Eric Mann, a lifelong organizer with the L.A. Bus Riders Union and Labor/Community Strategy center, came to Causa Justa last thursday to speak about his new book, “Playbook for Progressives: 16 Qualities of the Successful Organizer,” and his booklet prequel, “The 7 Components of Transformative Organizing Theory.” They are essential guides to social justice organizing, and I hope anyone curious about what “organizing” actually means buys, reads, and shares the books. His vision of transformative organizing unites radical political worldviews with pragmatical political struggles rooted in working class, community of color membership and leadership. His vision of “the Movement” is an “international antiracist anti-imperialist united front.” He is also a great example of a antiracist white activist.
In lieu of writing up a full account of the event, I’ve included a few of his quotes from the evening:
”Back in the 60’s I never would have believed that in 2012 we’d have 2.4 million people incarcerated, that we’d have our first black president, and he’d be deporting 400,000 people per year–more people in 3 years than Bush deported in 8 years. I would have not believed the realities of global warming, the mass poverty, and mass police state. I would not have believed that after the war in Vietnam, the U.S. would once again be provoked into war with the rest of the world.
We need to build a multiracial left.
My dream is not a utopia. My dream is not socialism. I feel like a Jew in the warsaw ghetto. We are going to fight the Nazis. We are going to fight the United States.
My dream is resistance.”
* * *
“It is important to know the ‘why’ of ‘why are we organizing?’ Everything that we do is trying to build a broad united front against U.S. imperialism. There is a long tradition of anti-racist, anti-imperialist fighters. We could be slaves organizing a revolt, activists during Reconstruction, labor and communist organizers in the 30’s, SDS and SNCC in the 60’s. These were all transformative organizations. Occupy has done a phenomenal number of things right, but they don’t come out of an antiracist, anti-imperialist, people of color-led tradition.”
* * *
“Most people don’t organize. The just have opinions.
Yes, I understand, I’ve read the paper too. But the only question I wanna hear is, ‘What are we gonna do about it?'”
* * *
“In black and Latino neighborhoods, we’re talking about a communities that are under military siege. You can’t even begin working for civil rights without being [locked into] the security surveillance state.”
* * *
“Always be authentic to who you are. There is not anything wrong in being who you are. The question is, ‘Which side are you on?'”
* * *
“The definition of theory is the coherent explanation of random phenomenon. Organizing is very theoretical.”
* * *
“If you don’t like it, then don’t be an organizer. There are many other roles that we need in the movement, such as fundraising, research, media. For me, I love it. I get to meet amazing people everyday and make history.”
* * *
“In the 60’s, I found MLK, Malcolm X, and Fannie Lou Hamer more compelling that Judaism. To me, The Movement is my religion.”
* * *
“Organizing exposes a lot of stuff inside yourself that you wish was better.”
* * *
“It’s like on the airlines: Put on your own oxygen mask before you put it on the baby. There is nothing selfish about taking care of yourself first….I know you think it’s real f*kin’ revolutionary to miss all your bill payments, but seriously, pay you bills. Register your car. Don’t be a mess.”
* * *
“How can you be a revolutionary and not be about material things, like buses and housing?”
* * *
“Historically a successful movement requires most of its donors (not most of its money) to come from the working classes. Movements of the poor are significantly funded by members of the middle and affluent classes who support their moral appeal. This has been a dependable model throughout history.” (pg. 64).
* * *
“Fight to win.”
4am notes 