We know this country is jacked. Anti-Racist Action (ARA) believes that
fighting racism means busting down the powers that create it, which are
the same powers that fuck over women, gays, lesbians, bisexual and
transgender people. Racism still exists everywhere; women are still
often treated without respect. Many people have to work long hours for
shit pay. Cops harass youth and people of color on a daily basis, and
gay bashing is always a threat to queer folx. The so-called justice
system is not helping these problems, and is in fact part of the
problem. ARA is for people who want to fight these forms of oppression.
There are over one hundred ARA chapters in cities throughout the U.S.
and Canada, united by the Anti-Racist Action Network, which helps share
information and coordinate actions across North America. ARA was
originally founded a decade ago by anti-racist youth in Toronto and
Minneapolis and is still majority youth today. We have no elected
leaders and everyone has a voice. We meet to decide on actions that have
to do with problems in our communities. Our goal is to help build strong
community ties in order to get shit done.
After many years of discussion and study ARA has agreed to a specific
definition of racism, as it occurs in America. Racism = Racial Prejudice
+ Power. This country was founded on the genocide of Native peoples and
the enslavement of Africans. Racism has been entrenched in most areas of
mainstream society and is perpetrated by the government and its internal
army of cops. Where you live, how much money you make, access to
services, interactions with the police, as well as most aspects of your
life, are largely based on race. Basically, white people in this country
are born with an advantage, often called white privilege. White people
are given privileges in return for their loyalty to the system. Because
of this, ARA does not believe that "reverse racism" exists. We believe
it's everyone's responsibility to fight systemic and personal racism,
especially those who benefit from it. Right now Mpls ARA is splitting
its energy between two racist forces, organized nazis and the cops.
NO ROOM FOR NAZIS
ARA challenges hardcore racists in two ways, through education and
outreach and on-the-street confrontation. We believe white supremacists
can be both out-argued and out-organized. Some folks may claim these are
fringe elements, not worthy of our time and energy. The recent surge of
arson attacks against Black churches (including one on the East Side of
St. Paul), the bombing of abortion clinics by the quickly growing
Christian Right, and the involvement of white supremacists in the
military and police force tells us otherwise. And we don't have to look
far to see what's up: witness the violent racial attacks against Somalis
by whites in Rochester, MN.
Mpls ARA uses education to combat and debunk the myths, lies, and
stereotypes that organized racists use to recruit with. We also put out
a positive anti-racist and multiracial message of understanding and
solidarity, which can relate to all people. We've held open public
forums on the politics of Malcolm X and the Black Panthers, as well as
discussing anti-fascist activities throughout the world. For many years
ARA has successfully held an anti-fascist march and rally commemorating
Kristallnacht (Night of Broken Glass), a night which marked the
beginning of the Holocaust and sharp rise of Nazi terror in Europe. We
say never again!
Any talk that advocates intolerance, violence and hate can not be
allowed to fester. For this reason ARA challenges nazis� ability to
organize. This happens in a few different ways.
First, we collect
information on nazis both locally and regionally. Second, we challenge
their attempts to recruit youth, whether at schools, malls, or concerts.
We go where they go. Third, ARA maintains a constant street presence,
and declare areas of public space "Nazi Free Zones." Lastly we'll always
attempt to shut down any concerts, rallies, or events that are white
supremacist in nature. Women as well as men in ARA play a strong role in
on-the-street confrontation.
All we are saying is... shut 'em down! To this end, the ARA Network has
begun a campaign to stop a nazi record label/magazine/distribution
service called Resistance Records, which is based in Detroit. ARAs in
Canada and the US are working hard to expose and weaken Resistance
through education and confrontation of music stores that sell this shit.
We know we will win!
CRIMINALS IN BLUE WE SEE YOU
ARA recognizes the police as one of the most obvious, most brutal and
oppressive groups of "organized racists" in existence. Most oppressed
people in America, primarily people of color, but also youth, the poor
and working class, women, and queers fear the police. Harassment and
brutality are a constant threat. Police go virtually unchallenged and
the official channels set up to reprimand them are basically for show.
