NIAAS works strategically with individuals and local grassroots social justice groups, organizations and coalitions in Boston to build unity between African Americans and immigrants of color on key issues that impact them directly.
COMMUNITY DIALOGUES/ AWARENESS SESSIONS
Goals:
WORKSHOPS
Goals:
SOLIDARITY & BUILDING RELATIONSHIP SUPPORT IN ACTION
COMMUNITY DIALOGUES/ AWARENESS SESSIONS
Goals:
- To improve and sustain trust between the two communities (emphasize commonalities: history, globalization, poverty, labor, economics, education, institutionalized racism)
- To expose stereotypes of immigrants of color by AAs and vice versa.
- To increase historical understandings between immigrants of color and AA (emphasize commonalities: history, globalization, poverty, labor, economics, education, institutionalize racism).
- To improved language practices (?) (honest dialogue, communications) between Immigrants of color and AAs
- To reduce racisms/prejudices between Immigrants of color and AAs (emphasize commonalities: history, globalization, poverty, labor, economics, education, institutionalized . racism)
- To reduce resource competition between Immigrants of and AAs (emphasize ‘power with’; see systemic oppression-vulnerability)
- To challenge and encourage self-reflections to groups, organizations and individuals on their own power dynamics based on race and privilege
WORKSHOPS
Goals:
- Train organizers, leaders and other people of color in tools they can use on their work to help break down the barriers of stereotypes, racism, misunderstandings, prejudice and other forms of divisions among people of color in their organizations, campaigns, board of directors, committees, etc. Participants in these workshops will learn by doing and will have at the end the basic understanding of the tool to bring it back (including materials) to their groups they need to deal with the above issues.
- Promote the relationship and solidarity among participants beyond the workshop.
- Create a space that intentionally brings together and make the connection between NIAAS members and groups. Hoping that this connection open spaces for NIAAS to offer deeper and regular sessions using a particular tool in their organizations, groups, meetings and any kind of gatherings to help them overcome the divisions that often times prevent the work to be as successful as they would like.
- Challenged and encouraged self-reflections to groups, organizations and individuals on their own power dynamics based on race and privilege
- Improved people of color productivity at the workplace, campaigns, projects where they have to work together.
SOLIDARITY & BUILDING RELATIONSHIP SUPPORT IN ACTION
NIAAS’ ongoing effort is to bring its tools and practices to a key community campaign(s) or organizations to bolster their political impact via increased solidarity among immigrants and African Americans. We expect to see results of NIAAS’ support on changes in policies, institutions, resources, etc. that can improve critical social and economic conditions of communities of color.