NYC meeting on reparations
'An injury to one is an injury to all'
With only 11 days to go before the long-awaited national
demonstration for reparations for African Americans, Roger
Wareham, Brenda Stokely and Monica Moorehead were featured
speakers at an International Action Center forum Aug. 6
attended by New York City-area activists.
"We live in a society where 1 percent of the population owns
30 percent of the wealth. Nothing changes unless the masses do
it," said Roger Wareham, a national leader of the Aug. 17
Millions for Reparations march in Washington, D.C., and
representative of the December 12th Movement. He called for an
all-out mobilization in support of the demonstration.
Brenda Stokely, president of AFSCME District Council 1707,
told the activists that she "wouldn't turn down the opportunity
to speak to folks about such an important issue." She said that
reparations and the legacy of slavery are key issues that must
be dealt with if workers are to unite and get organized.
A key focus of the meeting revolved around the need for
workers to break the bonds of racism. Monica Moorehead of
Millions for Mumia and the International Action Center
emphasized the importance of seeing that an injury to one is an
injury to all, and that it is in the interests of everyone to
mobilize for the reparations movement. She also called for
people to mobilize against the impending U.S. war in Iraq.
The meeting was chaired by Teresa Gutierrez of the IAC and
the National Committee to Free the Five Cuban Prisoners Held in
the U.S.
Organizers of the Millions for Reparations movement appealed
for help in the days leading up to the historic march in
Washington. From aiding with work sessions that will take place
on Aug. 14-15 to taking an assignment on the day of the
protest, there is no shortage of jobs to do and everyone can
help.
For further information, contact the International Action
Center at (212) 633-6646 or visit the Web sites www.iacenter.org and www.millionsforreparations.com.
--Matthew L. Schwartz
Reprinted from the Aug. 15, 2002, issue of
Workers World newspaper
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