Activists meet to plan unified Jan. 21st contingent

WW photo: LeiLani Dowell

Forty people gathered on Jan. 7 at Brother Jeff’s Cultural Center and Cafe in the heart of the historic Black community of Five Points on a cold snowy evening under the slogan:

“Commemorate our leaders; Fight Racism from the Mexican Border, to New Orleans, to Palestine and to Iraq.”

Those gathered listened to speakers from the Black community; Dahlia Wasfi, an Iraqi anti-war organizer; an Indigenous community speaker; a Mexican National Liberation Movement member; a union organizer of Salvadoran descent; and a member of Fight Imperialism, Stand Together.

This broad coalition of forces heeded the call for an anti-racist day of action on Jan. 21, the upcoming holiday honoring Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday. These forces have been organizing on the basis of unity of the oppressed since 2007 when an alternative political rally was called to coincide with the city of Denver’s benign parade on the King holiday which is usually led by a white mayor, a white governor and only allows signs designed by State Farm Insurance.

The Jan. 7 gathering of people committed to building a strong contingent to march against racism and war on Jan. 21 will continue organizing right up to and including against the Democratic National Convention in Denver this coming August.