says and
let's also think about what are we trying to politically achieve
what is politically possible in this moment try a challenge
the races in Arizona and not just say
who we are you know just line up all the dots
around accountability also be accountable to our vision and our
purpose our politics
and so we're trying to get more more folks involved I remember references in
she came to why the duck action trainings all the drug action strange
were happening in
around the community and she came to one and she was actually gonna do the same
the same action then she decided not to I thought this was actually incredibly
courageous an incredibly bold in very strategic in visionary
she said I want us I actually want to preach on Sunday to my congregation
and explain to them why I am gonna do civil disobedience
an invite them to bore support me and participate
are being in that service I cried my eyes out
god-like this is religious leadership
this is spiritual leadership I mean she
was speaking to her congregation and she moves people
and she was like let's bring the bass and that's what we need to do
we to think about who is our base not only as as if we're ministers
but all of us have bases all of us have communities who we can influence who we
can move
and we need to be thinking about how we build our base and how we move our base
and she along with many other people
helped to move their base in Arizona and also around the country
so the next thing we did because the original plan was that the you use
we're gonna go in vans angle all over the broader City
to shopping malls and suburbs
and saying in solidarity with the actions that were gonna be happening in
the city core
so in the city core there be a handful and you use
and I a lot of folks from point A and in the
the direct directly affected most negatively affected communities
doing direct action but most you use round the country were gonna be all over
in the suburbs singing
about standing on the side of love in handing out flyers about immigrant
rights
in a strategy made some sense around like as like a mostly-white faith
there could be a real appealing to like white people in the suburbs try to build
support around this
but we're like now we need to get the you use
again being in the same space sharing space being in the streets together
being in jail together
being in the spaces is deeply transformative and builds relationships
that can transform who we are as people
is this is a moment to build a long-term relationship between the UA
in the migrant justice movement is gonna last a decade and beyond
and that's what we're doing
in so we like we need to have a direct action training in the sanctuary in the
main church
we need to have every religious leader we can possibly get
to start telling everyone they know the day she go to that training
we should get we need to get references references and
to be four the training announced that she's again doing direct action in it
she encourages everyone to go
we need to tell everyone
that not only are they wanted in doing this action
but this is a way we can bring our faith
our spirituality and bring our church
into the streets
will bring our songs will bring our symbols
will bring our faith will bring our commitment
and will bring anti-racism into the streets and a lot of people are really
scared had a lotta really big concerns
well what if we mess up what if we say brought offensive things
our people are already
is a week after responding if not about what people say
in this moment what they do will speak far louder
don't be afraid of what could happen
put your faith in the possibility of what we can
do you
don't let the fear prevent us from the possible
if not about just having the right language the right word right analysis
it's about having leadership in men in structures a
organizational change to help us do the best we can
as often as we can to advance goals of racial justice
does sound n so one of the key things Mrs items are to wrap up here
a few key things though that helped in Arizona any %uh people know the details
I mean unbelievable amount to use got arrested
unbelievable amount to you people were doing and again I say this not
over Biol getting arrested is like the most important thing
because well as actually just as important was how many you use were in
the streets providing support political support with chanting
how many
yeah and about at least II don't know the actual numbers that I was like more
is a closer like 60 you use took a rest doing civil disobedience
and then dozens and dozens more were doing direct support in the streets
bringing people water
which is also risking arrest getting people water
taking people's like numbers to call loved ones doing support in the streets
hundreds and you use we're doing this and it was amazing because in point a
again all this is very complex because there was people in point a
organizers active as a color who were also very nervous about all these you
use
are they can take over our organization
I can try to speak for us I think I try to claim this struggle is there's
I think I try to claim anything positive out of this as their own
our latest a common take over the space in behind like
ignorant white folks that just sorta like pushers after the way and take over
is so we had to have a really complex conversations amongst organizing crew
a folks a collar a white folks
about how can we all do that most we can to did
increase the capacity for all of our people to do the
best we could let's give it a try
because you know what if we don't give it a try we're gonna keep losing
we're gonna keep being small way to keep being ineffective
