Reflections on Radical Collaborations in our Movements for Justice

RADICAL COLLABORATIONS IN OUR MOVEMENTS FOR JUSTICE
Across Economic, Racial, and Reproductive Justice
A Breakthrough Conversation

In late June of 2014, KHJN co-hosted an event with CoreAlign called Radical Collaborations in our Movements for Justice. 

what was the purpose?
We wanted to discuss structural oppression in our community. With the heightening awareness of the importance of economic justice activists are teaching us, we wanted to reach across siloed movements and show solidarity and collaboration with other movements, racial and reproductive justice, that are equally important to unpinning systems of oppression. We wanted to ask: what role does radical collaboration play in our movements for justice?

interesting data about event:

• Over 1/3 of participants identify as people of color
• Participants ranged in age from 20s to 60s
• At least 2 people used "they" as their pronoun
• Co-hosts provided childcare for the full event

was there a breakthrough?
"White women are not making room for Black women’s leadership
within reproductive justice organizations."
"I don’t know what Black women’s priorities are." 

Top 4 crowd-sourced questions from the fishbowl and major takeaways for readers:
1. What can I do when I feel someone’s beliefs are in opposition to justice but I still want to welcome them to the movement?

2. How can we ensure that the least privileged among us are centered in our work?

3. White folks, what can you commit to today to ensure that social justice spaces you are in are more inclusive of People of Color who may also identify as poor, LGBTQ or differently abled?

4. Address the lack of strategic planning and just putting out fires.

where do we go from here? 
KHJN made a commitment to next steps around inclusion of POC and examination of how we can make our organization more welcoming to POC. Look for an update of our commitment coming soon!

'White folks, what can you commit to today to ensure that social justice spaces you are in are more inclusive of People of Color who may also identify as poor, LGBTQ or differently abled?'— Participant

connections made:
KHJN was asked to give an RJ101 to an organization.
KHJN was asked to have a strategic meeting with a participant, making a new connection for each party. 
3 participants are expected to attend a lunch to discuss how to make new collaborations possible.

wider connections made:
issues within racial justice, reproductive justice, and economic justice movements are connected, but the conversation connecting the dots needs to be continued. If you attended, please fill out the poll below!

See more photos of the event by visiting CoreAlign's Facebook or check out this guest blog by one of the co-host organizers, Farah Ardeshir!