PlacesJackson Heights, New YorkCommunity OrganizationDRUM - Desis Rising Up & Moving
BUILDING A CULTURE OF CONSENT AND ENDING DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
In the last Men's Eckshate session, DRUM's workers rights organizer Anshu talked about different contexts of consent, and why consent goes beyond a verbal yes or no. The participants shared experiences challenging heteropatriarchy's idea of not needing consent, and why consent is important in creating safe environments for women and LGBTQIA+ folks, and healthy relationships
We also welcomed Sakhi to share with the men... the work they do on domestic violence. Mariam, Sakhi's Director of Client Development, shared with the men the different forms of domestic violence (physical, verbal, emotional and financial), and how to notice signs of domestic violence. Mariam also shared ways to support survivors. The men envisioned ways they could be better allies through engaging other men in conversations on domestic violence.
See More
This morning the Supreme Court's ruling gave full sanction to the #MuslimBan and #RefugeeBan and the explicit Islamophobia and Xenophobia within them
As many of us know, such manifestations of racism and white supremacy are deeply rooted in U.S. history. From the genocide and theft of land of indigenous people, to the enslavement of African peoples, Jim Crow, mass deportations under Operation Wetback, to the internments of people of Japanese descent, to the current family se...paration crisis, among many other examples.
We should also be aware, simultaneously, of both the importance of legal strategies and tools, and also the limitations of finding justice in the courts. Theft of indigenous land was approved by our courts. Slavery was legal. Jim Crow was legal. The internments were legal. Our government's war across the Muslim world and beyond are considered 'legal'.
We absolutely need legal strategies as we need to fight such reactionary forces and efforts at every step and using all tools at our disposal. But we do need to understand the importance of mass-based organizing to build our forces and our power as the central strategy in our efforts. Legal strategies and courts largely are limited to operating with the flawed systems that exist.
Open racism can be coded into 'neutral' law and policies. And even the highest of our courts will stand by such laws.
But organizing our own forces builds and works toward building power for us to be able to implement the vision of the world we want to see without such constraints.
These are struggles our society has been engaged in for centuries, and we need to be oriented to the struggle ahead for both our immediate needs but also towards the long term.
Lets sharpen all the tools we have, but lets also commit ourselves to building actual power of our communities and our movements.
Our future and justice lies not in the hands or benevolence of courts or elected officials, but in the power of our communities!
The struggle continues!