so if we want to keep doing what we're doing now
we're gonna lose
if we want to win we need to start doing things that are
but feel counter-intuitive but the open up possibilities for something different
so there was a lot of nervous as all over the place I will tell you
talking with point a folks talking with youth and young folks
who were implanted a who like have never seen so many white people
do like be at our demonstrations before and at first
I was really nervous about what that might be but it was beautiful
we started telling people in our community
if you need something if you need water if you need a ride
if you need help look for the people with the yellow shirts
in the J all
the night at the mass arrest when people were in jail
Joe Joe Arpaio's jail is the site
I think credible re pressure in in it institution that is meant
to break people's spirits break people sense a power
and terrify migrant immigrant undocumented brown communities in
Arizona
that night
with sixty
eighty people in jail rain coming down
people danced in the streets in five Joe are piles how
a jail communities in Arizona in Phoenix that never
did said I never would have imagined that we would be gay in sick feeling a
sense of our power
to claim this space a you use
white you use and
activist color from point A tango dancing in the streets and friend Joe
are piles
jail and so
people like my my mentor Elizabeth you marty is she said
people move when there's moment I'm we can't look around and be like why are
people doing things
we need to ask how can we create opportunities for people to do things
how can we create mechanisms and support to help them do those things
how can we create mechanisms there to help them reflect on what they've done
so they go deeper next time they commit long-haul
how can we as people who are engaged who want to see change
start taking responsibility for our people
to not leave them to not abandon them
to not look at them and condemn them every white person in this country needs
to be saved from the horrible white supremacy
every white person in this country need to have the opportunity
to be on the right side of history and we need to create opportunities and
opportunities opportunities
for them to stand on the right side of history
enjoying be on the train for liberation be on the side of Justice
join the river I've multi-racial democratic struggle and no this is a
struggle for their own souls
their families their communities their future
and we need to help that happen our spiritual
I mean it's so beautiful to be here because oftentimes I talk with secular
activists
and I speak in a way that the Spirit is moving in mean all speak in ways
how we need to connect our deeper purpose
but I stay here our spiritual
calling is to help save our people
all our people but also the people that we sometimes don't want to be associated
with
the white people who we hate
because oftentimes the people who we hate the people who looked just like we
did two weeks ago
and so wanna thank god help us add asset
perspective versus the deficit perspective
it so an asset perspective so deficit perspective is basically how many of us
can do this
we walk into a conference we say
well this wasn't done right this was in organize well
that workshop was follow that this person's a hypocrite
those people are really committed this is a bunch
BS same old same old and then go on Facebook insect
the movement is dead
we have really short night is a pretty because we develop those knives seeing
all these
way the institutions in systems oppression operate
we have sharp knives a pretty because we see the failings and we see the ways
that
communities are being screwed over in but we turn those knives so often on
each other
if not just each other the oftentimes it to make a long list of what's wrong with
all in you and then go home and make a long list what's wrong with myself
it so we do have a asset approach
being able to see what is positive what is working
what we often take for is often what's good and working is taken for granted
so being able to see what is often taken for granted so we can see
assets and strains in Parkin in in
way that we could grow in see those as ways to help us
deal with our weaknesses to help us deal with the way that we're not doing as
well as we could
so assets so while I did you use we're talking Arizona about like I don't know
the users can do this *** not nerd
not gonna do this they aren't there too afraid to do this or did
we could do that but why
the talk about what we can do where the assets we have been there are tremendous
assets the other thing is rather than having a focus on the problems
a focus on opportunities so we need to be able to see the problems
we need to be able to see what the problems are that we face our
congregations in our communities in our movement
but constantly haven't I towards how the problems
can be a next step to see opportunities
for change so regularly seen like wow there's like
all these different ways that we can bring people in more into this work
there's this way that we get ask people to step up here to step up their
the end occupy us done documented Busan immigrant migrant justice
activist allies that went throughout the south
East and then stayed at you you churches
all over this is after Arizona
they stayed at my church in knoxville
that was an incredible way to leverage the resources
at the youth church for people to stay there for people who do you trust them
cook and prepare meals for those folks
in again be in the same space share space
support the struggle people who might not at this point in their lives be like
yes I'm down to do civil disobedience to stop the deportations
