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Tuesday, June 1
Finding New Friends: Law Enforcement Leaders and Immigration Reform
by
BPCO
on Tue 01 Jun 2010 01:12 PM EDT
Our organization received some complaints from immigrants in Milford, MA about racial profiling and State Police stops of Ecuadorians roofers. Evidently the State Police were frequently stopping their distinctive truck with long ladders and levying heavy fines for driving without a license.. I went to see the parish priest at St. Mary’s Catholic Church, a young priest from Colombia, SA, to find out more. He was very friendly and offered to hold a meeting so the immigrants could express their complaints. I brought one MICAH immigrant leader (from Guatemala) from Framingham (a nearby town) who had met with the Framingham Police chief in a MICAH action protesting police car stops, towing and threats of deportation. The priest introduced the session, the MICAH leader explained what we had done in Framingham, when immigrants there had experienced racial profiling. The meeting was conducted mostly in Spanish. As it went on, I noticed there was a tall, stocky, middle-aged white man at the back of the room. He had on dirty old jeans and a sweatshirt. I wondered who he was, and noticed someone was translating for him. I thought he might be from an anti-immigrant group that had frequently harassed our meetings in Framingham. The Ecuadorians explained their situations and many of them spoke about being pulled over for driving without a license and how this was making it hard ... more »
Faith and self interest: expanding our understanding
by
BPCO
on Tue 01 Jun 2010 01:09 PM EDT
Recently the organizers in our state network told stories about how we came into this work. I noticed that several said that their faith, specifically the teachings of Christianity, were their primary motivators. One said he grew up with a “non-political Republican father” but always understood that faith was central. Another read the teachings of Christ, especially about the poor, and was moved to action when what she saw in the world did not match the teachings. Most organizers have been trained to have a fairly narrow conception of self interest, mostly involving the immediate needs of our members. But, is this understanding of the self interest of our members what we really see? Are we minimizing the potential for faith to influence their action and choices? If we limit our understanding of self interest to a more narrow definition of economics (not that economics and immediate issues don’t matter! – they certainly do!), are we selling short the power of faith? We are organizers in communities of faith. If staff organizers can be so strongly motivated and moved by the teachings of our faiths, how about our members? Have we developed a definition of self interest that is too narrow? Do we challenge ourselves and our clergy to boldly express and act upon the teachings of our faith traditions? Organizers are people too. (Far as I can tell) If faith can be such a ... more »
Monday, December 28
You can easily reach me on my cell phone
by
BPCO
on Mon 28 Dec 2009 08:50 PM EST
If you want to talk, try my cell phone: 617 645 0226, or visit the website for the organization I now work for, MICAH, in Framingham, MA, USA, go to: www.MICAHMA.ORG to email me from there. Thanks, Michael Jacoby Brown.
more »
Sunday, October 18
Getting a Vote is Like a Movie Conversation
by
BPCO
on Sun 18 Oct 2009 02:03 PM EDT
In the early 1980’s I was working for a community organizing when Ronald Reagan came into office and did a good job of de-funding much community organizing. Up until that time, most community organizers (and community organizations) had steered totally clear of being involved in electoral politics – mostly because we thought it was too corrupt. But Reagan's election was a wake up call, and we started sniffing around the edges of electoral politics. One day Paul Tully, (of blessed memory now), who had worked for the late Senator Kennedy and other Democrats, came to give us a training session. He was the Irish politico out of central casting, brash, extroverted, with a big belly. “I don’t know or understand what you guys do,” he said bluntly. Then he went on to explain his business: getting people elected. Up until that time I thought electoral politics were about what I had read in the papers: about polling, numbers, advertisements, speeches, and personalities, including celebrities like the Kennedys. But Tully said something that gave me a whole new perspective. He said, “You want people to talk about your candidate the way they talk about movies. You want them to recommend your candidate like they recommend a movie.” “How do you decide what movie you are going to see?” he asked us. Almost all of us said we see movies on recommendations of friends. “It is the same with candidates ... more »
Thursday, February 12
Doing Nothing Not the Right Thing
by
BPCO
on Thu 12 Feb 2009 07:14 AM EST
Recently, Joe Rizoli, a notorious anti-immigrant racist cable TV host in Framingham, MA, where I am an organizer, falsely accused a priest and one of our local leaders, of “assault and battery.” It was a publicity grab by Rizoli. When I asked a local Framing ham Selectman (Town official) to pass a resolution praising Father Pranzo (the priest), he told me he thought it best to just ignore the Rizoli’s. I disagree. And so we held a rally and prayer vigil outside the District Court the day of the priest’s hearing. About 40 people came, including two State Representatives, several pastors, priests and rabbis. All the clergy wanted to come, even though it was the one day off a week several of them had. They came in the cold and snow to speak out for all immigrants, whom Father Pranzo has been defending. Many immigrants are members of his Catholic church. It was a blessing for Father Joe to see so many people supporting him, and it gave the clergy and elected officials an opportunity to say in public where they stood. Standing up in public for what is right made people feel good and built morale in our organization. If we had done nothing, ignored the Rizoli’s, as the Selectman had suggested, we would have missed an opportunity to mobilize our power and an opportunity for people to do the right thing. Organizing gives people an opportunity to say in public what they believe in private, and when they see ... more »
Wednesday, February 4
Tom Daschle, Health Care and Organizing
by
BPCO
on Wed 04 Feb 2009 09:09 PM EST
Tom Dashle’s withdrawal from the head of HHS highlights the need to rely on powerful organizations rather than particular individuals to achieve our goals. Certainly, individuals matter, but the over-reliance on one person to achieve our goals only points out how much more we need strong, on-going organizations to fight for universal health care. When organizations rather than individuals are the foundation of our success, then the withdrawal of one person does not doom the whole project. We saw in the Civil Rights Movements, how over-reliance on one charismatic leader caused problems when he was killed. Yes, specific individuals can inspire us. Yes, we can have only one President at a time. But if we are always building powerful organizations and developing new leaders, then the loss of one does mean the loss of everything. Like unemployment insurance and Social Security, a right to health care on a universal level will be a major step forward and a big step toward alleviating the anxiety so many of us feel who are threatened with losing our health insurance. Let us keep our eyes on the prize. more »
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