Inclusion, coalitions, and power

Gains: In Appalachia and the upper South we are more conscious of the need to overcome racism in our organizing. Even ten years ago, groups in parts of Appalachia said, “There’s less than one percent blacks in our counties.” That was supposed to explain all-white groups. Now, organizing groups talk about their attempts to diversify their memberships. The old response is no longer acceptable. Oh, happy day!

I remember in 1987, when we included a day of training on overcoming racism in our organizing school, there were some who deemed such topics not really central to organizing. The work on overcoming racism is as badly needed today as it was then.

After a few years, Southern Empowerment added a session on overcoming homophobia in organizing. There are now some multi-issue groups willing to work in coalition with gay and lesbian groups, and some where it is possible for openly gay organizers to work. Southern Empowerment itself now includes a gay/lesbian organizing group. Quite a few gay and lesbian organizers paid with their pain and suffering to help bring that about.

In short, our organizing is more inclusive than it used to be, but it took people pushing the envelope to make it happen.

Challenges: The region’s demographics are changing rapidly. Communities that used to be black and white are becoming multi-racial. The increase of the Latino population is significant. There is also growth in Asian communities in the South. One of our challenges is to figure out how to build multi-racial organizing groups with people of color in the leadership and with real power. We don’t need any more groups with a few people of color in the membership or leadership, but with no power.

Another challenge is for us to move beyond diversity and lip service in overcoming racism and homophobia, both internally in our organizations and externally in our organizing. It would be great to see some predominantly white, working-class organizations do some anti-racist organizing. We must get working-class and low-income people to see class interests as common ground for organizing across racial divides. For that to happen, we whites have to deal with how we benefit from white racism and be willing to help destroy institutional racism.

While we are at it, we should also re-dedicate ourselves to overcoming sexism and to making sure that women are in leadership and have power in our organizations and the society as a whole. I know we can pull these things off and change the balance of power.

The region would not only feel different, it would be different.