-----Original Message----- From: Doug Henwood <dhenwood at panix.com>
>Nonblacks then are consigned to the right? As Jordan commented offlist,
>how radical.
Doug, which left organization do you belong to? If none, then you (like many leftists) are not part of "the left" but of the multiplicity of lefts and cultural formations. Unfortunately, even if you belong to some left organization, you are still part of the multiplicity of lefts who share no strategic organizational infrastructure
If the Black Radical Congress is successful and creates some organic structure uniting the diversity of black radicals who will be attending, it will be a critical step in creating a united Left. Not because whites are not radical or sympathetic to the Left but because the BRC will be a step towards uniting the whole racial spectrum of the Left.
The core of those attending the BRC come from existing left organizations from New Afrikan People's Organization to the Labor Party to the Committees of Correspondence. The point is that if black radicals across the organizations unite, it will be a large step in helping to unite all these organizations in broader unity. THere has been a lot of talk and resolutions in various left organizations supporting unity in recent years, but the Black Radical Congress is one of the first concrete steps in that direction.
Those in the Black Radical Congress are anything but racially exclusive. Here is what they say themselves about purely "black radicalism":
"At the same time we recognize that Black people don't have a monopoly on oppression. The BRC sees the struggle for peace with justice, at the same time we embrace the militant slogan - 'no justice, no peace,' as a global struggle. We are not narrow and exclusive in our political vision. Even the term 'Black people' encompasses a rich, diverse and international community spanning from Africa to the Caribbean to Latin America. More fundamentally, we understand we cannot assess our enemies or allies by skin color. We recognize the struggles of Puerto Ricans, Chicanos, Native and Asian Americans and poor whites as parallel to our own. We understand the importance of struggling on multiple fronts simultaneously. The BRC is one such front. We invite support and solidarity from our sisters,brothers, and comrades around the globe."
Check out http://www.blackradicalcongress.com for more info.
--Nathan Newman