Anti-Racist Organizing in Toronto: Fri Oct 17

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FRIDAY OCTOBER 17TH, 7pm – Concorde Cafй - 937 Bloor St

Anti-Racist Organizing in Toronto
A panel sponsored by Upping the Anti: A Journal of Theory and Action

Speakers: Chris Harris from the Black Action Defense Committee, Alok Premjee from BASICS and the Justice for Alwy Campaign, Josephine Gray of Low Income Families Together, Guled Warsame from UNITE-HERE Local 75 and CORD (Community Organizing for Responsible Development) and Faria Kamal of No One Is Illegal - Toronto.

In recent years, some of the most dynamic organizing in Toronto has taken place around a variety of anti-racist campaigns and struggles initiated by radical grassroots activists. On the evening before our launch party for UTA 7, Upping the Anti presents a dialogue between anti-racist activists in Toronto inspired by our interview with Chris Harris of the Black Action Defense Committee in this issue.

The discussion will be kicked off by [b]Chris Harris[/b]who will discuss the work that BADC is doing to intervene within Crip and Blood gangs in Toronto through the "Hood to Hood" movement and BADC's "Freedom Cypher" program. [b]Alok Premjee[/b] will talk about the work that BASICS Community Newsletter is doing in Lawrence Heights around anti-gentrification struggles and how the Justice for Alwy Campaign is going about organizing around the police murders of racialized youth in Toronto. [b]Joesphine Gray[/b] will speak about the work that her group Low Income Families Together (LIFT) is undertaking in St. Jamestown. [b]Guled Warsame[/b] will talk about the union-community alliance building being done in Rexdale by CORD and UNITE-HERE Local 75 to ensure that new developments in the area hire members from the community into union jobs. [b]Faria Kamal[/b] will speak about the work that NOII has been doing around questions of immigrant and refugee advocacy and on the connection of this work to questions of indigenous sovereignty.

Each speaker will speak for 15-20 minutes and will discuss the work of their organization, what political traditions they draw upon for inspiration and organizing structure, and how they think anti-racist activists should relate to the state, social democracy and the "non-profit industrial complex".

We welcome all organizers, activists and allies committed to building anti-racist movements in Toronto to attend the forum with questions and contributions. We hope the evening will ignite debate and reflection on questions of tactics and solidarity building that can strengthen our movements.

The Concord Cafe is an accessible location.

For more information please e-mail [email protected] or visit [url=http://www.uppingtheanti.org]uppingtheanti.org[/url]

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