Why 90s were Great for Progressive Electoral Efforts

Charles Brown CharlesB at CNCL.ci.detroit.mi.us
Mon Nov 16 07:49:06 PST 1998



>>> Max Sawicky wrote:

I have no doubt that blacks and latinos would be the first to jump on board an economic populist movement which white workers were strongly supporting and even leading. Only the p-b left and a few middle class civil rights types will squawk about some issues being demoted in rank. Because blacks and latinos are so overwhelmingly working class, they will understand that class legislation is in their interest, even if it doesn't speak to the entirety of their interests. By contrast, it seems clear that the present course of de facto separation isn't getting them anywhere. _________

Charles: I agree with Max's main idea here. Oppressed national groups are higher percentage working class than whites. We just passed a living wage ordinance in Detroit.

I would say the last sentence above a little differently, because the separation and segregation that exists now is due to whites moving away from Blacks in white flight and resistence to integration. Black people en masse have not had a policy of separation from whites. Blacks have not been trying "to get somewhere" through de jure separation. When they seek to live in the same neighborhoods, go to the same schools, have the same jobs. whites have not permitted it. Given this experience Black people had to develop self-reliant Black institutions.

Charles Brown



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