I watched last night hoping to hear something of substance. I watched last night because I didn’t know a lot about Mrs. Palin and I hoped she would give me insight into who she was. I watched last night out of intrigue. I tried my best to watch with an open mind.
What I didn’t do was watch last night to find two prominent country leaders mock the importance, effort, sweat, and significance of community organizers.
JJP posts here and here sum it up nicely.
Anyone who blogs, ESPECIALLY to give a voice to those often not heard, is a community organizer.
Anyone who has helped younger generations understand their relevance is a community organizer.
Anyone who has volunteered to help register voters is a community organizer.
Anyone who has tried to organize a group for a cause is a community organizer.
Anyone who has spoken out about injustice, whether writing into a campaign, talked to their friends, or made a phone call is a community organizer.
I am a community organizer, and a damn proud one.
So, I say, let’s virtually mobilize.
Update your facebook status. Tweet to your heart’s content. Update your FriendFeed, your MySpace pages, your Bebo accounts, your Ning social sites, and your AIM statuses.
I am a community organizer.
Yobachi
I was as well quite dismayed at Giuliani and Palin’s mocking community organizing. I guess they don’t think the various issues that people face, like a whole community of laid of steel workers (which was one of Obama’s main organizing functions), or voter registration, community health, combating police brutality, securing civil rights, or fighting community violence are important things – but then again the McCain/Palin Platform demonstrates that. They had no ideals to offers, just the normal rehashed political snide-ness that their team always peddles.
Nonetheless, I must contend with you that blogging is not community organizing. As one who both blogs and does in the field community organizing, they are easily not the same. Throwing some post up on the net, and getting out in the field and actually organizing are a far cry from one another. I wish community organizing was half as easy as blogging, and I put a lot of effort into my blog.
But I either way, I very much feel what you’re saying.
I’ve labeled the meet-less Republican Convention a hero’s pep-rally.
September 4, 2008 at 3:22 pm
Fredric
Yobachi,
I’d have to disagree.
When the Shaquanda Cotton case broke awhile back, a slew of blogs organized, as a community, on the net to petition, setup websites, and give a voice to an injustice. Our actions help support the story that Howard Witt started and she was let go.
The same could be said about the momentum seen in Jena 6, the Sly Fox smear campaigns, and I think this.
Setting up a blog for a cause is just as important as getting out on the street and making your voice heard. You can connect with people, collect support, collect donations, and enact real change.
Shaquanda Cotton is a testament to that.
Barack Obama’s fundraising is a testament to that.
September 4, 2008 at 3:25 pm
Yobachi
A blog can be used to organize, but simply blogging on social or political issues in and of itself is not organizing. The word means what it means, to organize. Typing and hitting send is simply not organizing.
I think when you so loosely and easily equate the two you diminish the necessity of actually putting campaigns together and going out and bringing people together to act. You also give permission to people to feel they can just talk about an issue on the web, and they’ve done their part, where such will never suffice for addressing our social issues.
The pen has always played an important role, but providing info to the organier and doing the organizing simply are not the same thing. I’m a blogger and know the power their is in blogging and have used it. Nonetheless, I don’t conflate simply just blogging about issues, and organizing around those issues. I don’t know how much organizing you’ve engaged in, but I guarantee you it’s a whole different animal.
Bloggers brought the Jena 6 story alive. We got the message out there to be picked up by bigger media, bringing it to a fever pitch. But blog post did not call up bus companies in dozens of cities, putting up a post did not coordinate the event, a post is not getting a license for a march, there were no community meetings on the blogs to organize the trips for the march so on and so forth; that actually got people to Jena. If actual organizing had not happened everybody would have known about it, thanks to blogs, and nobody would have been there. That’s the difference in blogging and organizing.
Even within the realm of blogging, there’s a big difference between those who organize patetions, press release, days of blogging, and develop and implement campaigns using bloggs, and those who simply post
Blogs can be important, but simply putting up information is not organizing. Organizing again means what it says, that you actually organize something.
September 4, 2008 at 4:05 pm
Fredric
Granted. The gathering of physical beings to enact a physical event is the textbook definition, but cant that same gathering be done online with a blog as hub?
