Black Radical Congress
Encyclopedia
The Black Radical Congress or BRC is an organization founded in 1998 in Chicago
. It is a grassroots network of individuals and organizations of African descent focused on advocating for broad progressive
social justice
, racial equality
and economic justice goals within the United States.
in June 1998, 2,000 people participated in creating the organization. However, their first mission predates the organizing congress, having been publicly endorsed and published by a number of high-profile black scholars and activists on 16 March 1998.
On 17 April 1999, the BRC ratified a "freedom agenda" listing 15 objectives dealing with racial and economic justice in the United States. The National Council of the BRC adopted a mission statement
on 26 September 1999 in East St. Louis, Illinois
. The opening paragraph states:
The complete mission statement http://www.blackradicalcongress.org/mission.html discusses approaches to radical democratic methods involving conferences, forums and publications. "Principles of unity" were also adopted, stating that the BRC was established as a "center without walls" focusing on "transformative politics that focuses on the conditions of Black working and poor people."
A national organizing conference was convened in Detroit in 2000, and other conferences have taken place in subsequent years.
Each year, the BRC chooses a different "theme" to focus its work on; past themes have included anti-militarism and the prison-industrial complex
.
The BRC has at least two caucuses, subgroups within the organization, the labor and working class
caucus and the Pat Parker Queer
Caucus.
The BRC has local chapters in Washington, D.C.; the San Francisco Bay Area
; Sacramento, California
; Minneapolis; St. Louis
; New York City; Raleigh, North Carolina
; Philadelphia and Pittsburgh.
"The Mission of the Black Radical Congress is to promote speech among the African American scholars and/or activists. Also, extreme issues in which the Black community is effected on the national and international level; to promote new ideas and direction for movements in political, social, and cultural views; through increased unified action, renew the Black radical movement."
"The Black Radical Congress believe that radical or democratic solutions would be the best way to solve the political, social, and economic problems facing our country and would today. This assessment, among the African people resonates with a particularly strong echo. Yet, the political forces find themselves isolated and marginalized from each other when they promote such transformation for Black people. They also believe that they need to create creative ideas and use fresh thinking that can aid with overcoming racism, sexism, class exploitation, homophobia, and build a society that is peaceful, humane, and has a protected environment. There is a large amount of African American people who are activists and scholars willing to participate in serious discussions about Black Community. They are open to new perspectives and challenges to protect, but utilize the best elements of revolutionary nationalist, radical feminist, socialist, and Marxist revolutionary traditions, and new Afrikan, as they enter the 21st century."
The BRC has many ties to the Communist Party, USA, although the Congress does not explicitly identify itself as communist, socialist or Marxist.
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
. It is a grassroots network of individuals and organizations of African descent focused on advocating for broad progressive
Progressivism
Progressivism is an umbrella term for a political ideology advocating or favoring social, political, and economic reform or changes. Progressivism is often viewed by some conservatives, constitutionalists, and libertarians to be in opposition to conservative or reactionary ideologies.The...
social justice
Social justice
Social justice generally refers to the idea of creating a society or institution that is based on the principles of equality and solidarity, that understands and values human rights, and that recognizes the dignity of every human being. The term and modern concept of "social justice" was coined by...
, racial equality
Racial equality
Racial equality means different things in different contexts. It mostly deals with an equal regard to all races.It can refer to a belief in biological equality of all human races....
and economic justice goals within the United States.
History
At the organizing congress in ChicagoChicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
in June 1998, 2,000 people participated in creating the organization. However, their first mission predates the organizing congress, having been publicly endorsed and published by a number of high-profile black scholars and activists on 16 March 1998.
On 17 April 1999, the BRC ratified a "freedom agenda" listing 15 objectives dealing with racial and economic justice in the United States. The National Council of the BRC adopted a mission statement
Mission statement
A mission statement is a statement of the purpose of a company or organization. The mission statement should guide the actions of the organization, spell out its overall goal, provide a path, and guide decision-making...
on 26 September 1999 in East St. Louis, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
. The opening paragraph states:
The purpose of the Black Radical Congress (BRC) is to promote dialogue among African American activists and scholars on the left; to discuss critical issues on the national and international scene that pertain to the Black community; to explore new strategies and directions for progressive political, social and cultural movements; and to renew the Black radical movement through increased unified action.
The complete mission statement http://www.blackradicalcongress.org/mission.html discusses approaches to radical democratic methods involving conferences, forums and publications. "Principles of unity" were also adopted, stating that the BRC was established as a "center without walls" focusing on "transformative politics that focuses on the conditions of Black working and poor people."
A national organizing conference was convened in Detroit in 2000, and other conferences have taken place in subsequent years.
Organization
The BRC has both individual and organizational memberships. It is headed by a National Congress.Each year, the BRC chooses a different "theme" to focus its work on; past themes have included anti-militarism and the prison-industrial complex
Prison-industrial complex
"Prison–industrial complex" is a term used to attribute the rapid expansion of the US inmate population to the political influence of private prison companies and businesses that supply goods and services to government prison agencies. The term is analogous to the military–industrial complex that...
