Occupy Atlanta Anti-Racism Committee Minutes
11/9/2011 5:30-7:00 p.m. Troy Davis Park
Google doc link:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1wlOe_13KgU4iHK5vl4R5QaDYh9BM4iM2F9U17E4fSA8/edit

In attendance:
Donna, Moki, Noemi, Khaalis, Debra, Aimi, Laura, Xan, Kate S, Jerome, Mick, Regina, Juan, Tom

Introductions
Explained sub-committees

Announcements:
1. OA website has a space for our sub-committee (http://occupyatlanta.org/contact-communicate/groups/anti-racism/). Sign up for website to contribute events and post minutes and documents)
2. Phone tree – got numbers. Link: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AmzIgbYvF83pdG1KYlNuUUF2cGQyeTRPeHJET25ZSEE

3. Khaalis – teaching a class on being a people person at 6 p.m. Saturday/Sunday – North end of park

4. Kate S – Anti-racism trainings with people from GSU – they want to join our trainings. Debra talked to someone willing to do anti-racism and anti-misogyny training (but probably not in the park due to noise and distraction). Laura – if we set a date we can arrange another space. Donna asks Jerome how this overlaps with what he does. Jerome explains that Project South does anti-racist public education.

5. Remember to sign up for GA attendance. Last committee meeting decided that GA attenders should announce updates from the committee (if any) in the GA to maintain a presence and also send the listserv a brief email about anything raised that night in the GA that is of concern to the committee. If listserv is inaccessible, find alternate way of sharing this information. Link to GA sign up: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AmzIgbYvF83pdHhSRmxlbEZCVnlHNFlEazYyZ3djMEE

Proposals:
1. Reorganize sub-committee structure. New structure:
A. Internal affairs sub-committee (includes anti-racist governance and process, access, and building anti-racist community). Members: Xan, Khaalis, Laura, and Aimi
B. External affairs sub-committee (building trust and outreach). Members: Debra, Xan, Regina, Juan, Tom
C. Activities sub-committee (Popular education, trainings, and honoring histories of resistance). Members: Moki, Jerome, Kate S, Donna, Noemi
2. Khaalis noted that the committee structure of OA is causing decisions to be made behind closed doors with factions arising based on prior relationships and friendships. Identifies that this is based on social and class divisions. Committee agrees to privilege discussion of this issue in sub-committee breakouts.

Sub-Committee breakout reports:
Internal affairs/governance, access, and community:
1. Xan and another person will participate in Occupy Racism teleconference with anti-racism working groups at other occupations. In committee, several people decide to participate and will call the number in email forwarded to listserv by Kate S.
2. Meetings twice a week – Sunday (during 3:00 p.m. GA breakout session) and Wednesday (5:30 p.m.) at occupation site at Troy Davis/Woodruff Park. Committee decides that one member of each sub-committee should be present at each of these meetings to ensure continuity and also provide alternate spaces of access.
3. Sub-committee decides to do research on the racial make-up of other committees and to encourage participation of anti-racism group members in these sub-committees.
4. Will coordinate with activities sub-committee to set up workshops.

External affairs/outreach:
1. People feel excluded from process when key positions for committees are assigned from unpublished meetings. Whoever is assigning people may be ignorant of their actions when placing individuals in key roles who are
-Unfamiliar with the daily work those committees are doing, or
-Exhibits extreme –isms personality traits
-Someone(s) (ideally from Anti-racist committee/A-rc) needs to talk to them that make those types of decisions, one-on-one. (Note: I think the A-rc should determine if an issue goes to the GA, this could take place via emails, text, phone calls, etc. Need not wait till next A-rc meeting. Let me know what you all think – Debra)
-If issue isn’t resolved, bring it to the GA for disclosure, discussion and voting.
2. Occupy the Hood – briefly discussed. Strategy for occupying neighborhoods.
3. OA demands should privilege marginalized people (homeless people, especially)
4. Coordination with outreach committee – Regin and Tom
5. Encourages everyone to get phone numbers of people in all committees you join to stay connected.

Activities/popular education:
1. December timeframe for round table discussion on history of Atlanta and racism and white supremacy, as well as the history of responses to it. Audience is GA. Announce the event at GA’s but also coordinate with Process (Kate S) to have the GA that day in the same space as the round table (right after it) so that the discussion can be reflected upon in the GA
2. Other ongoing activities: trainings and workshops, graphics, etc.
3. Establish regular times for trainings