in my community but I am gonna show up I'm gonna make food
in making food and hospitality is incredibly
radical act with in service and support a movement like this
we need to expand what is radical
to include a wide range of activities that can involve
thousands and thousands and thousands of people and help build momentum to keep
people moving
semifinal my final point here
is the need for leadership
we need to become the leaders that our commitment to being allies call us to be
and sometimes the allies in can sometimes like what we shouldn't be
leaders
we should be looking to and falling leadership brothers
and that is an absolutely critical part love good
liberation leadership is to see leadership around to listen to ask
questions
but we also need to understand that part of who we need to be
is increasing our capacity to help needed more and more of our folks
away from white supremacy in towards collective liberation
then we see things in like this is horrible the next question is and what
can I do about it
maybe don't know what to do about it but then ask others what can we do about it
we need to become leaders they can move
our people in large numbers to join the river
multi-racial democratic struggle that some good
so yes we need to be humble and we need to be tender
me to be tender with the complex humanity who we are
and share that with our people to not come in and be like I got it all figured
out I'm right here lead you
but to use our own stories our own mistakes our own
struggles R own fears as way
as a way to open space for other people to be vulnerable about their own
in as a way we can create sacred space
a technology in being real about our humanity
in a way that then moves us towards the sacred worker justice
that sound good
so they are only other thing I miss amana adhere
is a think about leadership in a collective way
how we can be regularly becoming literate
in appreciating the leadership others
be able to see the ways that we do different things and acknowledging it
speaking in naming the ways that we see people growing in taking risks
in appreciating it in developing the capacity to actually appreciate
ourselves
you know how many people to organize events with my ten people come up in
like
I was a fantastic event in one person comes up and says
yeah I was okay in the next day all you can think about is of my event was just
okay
and that's understandable we want to grow we want to keep moving but we also
need to be able to see the positive the
a fact that we're having and be able to build momentum
so in closing let's support each other's leadership
its regularly read ourselves in our relationships to those who helped us
the movements and legacies that their part have
our own history
let's hold on to each other lift each other up
and let's be courageous a visionary leaders for social justice in our
communities
with break apart the white community away from white supremacy
in unite our people who are white
to the river multi-racial democratic struggle
let's do my friends
so I think
I i think we're square gonna wrap up very Minister someone
who has some announcements are things I'm
okay
yeah a sone ki any questions are
was talking about 20 minutes for question answer so
gotta
who's got a question I endeavor Boyd and I'm actually undoubtedly planning
committee
I was planning on being here with the last night but didn't get a chance to
but I did want to invite you all to stand with
the hotel workers that we are
choosing to support by not doing some housing in GA
in Providence this year I know there's been some conversation
on BG a busser and I just really want to invite you to be compassionate with each
other
in the planning committee in with the city province as we try to find
additional housing
so please stay in with these folks in Anderson that why we're not going to be
housing folks in those particular hurt
hotels and take a nap in the same with them I
so there to hotels in Providence the planning committee has stepped away from
those contracts we have 8 fabulous
out contract that was written through the office with Jen's Negus
into merit raise that enabled us to step away from those reserves
blocks have rooms I one happened back in December
that same owner later about a hotel
early this year we're really hoping that that particular honor would wait
to change their employment practices until after we had been
in Providence but that's not the case so
just a few days before we opened registration for rooms
for General Assembly they were taking action against their workers comp action
against their workers who are attempting to organize
action against their workers who were attempting to log other hours
action against workers who were needing to step away from that job for small
period of time because their child was
ill and so we are really because our commitment that we made
in an General Assembly think it was back in 07 the terminal probably cracked me
I'm tonight engage in supporting hotels that are not supporting their workers
we stepped away from the contract in that locker rooms
unfortunately provinces p
so when you step away from a block a hundred-plus rooms
has a big impact on what we're able to house close to the convention center
so if you have a hotel room that's close and you are
able to look at option for a little bit farther away
please feel free to suggest offering those on the general someone lesser
because there are folks who need to be closer
either logistically are because the physical challenges are other pieces
that they're involved with but also
understand this is part of how we live our faith you can be a little bit
inconvenienced
to support a working mom who need to stay home with her kid Monday
