- That's where I wanna stop, and I understand now, I'm supposed to pass around a list so anybody who wants to sign up for the BRC. Oh, the Listserv, oh, the Listserv. (assembly laughing) Now tell me, he just put down list. What am I supposed to know about list? (assembly laughing) There's a Listserv, a PRC listserv (laughs) Woman: He tried. (laughs) - Okay, so I'll lighten the air with that confusion. (assembly applauding) Man: There are three hands. I saw one, two, three, four, and then we can go from there, okay? - I actually just, I don't know how I got on it but I just want to recommend your announcement list. I think it's the most extraordinary, I think it's the most extraordinary, I don't know, it's an announcement list. But the most wonderful stuff comes off of it, I would just never had learned about the Dorrisman funeral without it. I mean it was, I just find that some stuff that comes across it is incredibly moving and incredibly, and very, very informative. So I wanted to recommend that if anybody is interested in it that they get on that list. Woman: Listserv. Man: Cappy, would you tell how to subscribe to the list? Woman: Cappy was our former recycle organizer. - I had to step down (laughs) But it's in the hands of a very capable person by the name Art McKee. I think that the problem was that we have all levels of people in the BRC, who are, some people are extremely computer literate, and some people are struggling. And so, but one of the problems we really tried to move on, for example, getting everybody on the coordinating committee is connected by email. And the website you're talking about were really the lists, really lists, we have a number of lists, not website. There's one website but there's a number of lists. Okay, so that's the clarification. Woman: I'm one of those people who's struggling. (assembly laughing) Man: I'm with you. - But we try to make it really simple, being there's a range of lists, announce lists and some discussion lists so for people who really want to exchange opinions back and forth there's also the ability to just get information. You can get it on the web, read only, for many of our lists, Listserv lists, instead of having to have it dumped into your box often. So, that's the way that the national campus network list, the national campus net that I run, that's the way it is. You don't have to get, you can leave it, you can log on once a week and see what's come to the list since the last time you logged on. - And one of the, just a brief commercial for it, one of the best services is to tell us when somebody was there and they described what happened. I find that one of the best things. The theoretical is great, announcements of things that are coming up, great, but I was there and here's what happened, invaluable to us. Woman: Is anybody gonna tell us the URL? Woman: Yeah. Woman: That's its real virtue. - Yeah. Woman: I thought it was such a good principle. Cappy: To those of you who are, oh, I see. I thought I'd see-- Woman: Here it is. - Just send your e-mail to, oh no it doesn't, I'm sorry. It doesn't have a subscribe, apologies, I apologize. (laughs) Person: It doesn't have it either? Man: We'll get it, why don't we-- - You can send it to me, pinderhc@bc.edu and I'll forward it to the appropriate place, I promise. Woman: What is it? - Pinderhc@bc.edu, just say, information on BRC list and it will be forwarded. P-I-N-D-E-R-H-C at B-C dot E-D-U. - But there's also the BRC National Office, one word, at email.com. Brother. Man: What's the address for the website? Cappy: The website is blackradicalongress.com or .org. - I have been to meetings like this before. (assembly laughs) I was at the founding of the Republic in Africa, I was at the founding of the Fund for Southern Politics and what bothers me is, first of all, I wanna say to you sir, I congratulate you and I salute you, and I hope one of the things you will consider doing is bringing young people into those trials, letting them learn the arguments and the law, letting them present them to a wide audience. It's one thing to convince us about the fallacy of the justice system. It's another thing to prove it to a community by that community's peers using the same language, the laws and the regulations as you have so mastered. And I say not to challenge you, but we've got to get more people involved in every event so that when we say there's a legitimate reason to question the legal system, there's no question about that. We've got to turn that around. Now I'm simply offering a way to turn that around. Now I'm gonna tell ya'll somethin' that may surprise you. Woman: Okay. - Whenever people declare war on capitalism, I don't wanna be a part of that because I think capitalism has proven to be a sophisticated animal to redefine itself within seconds for anyone, anywhere in the globe, at any time. And if we're prepared to attack it, if ya'll are prepared to attack it with that understanding, go for it. But I think if we begin to realize that it would be incongruent for us to meet here today and have a plenary session and not issue a statement in support of what's goin' on in Washington. Then we're all lyin' to ourselves. Woman: That's right. - And I don't think there's a