If the post has information, a widget to collect funds, a means to contact those with power (built-in form), a way to give those funds to the necessary party, and a way to show status updates (live ustream feed, etc.), the organization and amalgamation of those pieces do not constitute an aspect of community organizing?
I email, call, twitter, facebook, and myspace those online to direct them to my blog about an issue and ask them to show solidarity on an issue.
I agree with what your saying, I just don’t think the innovations allowed virtually should be discounted.
September 4, 2008 at 4:30 pm
Francis L. Holland
First, thanks for the “I Am A Community Organizer” name for our international publicity action of tomorrow.
I agree with much of what each of you is saying, because on the one hand organizing means identifying a challenge that needs to be faced; developing a consensus plan of action; determining the action steps and objectives needed to implement that plan; and then carrying those steps out; and then reviewing the success of the strategy to see what was optimal and what can be improved. As someone who organized before the Internet and other virtual tools were available, I can definitely attest that an e-mail list is MUCH, MUCH more effective than a Rolodex (remember those?) in terms of quickly reaching national and international consensus about what to do and how to do it.
As Yobachi says, just expressing an opinion online does not, in and of itself, constitute organizing. And yet providing information online and by e-mail, MSN, Twitter, ooVoo, YouTube and so many other electronic means, forming consensus online, and e.g. gathering money online to facilitate community goals CAN be just as effective as meeting in a church basement to accomplish those goals and objectives.
But, what Yobachi is saying is true. Unless you develop a plan, a consensus, goals and objectives and implement them, it doesn’t constitute organizing. And yet the beauty of the Internet and other electronic communication is that someone in California can design and post (and thereby disseminate) a widget that IS part of an organized plan of action, and even catalyzes action that didn’t exist before.
So, let’s continue to decide what we’re going to do and then use our blogs as well as brick and mortar means to do it. For example, if the purpose of a march is to impress decision-makers that we do not approve of their policies, we may be able to accomplish the same thing much more quickly and efficiently by selecting NEW decision-makers online and collecting money to help them achieve their goals. I voted for Barack Obama in the primaries online, so I know that I was part of an online organizing effort to determine the next president of the United States, with a goal, objecives, strategies and action steps that can be implemented online. (Some people say choosing a president isn’t that important, but if Palin were elected they’d birch like hell about her for the next eight years.)
Thanks to you and to ALL of the blogs that are participating in the “I Am A Community Organizer” day of blogging for justice on Monday, September 8, 2008!
What a great logo that is above! We’re going to post that logo over at the Afrosphere Action Alert blog, and I hope it encourages more AfroSpear and afrosphere bloggers to post the Afrosphere Action Alerts blog widget, so that all the crucial actions that are announced are automatically visible at blogs across the AfroSpear and afrosphere.
Here’s a thought: General Motors spends (action step) literally billions of dollars in advertising (motivation) trying to convince people (organizing them) to buy (action) their products, and more and more of that advertising is online. In fact, it is now possible to buy a car online (I think), and so everything that General Motors is trying to accomplish can be accomplished online.
You can certainly mortgage and lose your house online, right, and you can commit crimes for which you would be imprisoned or help prevent those same crimes from being committed online. You can give money online to someone who doesn’t have food to eat, individually or as part of an organized action.
The issue is whether we have goals, objectives, implementation and evaluation. Where we do that might not be as important as THAT we do that. I think what Yobachi is saying is, “By all means, DO something!”
September 7, 2008 at 3:38 pm
Kathrin
Count me in at “Seeking the Cranberry”. I have disseminated the information to all of my friends, both here in the US and in Europe!
Cheers and thank you for the great flier!
September 7, 2008 at 3:57 pm
Kimberly
Great logo. Send it to Barack’s camp.
September 7, 2008 at 9:13 pm
Day of Blogging Justice: I Am a Community Organizer | Young Black Professional Guide
[...] Justice: I Am a Community Organizer September 8th, 2008 • Related • Filed Under I Am a Community Organizer5 important reasons why ybp’s should blog5 things to consider before (and after) you start [...]
September 8, 2008 at 7:07 am
I Am A Community Organizer… « Ya Dig?
