Brief Report on Detroit

[Diane Monaco]

Jessica, thanks for your comments and I quite agree with you.  There have 
been lots of problems building diverse movements in the past -- I think 
that's what I was trying to say with all my "coalition" stuff.  But there 
now appears to me to be evidence that groups in general are seeing the 
potential power in some kind of consolidation.  I mean, can there be 
anything else for us these days?  I saw diversity at the rally including 
among African American groups -- peace/justice, labor, anti-racism, AND 
religious -- as their placards indicated.  In fact, it was a group of black 
women with signs to end oppression and racism who so kindly helped me with 
a little one who walked smack dab into a street sign.  But surely we need 
lots more coalition building.  Thanks again.

Diane

At 01:46 PM 2/18/2003 -0500, you wrote:
>Dear Diane and Alan,
>
>I too was at the Detroit Demo, and yes, it was freezing!  I think that 
>both of you had good comments on the demo, but I do disagree with your 
>thoughts about the low African American presence.  I don't think that the 
>issue is that "the impending war has not made it into the Black churches 
>here yet."
>Rather I think the issue is that many African Americans do not feel drawn 
>to the way that the Anti-War Movement here is unfolding.  I say this 
>because Louis Farrakhan did at least two anti-war talks at local churches 
>in Detroit a few months back, and attendance was in the thousands - with 
>very, very few whites (like a handful) participating.  Also, another 
>friend recently sent out an e-mail talking about another Black church 
>wherein most of the congregation are wearing anti-war buttons.  As well, 
>listening to the local religious station (my co-workers listen to 
>one....all day long), there is a LOT of anti-war discussion going on.
>
>I think that this is indicative of, more than anything, the difficulty in 
>trying to figure out how to have a diverse movement - that which has been 
>discussed numerous times on this and many other lists.
>
>jessica
>
>
>>From: Diane Monaco <dmonaco at pop3.utoledo.edu>
>>Subject: Re: Brief report on Detroit
>I did see African American representation from
>>nonreligious groups, but it was the black religious group portion that was
>>missing -- I quite agree with you that the "issue of the impending war has
>>not made it into the Black churches here yet."
>>
>> >Biggest disappointment: very limited African-American
>> >attendance at the march or rally (good representation
>> >on the speakers podium, though). This tells me that
>> >the issue of the impending war has not made it into
>> >the Black churches here yet. Not much in the way of
>> >Palestinian representation, considering the size of
>> >that community in the metro area.
>> >
>> >For more info see www.michiganimc.org
>> >
>> >Alan Jacobson
>
>
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