.
The BRC has at least two caucuses, subgroups within the organization, the labor and working class
Working class
Working class is a term used in the social sciences and in ordinary conversation to describe those employed in lower tier jobs , often extending to those in unemployment or otherwise possessing below-average incomes...
caucus and the Pat Parker Queer
Queer
Queer is an umbrella term for sexual minorities that are not heterosexual, heteronormative, or gender-binary. In the context of Western identity politics the term also acts as a label setting queer-identifying people apart from discourse, ideologies, and lifestyles that typify mainstream LGBT ...
Caucus.
The BRC has local chapters in Washington, D.C.; the San Francisco Bay Area
San Francisco Bay Area
The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a populated region that surrounds the San Francisco and San Pablo estuaries in Northern California. The region encompasses metropolitan areas of San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose, along with smaller urban and rural areas...
; Sacramento, California
Sacramento, California
Sacramento is the capital city of the U.S. state of California and the county seat of Sacramento County. It is located at the confluence of the Sacramento River and the American River in the northern portion of California's expansive Central Valley. With a population of 466,488 at the 2010 census,...
; Minneapolis; St. Louis
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
; New York City; Raleigh, North Carolina
Raleigh, North Carolina
Raleigh is the capital and the second largest city in the state of North Carolina as well as the seat of Wake County. Raleigh is known as the "City of Oaks" for its many oak trees. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city's 2010 population was 403,892, over an area of , making Raleigh...
; Philadelphia and Pittsburgh.
Mission statement
Adopted on 26 September 1999 by the National Council:"The Mission of the Black Radical Congress is to promote speech among the African American scholars and/or activists. Also, extreme issues in which the Black community is effected on the national and international level; to promote new ideas and direction for movements in political, social, and cultural views; through increased unified action, renew the Black radical movement."
"The Black Radical Congress believe that radical or democratic solutions would be the best way to solve the political, social, and economic problems facing our country and would today. This assessment, among the African people resonates with a particularly strong echo. Yet, the political forces find themselves isolated and marginalized from each other when they promote such transformation for Black people. They also believe that they need to create creative ideas and use fresh thinking that can aid with overcoming racism, sexism, class exploitation, homophobia, and build a society that is peaceful, humane, and has a protected environment. There is a large amount of African American people who are activists and scholars willing to participate in serious discussions about Black Community. They are open to new perspectives and challenges to protect, but utilize the best elements of revolutionary nationalist, radical feminist, socialist, and Marxist revolutionary traditions, and new Afrikan, as they enter the 21st century."
Race and Racial Justice
The BRC states "Black is not necessarily a color or hue, but encompasses all peoples of African descent." Their work is focused on racial justice as well as broader social and economic justice as it intersects with the politics of race and racial oppression.Radical Politics
"Radical means getting to the root causes of society's injustices and working for root-level, fundamental change. Radicalism is an honored tradition in Black political history."The BRC has many ties to the Communist Party, USA, although the Congress does not explicitly identify itself as communist, socialist or Marxist.
Endorsers
A number of high-profile black scholars and activists endorsed the creation of the BRC on 16 March 1998:- Marlene Archer (National Co-chair, National Conference of Black LawyersNational Conference of Black LawyersThe National Conference of Black Lawyers , is an American association, formed in 1968, to serve as the Black Liberation movement’s legal arm and aid other black activists, it is made up of judges, law students, lawyers, legal activists, legal workers, and scholars.Noted clients included, Angela...
) - Amina Baraka (Communist Party, USA)
- Amiri BarakaAmiri BarakaAmiri Baraka , formerly known as LeRoi Jones, is an American writer of poetry, drama, fiction, essays, and music criticism...
(Unity & Struggle newspaper) - Debbie Bell (Communist Party, USA)
- Angela Y. Davis (Professor, University of California at Santa Cruz)
- Johanna Fernandez (International Socialist OrganizationInternational Socialist OrganizationThe International Socialist Organization is a revolutionary socialist organization in the United States that identifies with the politics of International Socialism, a current of Trotskyism, and the Marxist political tradition that American socialist writer and activist Hal Draper called...
) - Bill Fletcher, Jr. (Labor activist and writer, Washington, D.C., Democratic Socialists of AmericaDemocratic Socialists of AmericaDemocratic Socialists of America is a social-democratic organization in the United States and the U.S. affiliate of the Socialist International, an international federation of social-democratic,democratic socialist and labor political parties and organizations.DSA was formed in 1982 by a merger of...
) - Lewis GordonLewis GordonLewis Ricardo Gordon is an American philosopher who works in the areas of Africana philosophy, philosophy of human and life sciences, phenomenology, philosophy of existence, social and political theory, postcolonial thought, theories of race and racism, philosophies of liberation, aesthetics,...