contradiction, or a juxtaposition, in those two issues. I believe that you got to organize people where they are. You don't organize people where you think they're gonna leap in three or four years. So I just hope, and if it turns out that I am the conservative spokesman in this congress, (assembly laughs) Woman: The gentleman from Washington. - I'm prepared to do that, with the same vigor and panache, that I valued on the other side. But, quite seriously, I hope that we would look at the value of language when we're talkin' about politics. You can do whatever you wanna do but in America, at this time, let us understand one thing, the stock market is but a mere indication of where we're goin', you can't keep win, any poker player, who has to win every hand is doomed to fail. Woman: That's right. - So I think we gonna se a lot of WTO type things throughout the world, and I just don't want us to language ourselves out of the fight. Woman: Me? - Yes. - Well there were a couple of things I think arise up to the occasion because I'm at the point of fatigue. But it seems to me that some of these court cases are actually political campaigns, and that they have to be risen to the point of the campaign thing. I think of Green Peace and the whales, and them in their little dingeys out in the middle of god knows where, and screamin' and hollerin' and all that kind of stuff, but the point that I am tryin' to raise is that it takes some of that to bring both media, and to move people from a point of non-alertness to alertness, and I, and also there's some links that we could make right now, brother, and I mean I'll talk to you on the side. There are some radical lawyers out of this state who you need to be in touch with. I mean we need to, at this juncture, in the reformation of the capitalists on the level that they didn't even begin to dream about, a hundred years from now, we have to place some alliances, both on the national and international level. That e-mail, we can discuss among ourselves, but the e-mail is a very important international linkage. I mean it's critical. And there are very few organizations that have mastered this. And while you may not be able to raise the argument in North Carolina to have 10 thousand Parisians walkin' down the street in the middle of Paris saying, hold on, you know that raises a whole 'nother kinda thing. And we have, I'm gonna raise the issue of the master strategies. I mean I'm almost feelin' like what I think he's feelin' like, but we have been somewhere around this before, and that is not to say that it does not have to be repeated. But some of us have learned over 50 years some strategies we're not able to put into effect. And I think that at some point, while there's grass roots growing, there has to be some other vision projection outward, you know, some master plans put into effect, because we're losing the big war. We may be winning some battles, but the big war is really goin' on, I tell my dope-dealin' friends up in jail, I said you know, ya'll still battlin' about the northeastern corner of the ghetto. These people have subdivided outer space. I mean, what are we talkin' about? We're in two different time zones here. And that is not to say one completely nullifies the other but I'm thinkin' that at some point we gotta hit a pentacle of intellectual combustion. We have got to hit people, I mean I have a plan. We've gotta hit people with money, we have got to get them to bankroll a brain thrust, and yes, it's gonna be infiltrated, but so what? Ya know, and move at another level because we, as I said before, I don't know whether we're really winning the big war, okay. Man: If Stephan wants to get started in this while we're here and then gist it in. - And somewhat, I don't know if this completely a response, but certainly a comment, or follow-up, and a salute to what you've been saying to this point and some of what was said earlier. I think some of the points that were just raised by a number of the commentaries that were just made are very relevant and very timely right now, as it relates number one, for example, to, how do you get young people engaged in the struggle? I mean one of the things that I was always faced with, right now, I'm 32 years old, I'll be 32 this summer, and it was weird. I would talk to my parents and people who were really, really products of the struggles in the 60's and the 50's, and somehow another that message got lost in the 70's and the 80's to this generation and the next generation and so on and so forth. And the reality is, and I don't say this, I say this from a perspective of having worked with children and worked in education and doing education law for a number of years, and looking at our youth that are coming up behind us, there has to be a real connect with that community, if these issues that we're talking about are so profound and paramount to change in our society, we've got to figure out ways to make this struggle real to them because all too often, if I am privileged enough to go to a integrated high school, then I don't know what it was like not to go to a integrated high school. And that's not to say that all integrated high schools are the paradigm for which we are looking. I wanna be very