New York, November 17 — Over 200 workers and students attended a conference to make plans to fight racism with multiracial, international unity. The goal of the day was to unite seemingly unconnected struggles into an antiracist army. Attendees were drawn from movements fighting back against the racist police murders of Ramarley Graham and Shantel Davis; fighting the layoffs and closing of Downstate Hospital; Hurricane Sandy victims and volunteers; immigrant workers’ rights organizers; workers organizing on their jobs; organizers of the anti-Cholera campaign struggle in Haiti and U.S.; as well as high school and college students and teachers.
The conference began with messages from representatives of these movements. The keynote speaker set the tone for the day when he called for workers and students to walk out if kkkop Richard Haste, Ramarley Graham’s murderer, was acquitted. Organizing a walkout isn’t easy, he said, but if we start building now in all our organizations then “if Haste walks, we walk,” could become a reality.
Particularly moving were reports from the teachers’ strike in Haiti, the campaign to end Cholera there and the emotional history of people’s fight to survive Hurricane Sandy. All this is occurring amid the racist treatment they faced from both governmental and Red Cross/Salvation Army-type organizations. Eleven hundred dollars was raised on the spot to help these displaced workers and their families.
Over lunch and later in numerous workshops, we shared experiences in organizing fights against racism. We discussed how racism is the bosses’ main tool to divide the working class from fighting back while super-exploiting brown and black workers around the world. Therefore the main class to benefit from racism is the ruling class.
We discussed the need of a multi-racial group to fight racism wherever it rears its ugly head.
Out of these rich discussions, we agreed to participate in some specific anti-racist actions:
Plan and participate in a mass march against police violence from 1 Police Plaza to City Hall during the Martin Luther King weekend.
Support the retired Downstate Hospital worker on December 4, 2012 at Brooklyn Criminal Court. He was arrested while supporting an anti-layoff struggle.
Attend the December 11, 2012 trial of kkkop Richard Haste in the Bronx Criminal Court to show support for Ramarly Graham’s family while demanding that Haste be convicted.
Use petitions and a power point presentation to build the fight against the Cholera epidemic in Haiti.
Most importantly, we agreed to bring these plans to our churches schools, jobs and the various organizations we belong to in order to build a mass response to racism.