<HTML> <HEAD> <TITLE>Re: [WAsummit] DPEEP, accountability and the role of allies</TITLE> </HEAD> <BODY> Sharon,  You are such an inspiring and strong voice for reality and accountability, I’m really appreciating this opportunity for learning and companionship in the way of honest feedback and respectful engagement. So toward “being progressively less stupid”-- as Marshall Rosenberg coaches, I’m wondering if you and others on this list might hang in with me  as I explain what I think I am holding/dealing with?  And share your best insights, hopes and practices?  I think we are on the same page... both Iantha and Ron, who are my main two partners/teachers on the DPEEP outreach team are black activists  and the primary facilitators of the whole process (including I believe a few other members of this list)—Iantha, the paid consultant/facilitator, more through a long history with mainline environmental groups starting with the Forest Service, and Ron of CHE, from the EJ side  is a former program director /organizer at the Highlander Center and  with Southern Empowerment Project, now up here near me in DC area. Like many white activist types,  I am tremendously privileged to be able to “volunteer” more time, that is, to be able to spend much less of my time working to meet my immediate needs for sustainability unlike Iantha and Ron and the other 95% of the world. Although by many eyes, we are all more or less “middle class” --me, duh, a lot more securely  (clinically?) middle class. Since I have taken something of an indefinite “sabbatical” to develop our local gwair.org  interfaith antiracism alliance /a karma thing for me as the descendent of slaveowners—and I have a few fancy titles (formerly Rev. and Dr) that help me network with more confidence, credibility and breadth (and internalized superiority) than the average bear,  I find myself doing three things as an ally to support this effort  (slowly developing since end of October as  a group of mostly professional environmental staff that is about two-thirds white, and about 50-50 identified with environmental justice(EJ) versus “environmental movement”/EM (a racial mix on this front.)   What I try to do as an ally in this setting... 1) I try to do or be open to do more than “my share” of the LEGWORK (arranging calls, connecting emails, rough drafts) but without going over 1) the line of joyful giving and i2) into patronizing/sacrificial “look at how much I do for you”  codependence/colonialism.  I do this with a fair amount of self-interest—for learning, for my love of the earth and for my  longing for glimpses of the solidarity and world I want to live in. 2)  I try to take the antiracism “heat” by expressing my concerns/NAMING PRIVILEGED ASSUMPTIONS that I don’t think fit or hear the realities/needs of underserved/adversely impacted communities.  I have chosen to speak up again and again to remind/re-emphasize inclusion “early and often” to counter the typical rush to be powerful and professional  but that push is strong, and not terrible—just hard to slow down enough to get new voices in early. 3) Knowing WHEN TO BE SILENT and when to speak up is the hardest part of this work for me, and frankly, growing up in the South with three brothers, I know I err on speaking up. So I am constantly trying to hold back, monitoring who is being heard and directly/explicitly asking for/building on what our more silent partners of color are thinking or saying.  I hope as much as possible, when I speak up,  it is to support leaders of color but sometimes it’s to try to “speaking the unspoken” ... Like wondering outl oud if this “will fly” among white working class folk, etc. 4) The trickiest thing before us now is noticing and QUESTIONING  THE FLOW OF MONEY AND DECISION-MAKING which  is not very transparent or, I’m hoping, well-established yet, except by past precedent. The Nature Conservancy, a very white privileged/land= “environment” based movement, “lends” strong white-identified staff, including their development person to fundraising. This is where I sense there are conflicts of interest, between the mainline environmental/EM  groups and the EJ partners in the past, but also between  the leaders of color who would like to be rewarded However, toward something like fairness or nonviolent communication, I don’t want to say that the EM people who are mostly white are wrong or bad...they are meeting the same needs for effectiveness, contribution, sustainability, and hope for the future that many of us long for.  They don’t meet my needs/longing for a sense of mutuality, interdependence and compassion for those who suffer disproportionately...but I want them to feel respected/met at the table as well. So I’m in this work, trying to be led by God (the divine energy of life mattering) in partnership with those most adversely affected by racism and capitalism and colonial exploitation of the environment but also trying to stay focused on what will serve life the best and meet the most possible needs-- which may well be the needs of the most vulnerable and with you, I throw my lot with the oppressed humans...thanks for helping me into naming that. Hope this is a contribution, and not taken as if I know for sure what I’m doing...just that I’m trying to be aware/proactive...and at least “make new mistakes” not the same old ones. For courage in the struggle,  Louisa On 3/11/10 3:09 PM, "Sharon Martinas" <<a href="cws@igc.org">cws@igc.org</a>> wrote: <BLOCKQUOTE>Hey Louisa, Which grassroots environmental justice groups with deep roots in working class communities of color are involved in the leadership visioning and planning of this event from the get go?    