clear about that. But what I am saying is the opportunity, nonetheless, should be afforded to me. Now, in looking at that, and recognizing that we need to engage young people as what's one way. And looking and listening to some of the other things that were being said as it relates to a global movement and a society of information overload. What I would also say is, number one, e-mail is your friend, but be careful. Man: Amen. - Because don't believe that your information is not being read or cannot be picked up by someone else over the internet. So it's not the Panacea that a lot of people tend to play it up. Woman: It's not private. - Exactly, exactly. But it is a tremendous way to get out your message and get out your information and I'm thankful for the receive of the BRC news in my e-mail because it puts me in touch with other people and gives me the perspective that I need to have to be able to look at these issues in a different way. And in looking at that, I mean you talked about, we talked about globalization, you talk about the WTO for example, and that kind of brings links and kind of ties it all together to what this panel has been talking about. For example, I can talk about it from a agricultural perspective of how it's affecting family farmers and driving them out of business and he can talk about it from a perspective of how globalization is affecting farm workers and the relationship between the two if we were to unite and to bring our messages together in one common platform. And it's not a legal forum. It has to be a political and a social forum. It has to be an economic forum. There have to be all of those components brought together. And, ya know, I hear that very clearly coming out of the message and I'm lookin' forward to hearing about your plan and how we can make this plan work but. (assembly laughing) - I'm afraid I just lost Bob, I was hopin' that he would be in here. I wanna, I agree with much of what Guyot said because our rhetoric can often define us away from issues we spin deep and deeper into them and that was one of the terrible mistakes of the late 60's and early 70's was using rhetoric as a weapon to upgrade our self-esteem rather than to actually communicate with people. And one of the things that the rhetoric did was that we closed off our minds with rhetoric we were using. Much of it was true, much of it was accurate, but it sealed off instead of opening up. Both the separatism, the Marxism, some had structuralism about how you fit into the system or stuff like that. But I wanna, I just wanna point that out, we have to have a vision, we have to develop a vision, but a vision has always got to be open. I mean it's a way to get to somewhere, it's not closing off something that I define you know what the future's gonna be and you have got submit to that definition. But it's good to open it up to where we can, it's the only way that we're going to bring sectoralism to a unifying possibility. Otherwise it's each little group fightin' for its own right and its own piece of the pie, and the pie, that's what Guyot was talking about, the pie can always accommodate, ya know, to another little group as long as it takes a piece away from somebody else and makes you fight them instead of what the pie is all about. So that has a lot to do with the capitalism itself as a whole. I organized in Teamsters in Chicago, I built a group called the Concerned Truckers for Democratic Union, I was the founding president of that group, and we used to picket in Chicago at the Union Hall and at companies in support of the farm workers. Now many of you don't know, but the Teamsters were organizing farm workers to crush the USUFWLC, Chavez' group, so that, because they could make sweetheart deals with the growers so that they would have more money in the union to pocket and build more hotels in Las Vegas, and not to improve the conditions of the farm workers. We, and I organized in freight, which was the aristocracy of the Teamsters 'cause it was the original foundation, but I was a dock worker so I was like the lower end of the high end. But coming from that, if you stake your position on moral basis, but at the same time show the material needs and how that fits into a higher vision then it is possible to reach people from different sectors. And I was also on the Founding National Executive Committee of Teamsters for a Democratic Union, which after a 20 year stuggle, eventually took power of the union, and then they won the UPS strike and the government attacked them and put Jimmy Hoffa back in. So now we still have, we got Mayor Daley in Chicago and we got Jimmy Hoffa in president of the Teamsters. Man: Happy camp. - Yeah, the same gang. But we have to pull these pieces together and the only way it can do is for each group to fight hard for their own position but to realize a higher vision that's gonna pull us together in the long run. - The name of this meeting was where do you stop and turn, and I think in this discussion, it has raised the, what I consider to be the most central question, which is the question of culturalism, because what's happening to the black farmers in North Carolina is happening to the white farmers in northern Vermont, and the reasons, aside