Cops who repeatedly beat down, rape, and murder are given, at most, a
slap on the wrist, but usually more like a pat on the back. See, it's
not a few bad ones stepping outside there bounds, they are all just
doing their jobs correctly, keeping the people down and dividing. Their
job is to make people live in fear. They are an occupying army
terrorizing everyone who is a threat to this fucked up system.
It�s upto people to stand up to cops cuz no one is gonna do it for us.
ARA has a program called Copwatch, where we go out every other weekend
and watch the police. We talk to people, pass out flyers and question
police procedure. When we see cops harassing, searching, or detaining
someone we step to them armed with a video camera and knowledge of the
law. We make the cops deal with us. We hold the police accountable to
people in the streets although Copwatch can't be everywhere, all the
time. We are trying to build up the already existing anti-cop culture.
We need to stick up for folx, and be standing up to police all the time.
Although organized copwatches are relatively new, the idea behind them
is widespread and common. When you see cops fucking with someone no
matter what "crime" they committed it's a safe bet the cops are in the
wrong. We need to have each other's backs when the cops fuck with us. We
need to take the power back! Until cops fear us this shit is gonna
continue. So next time cops try to pull some shit in your presence let
them know you are watching. Make them accountable to you and yourcommunity.
GIRLS KICK ASS! QUEERS FIGHT BACK!
Racism, sexism, and homophobia are all interconnected and therefore
dependent on each other. White supremacy is based on oppression of all
that aren't white, straight men and there is no real justice where any
group of people is denied freedom.
Women and queers face a lot of shit in this society. Women earn less
money than men for the same jobs; queers are attacked and beaten in the
streets. The courts system restricts queer people�s rights to marriage
and home ownership, and continually denies justice to women in cases of
rape, domestic abuse, and child custody.
In order to keep white power,
men need to keep important positions. Women being able to run families
without the help of men is a threat to patriarchy and women taking power
that is theirs is a threat to how this country works. Legislation and
laws should not dictate how women deal with their pregnancies. When
women take control of their own bodies, that's one less way of keeping
them down. Rape is another tool to control women and takes away the most
personal knowledge of self. Rape is far too widespread to be written off
as the problem of a few crazy men. Rape is oppression and needs to be
fought with the same strength as all other forms..
Queers directly
challenge the idea of the perfect family that white supremacy wants all
people to fit. The legal fight against queer rights is setting up some
fucked up laws. A judge should not be able to tell you whom you can
marry, whether or not you can have kids, or where you can live. Who a
person decides to love shouldn't have anything to do with their human rights.
Sexism and homophobia are a problem in every community, but is exactly
what white supremacy wants to happen. It is a divide-and-conquer tactic
to keep us fighting among ourselves instead of against the common enemy.
ARA believes in building unity between all oppressed people from block
to block. This is the strength it's gonna take to crush white supremacy.
Since ARA�s incarnation in the late 80's, we have worked against
oppression in the Twin Cities. Progress has been made: It is safe to say
the Minneapolis youth scene is nazi free! ARA's work to confront sexism,
racism, and homophobia has taken many forms.
WHAT WE'VE DONE AND WHAT WE'LL DO
Mpls ARA women presented a
workshop confronting sexism in the anti-racist scene at our annual
network conference. It was a hard and emotional workshop for many of the
participants but has had a definite effect on people in our chapter.
ARA in coalition with other local groups staged a kiss-in at the site of a
recent queer bashing--in front of the perpetrators' house. They were
confronted and publicly humiliated.
We discovered through an internal
police bulletin, that ARA's Copwatch was named in the top ten
organizations hated by the Mpls police.
A.R.A. organized to shut down a nazi show in St. Paul. First we shut down the nazi's
meeting point, by having a baseball/picnic which was over a hundred strong. Then the
concert, which featured Bound For Glory and other nazi bands from Europe was stopped
before it had a chance to happen.
ARA has held
annual Kristallnacht demonstrations for the last five years, with the
last three being free of the presence of nazi boneheads.
ARA mobilizes to
challenge klan gatherings throughout the Midwest. We organize to support
anti-racists who defend themselves against Nazis.
We are currently
involved in making ties with anti-racist youth in Rochester, MN in light
of the recent attacks on the Somali cornunity by the racist gang, the
All-American Boyz.