[...] http://ybpguide.com/2008/09/04/i-am-a-community-organizer/ [...]
September 8, 2008 at 9:44 pm
Regina
I believe that, unfornately, people of privilege—from a tradition of priviledge—struggle with ideas of community inter-dependancey and support. If you have never witnessed your nieghborhood/ ravaged by social ills (read here: unemployment, addiction, crime, violence, chronic illness, under-education, etc, etc…) where would you gleen favor in such a notion. If yours is a legacy of secrecy, cut-throat politics , and every-man-for-himself ideologies then how could you possibly place any value in this thing called community organizing.
September 21, 2008 at 7:05 am
Edwina
Greetings all my fellow community organizers
Please take advantage of a special project I can invision for Nashville in a few days. Use it in your towns and cities.
E.A.Ward
Early Voting Parade to the Polls Day!
Citizens and Students all over Nashville show your pride to the polls for this US Presidential Election. Let rejoice during this election season. Let’s show all the other states that Tennessee has great energy for this historic moment with Senator Barack Obama.
Come One Come All!!! BUT Don’t forget!!!!
2 Photo ID’s (Drivers License, Student ID)
Recent bills for address changes.
No Obama T-shirts, or signs allowed in the building.
Who: – The Nashville Community and Progressive College Students
What: – Parade to the Polls Days
When: – Saturday October 18th 2008
Where: – Beginning at Fisk University
(Corner of Jefferson Street)
Ending at Friendship Baptist Church (4mins)
1109 32nd Avenue North
Nashville TN. 37209
Time: – 9:30am-10:30am
Are you excited about this 2008 Presidential Election? This is your chance to help encourage someone else to VOTE. Join this parade where ever you are. We will have rides to the polls waiting to take you.
If you would like to volunteer your CAR, TRUCK or BUS for the parade please contact Edwina A Ward at (615)-977-4388 ASAP or send an email to rep.eward@gmail.com
This is a moment that we must take very preciously!. Come out and enjoy the spirit of others while showing pride for our country and state of Tennessee as active citizens in the community.
Let’s show our hospitality to our community in which we live.
Each One Teach and Help One!
Respectfully
Edwina A Ward
Nashville Students for Obama
October 9, 2008 at 12:36 am
SjP
Hello,
I live in a battleground state that has early voting! Yesterday, I along with my husband and 2 daughters voted for Barack Obama. This was the first time my daughters were able to vote. Yes, I voted and then I cried.
SjP
October 19, 2008 at 5:05 pm
Busby SEO Test
Great logo and nice name. First, I thought you're the community organizer
December 13, 2008 at 9:22 am
Thoney Gangstasweet
i am a community organizer. i hold bloody arms together, no one sees it. i blog, and my peers and random strangers are astonished! Yo-B! how dare you say writing isn't organization. note that i have been known to beat the streets and scream random whatevers in protest of injustice, i've found that the power of the pen, or in this case keyboard, is astounding!
we are a changing people and what once was, isn't now. all of our methods must conform to the times! while signs and cries were our ancestors primary tools, blogs and texts are our new weapons….
December 17, 2008 at 9:29 am
Busby SEO
I agree let's Virtually Mobilize
December 27, 2008 at 5:14 am
Devon Holiday Cottages
Nice blog… I see you are a winner… well done.
February 1, 2009 at 12:09 pm
affordable online diploma
But blog post did not call up bus companies in dozens of cities, putting up a post did not coordinate the event, a post is not getting a license for a march, there were no community meetings on the blogs to organize the trips for the march so on and so forth; that actually got people to Jena. If actual organizing had not happened everybody would have known about it, thanks to blogs, and nobody would have been there.
February 10, 2009 at 11:36 pm
affordable online diploma
But blog post did not call up bus companies in dozens of cities, putting up a post did not coordinate the event, a post is not getting a license for a march, there were no community meetings on the blogs to organize the trips for the march so on and so forth; that actually got people to Jena. If actual organizing had not happened everybody would have known about it, thanks to blogs, and nobody would have been there.
February 10, 2009 at 11:38 pm
Unlocked Phone
Well written. Thanks for sharing this great info
March 15, 2009 at 9:49 am