from I'm not diminishing the racist element of what's happening here because we know that within this society that's always a defining characteristic of what's happening. But even if that wasn't happening, they would be facing what my neighbors are facing now in Vermont and they're facing in Vermont what the dairy farmers are facing, it's the same thing that the farmers out in Wisconsin are facing, that the small industrial workers are facing, and their problems are tied to the problems of access to education, healthcare, and all those same questions in this country. And I think that, I'm hoping, I hope that what we're beginning to see, as we begin to see the emergence of target of things like the WTO, et cetera, is that we're beginning to understand kind of the network, the web of how this society, the overall society ties together. And I really second what Muriel says, that in addition to our understanding, need of understanding and analysis of stuff on, in a community level, that we also need to be developing a larger entity, whether we call it a political party or just a progressive movement or whatever, so that all these, all these issues are linked together, so you can say to those young people, Guyot, it isn't just a question of go down, learn why what's happening to these farmers, look what's happening to you. Our students have, our kids have come to accept the fact that they have to pay thousands and thousands and thousands of dollars in order to get a education. They've come to accept that they come out of college only 20, 30, 40, 50 thousand dollars, which severely, severely limits what they can do, and on the other side of that, that's as related to what is the figure of black men in prison? Woman: About one in three. - Yeah, right, okay. I mean, you know, if we go, if we talk about these issues we must be able to show people that all these things are related. If you're concerned about what the cost of tuition is in your junior college in Lyndonville, Vermont, then you gotta look at what the resources are of this country and where they are going. And once you begin to do that, you begin to, you cannot not see the prison system, and where the resources, the money is going into these prisons, instead of going into the community needs. And I think that we need to begin to talk in a broader context so that all these things are part of one because the other side of the issue for the farmers is the question of the environmental degradation. Many of those farmers, just like my neighbors, have been pouring poison onto their fields for years, ya know, taking out these huge loans, I mean there's nothing much different, okay I'm going to wrap it up, than the situation that the third world countries are in, having borrowed all this money and they're destitute, and that is what has happened to the farms. So to summarize, I just wanna say I think that we need to be really thinking in terms of a broader perspective, which has a platform that includes all these different aspects, so we're not just talking every, you talking about this one, he's talking about this, and so forth. - You've run out of energy? Cappy, we have one more and then we can sum up. Man: Actually I'll pass on to someone 'cause it was just somethin' more about the clarification of the congress. - Anybody wanna take any time, I know Charles just, I think he's in the hallway, but anything about the weekend itself, that people wanna pass on or whatever, I don't know. Man: Can we talk about the Listserv that is going to be started? - From this weekend? Woman: We just announced last night. - Yeah, I don't know enough about it. I think they took down names for the Listserv and they also sayin' stuff will be put on the website so I think between the two, if you signed up, you oughta be able to get them. - I mean, the idea was brought about by Curtis Mohammed, and he wants to really have something tangible coming out of this weekend that we can build on, not just a reunion or reflection of 40 years ago, but something we can work towards, you know especially younger people, like students and myself, so we started this Listserv, hopefully everyone's filled out one of those profile sheets yesterday that was passed around at the church, and that's gonna be used to start this Listserv, and we're gonna start this new networking that we really need to do to keep this moving. - Well I'd like to focus on the comment, I think it was great I took off from work, which I mean, at the best of work I usually bypass but seein' the guys in jail I really feel like I'm takin' something away they have so little. But I knew that this was going to be an important period, and I think that I was particularly cheery to see so many young people because I'll tell you, I go to meetings and I see quote-on-quote radical women and men coming but I've never seen them bring their children. And I drag my kids to every place I go, but I never see them bring their children and I have seen many of radical parents who has children who are reactionary who are goin' out the other side of the door. You know what I'm saying? And so I'm glad to see this combinating happening, 'cause when numbers start moving I know that all these problems that we have