are to help folks that are trying to organize to get better working
conditions for themselves
so please I appreciate it night so pushy being able to share this with this group
you leaders because its use will be able to step out on that lesser
and make a difference in supporting each other
as we go forward in supporting workers
and we have made clear which hotels those are and invited people not to book
in those hotels
there's also a list all the hotels at that particular honor
owns because it not just in province actual across the US
comments about her those %uh surveilled on the lesser in a believer
is ample even website as well thanks for that announcement
it's good to keep in mind what's what's
going on are right now what our struggles in our challenges are so thank
you for raising that
so we have any questions Chris
me halfway Tom
as so my understanding
and is that your identifiers after dinner guest still
sorta okay yeah sois a.m. more complicated yeah
AAA agassi please leadership in building up
democratic organization a whole lot angel so
possibly is an important electoral politics and reform struggles as part a
larger revolutionary so that that's my question as I'm curious about about the
role that you understand in terms of
I where electro of arms and and i working with governmental systems and
stuff that sent to you
that movement for collective liberation and where the problems lie
and that yeah absolutely yes I'm having a lot of those struggles
are really key places for more more people to come in
to get involved on to get active and so something I really liked you a lot
around this is on a longtime organizer in the civil rights movement
Ella Baker and Ella Baker I mean you now
folks I really encourage folks to to learn more about her GRE know about her
I've got lighter freedom by Charles Paine is an incredible book about the
mississippi organizing
on tradition and really looking at the way so you know after Brown
for support education went down Ella Baker by Rustin
and a guy out to a white anti-racist socialist name Stanley levinson
30 then had the meeting and we're basically like okay ya na so folks
you know in a Saudi you know lot the people were based like how do we
turn way it's going to be a legal battle and
IOM a camwhore but could be kinda warlike
reform est struggle around desegregation
how can we turn that struggle into a mass movement
about challenging white supremacy on a fundamental level culturally socially
economically
so that it doesn't become professional class
lawyers and academics and journalists who wage
a battle of ideas in a battle in the courtrooms
we need is to be a grassroots movement based in working-class communities in
the black south
that then unite the rest of the country around an agenda
a black freedom but we do you in fact need to fight for desegregation
we do in fact need to engage at the level
love electoral politics around voting rights
we need to engage in the struggle around desegregation
and so to ignore those struggles would be essentially
marginalizing yourself from the primary
places where people are gonna be putting their passions their hearts in their
lives
in struggle for justice and so we could be like on any more radical now and I
don't wanna get my hands dirty and
you know data but Dane gauge in those
efforts with the perspective that grassroots people power
is the primary source a change in so yes
the lawyers will play a role yes the professional classes
will play roles but there are many many roles to play
and as organizers we need to be thinking about multiple levels and change
but always with the I towards how are we building grassroots democratic movements
that our transformational and Ella Baker talk about transformation organizing
means that not only are we trying to change
what's wrong in society but through the process a organizing for change
we're transforming ourselves and our communities
to challenge the fear in the black community the internalize lives in South
in hatred and white supremacy on the black community
to come from a place as loving oneself loving one's community
affirming one's blackness and so for white anti-racist
for white people to be able to heal and grow in the struggle against
racism in a way that transformative and connects us to a deeper power
so yes we're gonna win electorally
we're gonna get some really good people in office yes we're gonna win some
ballot measures
yes we're gonna try to change policy and legislation
yes those struggles R absolutely key
but 10 why is he has a psych weather is like a
let's have has had the satyrs
with every form struggles not be
arsenic that kill our movements
you know you when something movements gone bullets have reform struggle wins
be adrenalin
that motivate us for the long haul struggle
sense that I am Sam I an ***
since I monopolize the floor
an announcement al monopolized for the question apparently as well so
you spoke about your transformation in your you're joining the universal State
Community
and I just wanted to kill might speak a little bit more about how
this particular faith tradition has grounded in bed your understanding at
this work
yeah absolutely I'm ever is actually I
II throughout my life I've always thought the connection to God
I mean got in a really broad sense like music as a kid as a teenager in my
twenties
I'm ya I always felt this connection I be there just like and talking we got
all the time about liking things were hard things that were beautiful and
just as high conversation with God and looking back at my child has high
in this I kinda culturally Christian family but we didn't have a real strong
like spiritual