(Temple UniversityTemple UniversityTemple University is a comprehensive public research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Originally founded in 1884 by Dr. Russell Conwell, Temple University is among the nation's largest providers of professional education and prepares the largest body of professional...
) - Robin D.G. KelleyRobin D.G. KelleyRobin Davis Gibran Kelley is a professor of History and American Studies & Ethnicity at the University of Southern California. From 2003 to 2006 he was the William B. Ransford Professor of Cultural and Historical Studies at Columbia University...
(University of Southern CaliforniaUniversity of Southern CaliforniaThe University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
) - Marian Kramer (National Welfare Rights Union)
- Julianne MalveauxJulianne MalveauxDr. Julianne Malveaux is the 15th president of Bennett College. She is an African-American economist, author, liberal social and political commentator, and businesswoman. She is well-known for her left-wing political opinions.-Education and career:Malveaux entered Boston College after the 11th...
- Manning MarableManning MarableWilliam Manning Marable was an American professor of public affairs, history and African-American Studies at Columbia University. Marable founded and directed the Institute for Research in African-American Studies. Marable authored several texts and was active in progressive political causes...
- Sonia SanchezSonia SanchezSonia Sanchez is an African American poet most often associated with the Black Arts Movement. She has authored over a dozen books of poetry, as well as plays and children's books...
(Poet) - Joe SimsJoe SimsJoseph Anthony Sims is a former professional American football player who played offensive lineman for five seasons for the Atlanta Falcons and Green Bay Packers....
(Communist Party, USA) - Yicki Smith (Feminist Action Network)
- Jarvis TynerJarvis TynerJarvis Tyner is an American activist and the current Executive Vice Chair of the Communist Party USA. He is a resident of Manhattan, New York City. In 1972 and 1976, he ran for Vice President of the United States of the CPUSA.-Biography:...
(Communist Party, USA) - Cornel WestCornel WestCornel Ronald West is an American philosopher, author, critic, actor, civil rights activist and prominent member of the Democratic Socialists of America....
(Democratic Socialists of AmericaDemocratic Socialists of AmericaDemocratic Socialists of America is a social-democratic organization in the United States and the U.S. affiliate of the Socialist International, an international federation of social-democratic,democratic socialist and labor political parties and organizations.DSA was formed in 1982 by a merger of...
)
Publications
- "From Conference to Organization: The Challenges of Building the Black Radical Congress", by Jamala Rogers
- "Global Apartheid and America's New Racial Domain", by Manning MarableManning MarableWilliam Manning Marable was an American professor of public affairs, history and African-American Studies at Columbia University. Marable founded and directed the Institute for Research in African-American Studies. Marable authored several texts and was active in progressive political causes...
- "Rosa Parks: A Woman of Substance", by Eric FonerEric FonerEric Foner is an American historian. On the faculty of the Department of History at Columbia University since 1982, he writes extensively on political history, the history of freedom, the early history of the Republican Party, African American biography, Reconstruction, and historiography...
, discussing the life and death of Rosa ParksRosa ParksRosa Louise McCauley Parks was an African-American civil rights activist, whom the U.S. Congress called "the first lady of civil rights", and "the mother of the freedom movement".... - "The Left and the Millions More Movement", by Amiri BarakaAmiri BarakaAmiri Baraka , formerly known as LeRoi Jones, is an American writer of poetry, drama, fiction, essays, and music criticism...
- "We Charge Genocide", by Jamala Rogers, discussing Hurricane KatrinaHurricane KatrinaHurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was a powerful Atlantic hurricane. It is the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall...
- "The terrorist named Hurricane Katrina", by Bill Fletcher, Jr., discussing Hurricane KatrinaHurricane KatrinaHurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was a powerful Atlantic hurricane. It is the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall...
- "Whither the Struggle Against Racism", by Rose Brewer, discussing the World Social ForumWorld Social ForumThe World Social Forum is an annual meeting of civil society organizations, first held in Brazil, which offers a self-conscious effort to develop an alternative future through the championing of counter-hegemonic globalization...
in Porto AlegrePorto AlegrePorto Alegre is the tenth most populous municipality in Brazil, with 1,409,939 inhabitants, and the centre of Brazil's fourth largest metropolitan area . It is also the capital city of the southernmost Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul. The city is the southernmost capital city of a Brazilian...
, BrazilBrazilBrazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
in 2005 - "Contemporary Police Brutality and Misconduct" press release, undated
- "We Must Succeed!! The Black Radical Congress Campaign" press release, undated
- "African Leaders Hide Political Woes Behind Homophobia", press release, 25 April 2001
- "Statement on the Giuliani "Decency" Panel", press release, 12 April 2001
- "Statement on the Post-Election Crisis by the National Coordinating Committee of the BRC", press release, 1 December 2000
- "The Black Radical Congress Condemns the Acquittal of Four Police Officers in the Murder of Amadou Diallo", press release, 28 February 2000