in this world pretty much are person-made, I started to say man-made, but they're person-made. So it is possible for people to unmake them, and let's start with that premise. And I am assuming that many minds, because I saw it in snack, many minds, it was the greatest concentration of brain thrust I have ever seen and if I were on the Joint Chiefs of Staff I would be fighting too. (laughs) But hopefully we can reconfigure it again, because when people start thinkin' about how to win and are intelligent, are learned, are dedicated in commitment, they can move a rock, they can move a mountain. So I'm glad I was here. Woman: So am I. - And I wanna just say I'm glad I was here too and I know that, there's no question in my mind that you're now gonna go home and forget what happened here these last three or four days. So start thinkin' about right now what you're gonna take back and what you're gonna do with it. (assembly applauding) Man: Thank you, thank you so much. (laughs) - Struggles, that people are in motion and they're consistently, there are consistent arenas of fightback that have not taken place in a long period of time, and fightback in large numbers, the sweatshop movement in the colleges, the janitorial strike in Los Angeles, so it is across the board and a multitude of areas. And the question that was raised just previously about the whole business around coalitions, that is our only salvation. We can, it is impossible, under today's conditions, to go alone on a single issue and win. It is, what is needed is unity of the people on many issues and finding the common core. With that introduction, Lawrence, would you offer a proposal please. - I move that we, consistent with the purpose of this celebration and consistent with the discussions that we have individually and collectively held that deal with the question of economic, organizing around economic justice, that we, in plenary session, support a resolution that gives our unconditional support to the demonstrations now being conducted in the District of Columbia in opposition to the World Trade Organization and its policies. Audience: So move. - I'll accept that as a friendly amendment. Woman: And I am now to be satisfied. I can, in turn, sorry, all in favor. Audience: Aye. - I don't know that we need a discussion, but if you wanna be democratic about this let's do it. (laughs) - My trade union tradin' now. I'm just gonna say that, you know I don't know how long we want it to be, but that in supporting the brother's motion that we empower one or two people to draft up the statement and go with it. Woman: I was gonna do that following the first movement. - Okay, yeah. Man: Done, yes. - Done. Let's, is there any more discussion? Alright, the vote, the question has been called, all in favor. Audience: Aye. - Opposed, extensions, so move. Alright now, can we get a couple people to volunteer to draft this. I don't that I am the best person to be one of those people. Audience: Guyot. Woman: He's out of DC because that's where the action is. Guyot: I really would be improper for me to do it, I gotta be honest with you, (assembly laughing) I don't wanna accept responsibility and - Can I, excuse me, let me just ask a question on procedure here. Was there not, is there not supposed to be some sort of press release concerning the whole-- Man: No, let me say - I'm asking. Man: Let me say this. - I'm asking a question, Man: Let us show - Don't get upset. Man: That there is not. Let us show that there is and go out today. We should vote to adopt a statement that can be released as soon as possible, so let us, that's our responsibility. Now you volunteered to work on this. (assembly laughing) These two gentlemen, now whoever else wants to work with 'em. Woman: I agree, I second that nomination of these two 'cause we need to have somebody that knows how to work those machines. Man: Let's, we will leave them to the work. (people talking over each other) - What he's just been volunteered for. (laughs) Hold on, hold on a minute. - We're still in session. We're still in session. What we have the first, we have the actual instrument that at some point before the midnight hour will materialize. This body has not determined where this instrument ought to go, and I don't mean all of its ramifications, but what is its prime aim, I think we need to leave these people with some kind of further direction here. Man: It should be released to the press. - Is it local? Man: All press available. - Is there a mechanism though? Man: What I would suggest is that you have burdened my life the next couple of hours with this thing, is that we release it to the BRC lists, to The Black World Today, and all the lists that are associated with A16 activities. Man: Okay, send it to them. Man: Send it to them. Woman: The fair trade networks, the fair trade networks. And once you get it one they'll put it on-- Man: Yeah, that is purely consistent with our vote. - Okay. Man: The big demo is today and tomorrow, there's one tomorrow. Woman: Now that you've gotten all that shift disturbed you gonna leave. (assembly laughing) - No but I think we oughta give him a hand for really puttin' this all together. (assembly applauding) (people talking amongst themselves)