first post

No one has posted on this group yet and i would like more information. I think that this is a important concept. We are the 99% and that leaves a lot of room from differences and a result, conflict. So exactly how are we planning on bringing this to fruition.

I am not a part of any team as of yet, so please take my comments with a grain of salt.

I stand firmly behind making sure that everyone gets a chance to speak. I want to know what needs to be in place to ensure that everyone, especially minorities, get their voices, opinions, ideas and experiences out there and listened to, not just heard.

The questions that come to mind as I think about this are things like: Are the needs of different minority communities different from the majority and each other? If so, how? Are the concerns of the different minority communities similar or different and, if so, in what ways?

I would really like to hear from others on this.

I think you'll find that maybe topics want to be covered in this movement that just simply aren't, and that's what this team can be about. Topics that are relevant to minority groups that are important that need to be addressed, alongside the other topics that are being addressed, such as jobs, financial disparity, Wall Street, political reform, etc.

I can see the need for this group/team. I'm in.

Peace,
Debbie

It needs to be a driving force of this team to ENCOURAGE and EMPOWER! Some people are trained growing up not to speak out and be heard. This group needs to empower those of us not lucky enough to be born white and male to speak out and step up!

We love everyone

I believe and want to bring people and issues to the front and get conversation/education on what they are and what are possible ways that they can be solved. Not to say that it will be a quick or painless process by any means. I want to help but at this point, I don't know how and how I can be most effective. I guess it is coming down to getting people together and having them speak about specifics (ex. homophobia, sexism, racism, agism, etc.). Education, in my opinion, is one of the first steps towards making a change.

Okay, I proposed this group, and for the record, I would support it being folded into a larger Community Building group. I don't want to act as a "leader" beyond what is necessary to get the ball rolling.

Basically, I had a few motivations here:

There have been incidents at other Occupy events that serve to cast this as a white middle class male dominated movement - even if minorities are in attendance, that perception is out there and not without reason. And like in Philadelphia, where black women responded to extremely racist remarks by pointing out that there is racism in the 99%, THEY were accused of being "divisive." It then becomes less about one person's explicit racism, and more about the larger group's aversive racism, which they aren't even aware of when they're perpetrating it. Nearly every social movement in modern history has had these problems - the "sexual revolution" was largely about the desires of heterosexual men, feminism largely benefited and centered the voices of white middle-class women, etc. So for everyone who is struggling in more than one way, we are kind of left waiting for the trickle-down that might never come. If we come aware of that and prepared from the start, the movement itself is a lot less vulnerable. By making efforts to be more inclusive, we also appeal more to people who have experience in activism/social movements - something we need.

The economic crisis hurt some people more than others (from the start with who was targeted for predatory lending). To truly represent the 99%, this needs to be about more than student loans, and to make connections between how different communities are marginalized.

This is a more personal motivation: as a queer woman, I've long been alienated by how the mainstream LGBT movement ignores the issue of class (along with race) and how much it determines our experience of oppression - just look at who represents us in media and government and how little most of us have in common with them. So apart from what we accomplish in the occupy movement, I'm hoping that LGBTQ people taking part in it can make connections and, in return, carry some of that class awakening back with us.

Finally, in the hypothetical planning of direct action/civil disobedience, it's just a fact that some people are more liable to be targeted by the police, are more vulnerable in jail, face stronger consequences based on things like race, criminal record, having children, visa status, etc., or simply are more physically vulnerable due to age and/or disability. This is a concept used in activist circles called "arrestability" and the awareness needs to be there, both individually and collectively.

This isn't about some woo-woo group therapy or identity politics up its own ass, it's about concrete goals to strengthen this movement and our communities. I don't want to restrict participation in these dialogues except when someone is being disruptive/troll-y. I want us to let women be the authority on sexism, people of color be the authority on racism, etc. It's only right and pretty basic.

Zach I want to thank you for encouraging me on Saturday, and for pointing out the role of socialization in who feels they have a voice here.

Anyway thanks for showing up, y'all, I'm really glad people are into this.

-Soph

Well said Soph!

I am well aware that most of the people in the 1% are white males. They have rigged the system for them and I realize that. I would like to take a more behind the scenes role and simple encourage (and creep on these forums) and help run process at GA, but unless I feel I need to speak up, I'd like to let others of any other sex, race or orientation always take precedence.

I also move to bring up something they do at Wall Street. They usually run what's called a progressive stack, which just lets anyone who may be perceived as a minority cut to the front of the line. I like this idea, but obviously i can't make this decision just thought i'd throw the idea out there.

I'll bring it up Saturday.

Maybe before we consider that, there needs to be more group education? I can see it bringing on a backlash at this point. I'm not sure, I know I would like to involve the woman running the library (forget her name) and Sasha (the professor from Serbia in the education group) in that discussion.

@melittophily - I agree with ZachAddair, that was extremely well said.

I have a few particular issues that I want to delve in and hopefully make a difference with. The first of them is combating violence against women and rape culture. The second is bringing about awareness of indigenous rights and the discrimination that indigenous are faced with through racism and just not telling the whole story about history. While those issues may not be first on the list of things to tackle, I would like to make sure that they are on the list.

Arrestablity - that is a term that I have not heard before. I would like to learn more about this.

On a side note, I am fairly new to protesting and activism. Please excuse my ignorance. ::smiles::

Thanks.

Once we have a more organized group I think what we need to do is prioritize. Honestly, I don't expect most of the people involved in Occupy to care about a lot of things that are important to me and that I will continue struggling for regardless of what happens with Occupy, but we can at least help make this stronger by rooting out internal oppression might be keeping people from participating. We just have to pick our battles wisely.

Regarding indigenous struggles, I know they just renamed Occupy Albuquerque to (Un)Occupy Albuquerque because, from a native perspective, the land is already occupied and has been for hundreds of years. Unfortunately this area no longer has a local native/indigenous population and I don't know what we can do around that.

Regarding gendered violence and rape culture, I definitely suggest reading the article I just posted in its own thread, "Why Misogynists Make Great Informants."

Oh, can I just say that I am excited that this group exists!? I will be swamped with my group but I want to participate in this one as much as possible too. As a queer woman that fights for women's rights and for LGBTQ rights, I am loving that this group exists.

I think that perhaps getting together or at least stating what are some of the issues that are important to each of us. And then we can go from there. I think getting together one Saturday or some other time during the week may not be a bad idea.

I read about how other cities are becoming Unoccupy cities. Personally, I think that is a step in the right direction. At least stating that this land is already stolen is a start.

Yeah, I'm hoping we have some time tomorrow to chat in person and we'll see what we want to do from there.

@melittophily: Sweet. I am looking forward to it.