by Ajamu Dillahunt
Good morning Brothers and Sisters. We want to thank the Mississippi Workers Center for giving us an opportunity to make a solidarity statement. We all owe them a tremendous debt of gratitude for bringing SHROC VII to North Carolina. We are clear that they did not bring it here just because we need to come together for this kind of conversation and learning, but because there is struggle here. They identified the struggle for human rights and a union at Smithfield Foods as one that need to be supported, so they came. They saw the fight for Environmental Justice in Eastern North Carolina, and they came.
We also want to appreciate the Center and the Southern Human Rights Organizers Network for understanding the particularities of the South and the need to build a fight in a region with a legacy of Slavery; a legacy that can be seen everyday in our economic, political and social institutions.
And of course, we must lift up the Human Rights framework, which for us is the continuation of the work of Malcolm X and other Black heroes and sheroes.
There is a song that is popular among jazz vocalist called “I’ll Remember April.” Another title comes to mind this morning. It should be called “I’ll Remember December.” We will remember the fight and victory of the workers at Republic Windows and Doors who, led by their union, UE 1110, occupied their plant for six days and electrified the workers movement in this country and abroad. As we have said “the plant occupation symbolized workers exercising their power to control the wealth that they produce that creates profits for the banks and corporations. They were saying by their actions that a living wage job or income is a human right.
We will also remember the victory of the workers at Smithfield Foods for recognition of their union, the UFCW. After more than 15 years of struggle they have won the right for a voice at work and a contract.
And of course we will remember SHROC VII. The song about April ends with the words, “I’ll remember April and I’ll cry.” Our song might end with, “I’ll remember December and I’ll shout for joy, dance and get ready to fight some more.”
To be sure compañeros there is so much more to be done. The fight for collective bargaining for public employees in N.C. and other Southern States is front and center on our agenda. A massive public works program aimed specifically at New Orl3an and the Gulf Coast is imperative and must be at the top of our agendas.
We have to continue our engagement in the fight for a just immigration policy. Within that fight we will strive to build unity among African descendants in this hemisphere and unity between Black and Latino communities.
We have two other challenges for workers here in N.C. It is critical to support the members of IAM Local W369 who have been on strike against the Moncure Plywood Company since July 21. Likewise our brothers and sisters who labor in the fields need our support as their union, the Farm Labor Organizing Committee (FLOC) struggles to get the tobacco manufacturing giant, R.J. Reynolds to sit down and negotiate with them and the growers.
And we are challenged to broaden and intensify the struggle against patriarchy and homophobia. This is not a separate fight but must be integrated into every interaction we have with each other and every political project we initiate or participate in.
There is Change in the air. We made it happen in November. In fact one of the slogans in the Smithfield struggle was “we changed the White House, we can change the Hog House. The message is clear that this change will have to come from below, from the grassroots, from our communities.
All of us here embrace the need for organization. We are calling for people to build People’s Assemblies that bring together organizations, old and new activists, churches and union, to work on local agendas for change that we need to get us through this difficult period of crisis of layoffs, evictions, war and the looming repression.
Finally, we would invite you all to join us on April 4, 2009 for the 25th Annual Martin Luther King Support for Labor Banquet. We are excited to have our friend and comrade Jaribu Hill as the keynote speaker. Please put this on your calendar.
As Salia Warren’s young daughter always reminds us, brothers and sisters, “Power to the People.”
