Members from the Miami Workers Center represented us in Detroit last week, at the United States Social Forum (USSF). And our black and brown unity was set as an example for other social justice organizations across the country. 

On July 21st, an airplane took off from Miami half-full of enthusiastic freedom fighters from South Florida. They joined over 18,000 others in Detroit for 4 days, to participate in the United States Social Forum , a space to come up with the peoples’ solutions to the 
economic and ecological crisis.

Our state had a large delegation of close to 100 people, with special representations from the Florida Immigrant Coalition, Power-U, Sisterhood of Survivors, Human Service Coalition and Seed305, among others. And the Miami Workers Center was present with 19 people.

“This is the first time that I’ve been in something as big as this” says Reyna Gómez, a resident of Little Havana, and member of the Miami Workers Center. Some of our members and staff had never participated in a Social Forum before, and were very excited to be surrounded by so many others committed to creating a better world.

Others like Sandra Newton, were already experienced with the Social Forum process. “I was in Brasil in 2005, it was a world of experience. In this Social Forum I felt good. We started out in a 2 mile march and there were thousands and thousands of organizations. The march was a success!”, says Ms. Sandra, a resident from Liberty City, and a leader at MWC.
 

This is national 

The USSF is intended to build leadership and empower people from the community who are standing against social and economic injustice. But it also serves as a solidarity space where people from diverse backgrounds and experiences can build relationships and strengthen the movement.

As a cancer survivor, Reyna participated in a workshop about solidarity and support programs for cancer patients. “Since I am from Honduras, I also decided to participate in a workshop about the coup d’etat in my country. I wanted to learn about it”, explained Reyna.

Many of our delegation participated in the workshop that focused on the relationship between reproductive justice and human rights. Ms. Yvonne Stratford, a LIFFT leader, reflected on her experience “I came in being a woman, and I came out being much more than a woman. I learned about my body and the right that we have as women”.

But the most significant outcome of this forum is the feeling of a national movement. As Serena Perez, organizer for the MWC and also first time participant in a Social Forum, explained, “This was a great opportunity for all of us to understand the scope of the movement. It made us feel that we are supported by a national movement, but that we are also accountable to it”.

“I met with lots of members from other organizations that I haven’t seen in many years. It was a nice experience, coming together, fighting back, and strategizing our next steps”, said Ms. Sandra.

Beyond simply reconnecting with long lost friends and allies, we attended the Right to the City membership Assembly where we elected a new steering committee; the Enough is Enough Assembly which was hosted by the Inter Alliance Dialogue, and several other national movement building spaces.

Black, brown and sunny

While in Detroit, we held a workshop focusing on our efforts to build a united African-American, Latino, and Caribbean organization across cultural and language difference . Participants from San Francisco, Tennessee, Providence, and Cleveland joined us.

“People were interested in knowing how we could be together without speaking the same language. I told them we are like a family, and that despite our differences, we face the same problems and share the same struggle”, explained Reyna.

Coming home, we are excited to see our friends and family, and reground ourselves in the sunshine and sand of South Florida. But our hearts are still in Detroit, where history was made, and from where inspiration blooms.