a religious by look back on my parents for Hannah unitary Universalists
you know my dad like take me out on this huge and beautiful
I mountain in Yosemite in with lookout it
look out at yosemite he'd be like this is church
the beauty of this world in just standing here together
you my sign
this is church you now
the next time you a jewish preschool that they wanted to know that there is
like completely other world views
by anyway all that to say as a as a young activist as I okay
there's a lot of things I'm trying to figure out politically so I know Wayne
tight
turned 30 to figure out my spirituality I'm
yes like other I'm no way Tom 30 to figure out my spirituality
and also what my position is on israel-palestine he and I was actually
pretty amazing because when I met
the wire you I had just turned 30
and I was experiencing a lot
bernau and depression and anxiety it was like couple years after Sept 11th the
anti-war movement just like activist efforts all over the place were like
at like warp speed and it was like oh my god this is gonna keep going
and I just come back from a strategy conference all these movement elders
who have been involved since like the fifties and some of them like yeah this
is like pretty much like the worst political moment I've ever seen in my
life
this is like 2000 3
and I came home from that strategy conference was hoping to be a really
reinvigorated and I come back I okay what we gonna do
I'm actually really amazing things came out at Weedon the relationships
they came out with that helped to create
7 the momentum around the world soda US Social Forum in some really positive
things
unless I came back from that strategy conference and I had my first
a panic attack as gonna die
now saying my god what's happening to me as are having a panic attacks like
regularly
and I met the use
and as lack I need deeper spiritual nourishment in my life
I is time to start opening myself up
and not be afraid at the possibilities and deep spiritual connection
not just by myself but with others I need to return to how beautiful prayer
is
I need to start meditating with my people in congregational
settings at the Oakland church in and that time ans
it really had an incredible impact on me
both in terms of dealing with my own like depression and burnout
anxiety by %ah so helping me to connect to a deeper
feeling a meaning
yes there's the river multi-racial democratic struggle
but there's also the ocean over humanity that is just like incredibly beautiful
and complicated
ans fall love mystery
and what's to Bahrain and so becoming a you you
has been an incredible and tsunami I dreamed my child
sitting in a you church in knoxville and then you know a few months later is like
Iran pregnancies here
as amazing as beautiful as fantastic
but yeah becoming a you and the spiritual
connection in tradition has been a process every turn
a process a return to what is sacred to what is divine
an opening myself up to it more
and more in the you community settings
congregational life services warship
have been incredibly meaningful for me as a whole person not just as an
activist but as a whole person
and so might think about you know not growing up with like seeing why people
speaking about
racism who were racist my think about my son growing up in a world
where I want him to have so many role models and incredible people
it's like you know I want him to grow up in democratic social movements and also
around a whole lotta you use you now
on him to go through the ally want him to like go through
you now be at 10 visa youth empowerment
let's build a movement conferences these kinda things so yet sake
it's been deeply important to go I am actually
so when I went to Arizona for thats in 2010 for summer
I did something that I'd been so like morning to do guys like so scared
as I call this lhasa be away at like building deeper come
deeper connection to what's happening in arizona here
Oakland and I asked the on the minister social justice on
forever reverend jacquelyn Kandahar
the Minister social justice at our church is having a Wii U will you pray
on me and I'm she's like yeah I'll pray on you
and then she was like look at the whole congregation to pray on your
as I Irish issues I'll make an announcement that you're going to
Arizona and whoever wants a common like prey on you cannot touch with my gotta
get
it's like 20 people like I explain what I was doing explain what's happening in
Arizona and what we're gonna try to do
we're in trial like had this transformative experience around
the you used throwing down Biggins broader movement and I want people to
prey on me and help me
to shield not only grounded in our spiritual faith and tradition but slight
help call me into being
the person I wanna try to be there and it was so beautiful and Isaac try
head and it was like she had her head you know people had their hands on me
and we're praying and
meltdown the whole time I was in tears on I help them
in and people when I came back for like felt connected to me
more like how was it like what happened what it what did we do
that's when you know that's when you know
it's something divine is happening when we start to ask each other
you went and did this tank how did we do
sunny I want my son to grow up
with role models mir's like you
I wonder think the only people who speak about justice and who speak
there who speak about racism erasers
I want him to have a spiritually nourished life
and so we as a faith that we as a community are part of that with many
others
so I mean how look at ya partly why I'm so happy to be here is because like
your the community you are the leaders who are part of the world that we want
to build and who I want my son to grow up around
heat