If they aren't yet at the leadership table; or are at the table but not in a position to exercise leadership (i.e., they are there as tokens)  but get added as an 'outreach' item, I think that, despite your good intentions, your conference is not gonna be able to reach its admirable goals. And as for a call for 'white allies,'  it's also admirable.  But if these allies cant look to the leadership from environmental justice organizations of color because they are neither in the leadership, nor even at the table;   with whom, then, are the anti-racist white allies supposed to 'ally'? Just some questions of concern. In solidarity, sharon martinas On Mar 11, 2010, at 11:15 AM, Louisa Davis wrote: <BLOCKQUOTE> Still totally juiced by the Howard Zinn’s tenure without compromise (and act of God?) story....    And, this is old, but I don’t think anyone has celebrated Van Jones coming back from being pushed out of the White House last September by racist pissing match with Fox News. He is staying here in DC and has two new power podiums—Princeton and Center for American Progress!   Totally meets my needs for coming through the fire, not giving up and leveraging powerful cultural capital for those who need it.    SEE <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/02/23/AR2010022304889.html">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/02/23/AR2010022304889.html</a>    And, most importantly, I want to tell you about and involve you (or your feedback) in  the DIVERSE PEOPLE FOR ENVIRONMENTAL AND ECONOMIC PROGRESS SUMMIT:  I’m a volunteer, coordinating the Outreach team, working with Iantha Gantt-Wright of the Kenian Group who is the paid organizer/consultant, and about 25-30 others from environmental groups all over the country.   This is about making sure the green job and environmental movement really includes and responds to needs of workers, youth and communities of color AND has the political heft to stand up to the rapaciousness of corporate, develop-driven and media-hypnotized America.    We need:   1) names of antiracist/environmental justice organizations to partner with regionally—still early in planning stages: DC/Midatlantic  (May!?) , USSF/Detroit/Great Lakes in June?  then Atlanta, Texas, Portland, and New England.  2) spread the word/outreach help and connections to folks to get to the tables of the one day regional roundtables that will happen/be scheduled the second half of this year. Website in the works.  3) We also need  more white antiracist allies who are able to help bridge the gaps of understanding and skills for really including and listening (etc) between well-intentioned predominantly white progressive/liberal environmentalists and frustrated activists of color/low-income workers whose well-being has not been as treasured as much as that of the whales, horned owls and odd wilderness areas in Idaho.  4) leads on foundation and local monies/in-kind donations....you know the deal.    Background:  This is the third DPEP summit in 10 years, funded by the Green Group of major national environmental groups (with Hewlett Packard/Ford money in the past). They are intent on building partnership and I sense more and less genuinely interested/concerned about learning how to overcome barriers to inclusion and partnerships with civil rights, community organizing and workers,  youth and health rights groups. It’s not always easy to slow them down for the kind of inclusion that really works...but we’re trying!   For more info, contact me (<a href="louisaldavis@verizon.net">louisaldavis@verizon.net</a>) or other members of the Outreach/Inclusion team,  Iantha, <a href="igwright@earthlink.net">igwright@earthlink.net</a>  or Ron, Center for Health and Environmental Justice  (<a href="davisbuildscommunity@gmail.com">davisbuildscommunity@gmail.com</a>).    Things are just coming together so please be patient...and persistent.     Louisa L. Davis, M.Div., Ph.D.  Everyone Matters, LLC-pending  11330 Dockside Circle  Reston, VA 20191    H) 703/860-1203  C & O) 240/338-5156   “Somewhere in the heart of experience there is an order and a coherence which we might surprise if we are attentive enough, loving enough or patient enough.”  -- Lawrence Durrell from Marilyn Paul, Its Hard to Make a Difference When You Can’t Find Your Keys     _______________________________________________ WAsummit mailing list <a href="WAsummit@lists.wacan.org">WAsummit@lists.wacan.org</a> <a href="http://lists.wacan.org/listinfo/wasummit">http://lists.wacan.org/listinfo/wasummit</a> </BLOCKQUOTE> <HR ALIGN=CENTER SIZE="3" WIDTH="95%">_______________________________________________ WAsummit mailing list <a href="WAsummit@lists.wacan.org">WAsummit@lists.wacan.org</a> <a href="http://lists.wacan.org/listinfo/wasummit">http://lists.wacan.org/listinfo/wasummit</a> </BLOCKQUOTE> -- Louisa L. Davis, M.Div., Ph.D. Everyone Matters, LLC-pending 11330 Dockside Circle Reston, VA 20191 H) 703/860-1203 C & O) 240/338-5156 “Somewhere in the heart of experience there is an order and a coherence which we might surprise if we are attentive enough, loving enough or patient enough.”  -- Lawrence Durrell from Marilyn Paul, Its Hard to Make a Difference When You Can’t Find Your Keys </BODY> </HTML>