ANTI-RACIST AND SOCIAL JUSTICE ACTIVISTS

Name of Event: NOVEMBER 21 POTLUCK FOR ANTI-RACIST AND SOCIAL JUSTICE ACTIVISTS
Organizer and Location: The Community Church of New York – Community House Gallery
28 E. 35th Street, NYC (between Madison and Park Aves.)
Amount of Hours at the Event: 5:30-9:00
Reflection:
On Friday night, I attended a discussion on anti-racist alliance organized for people advocating for justice. The author, Dr. Jeffrey B. Perry, who wrote a book on Hubert Harrison: The Voice of Harlem Radicalism, 1883-1918, gave us a speech on black liberation movement and the anti-white supremacy. He is now retired, but he was once a union activist who worked in post office, an advocate for equality and justice and anti-white supremacist. He gave a speech on Hubert Harrison, who wanted to find true democracy and equality of all class and race. Harrison arrived in New York in 1900. During that time, he was devastated by white supremacy’s cruel treatment toward Blacks. He heard about a lynching of four unidentifiable African American and decided that there should be a change. In order to create equality, he created a first organization called the New Negro Movement in 1916. This was a movement which focused on equality, justice, liberty, economic class, anti-white supremacy, etc. He stated that those people who were suppressed were poor, working class, Black, Caribbean, and Foreign Born. He also stated that racism is innate and unlearned. He said the European American benefitted from racism. He was the first African American to publish the articles in New York Times.
It was interesting to hear from an author who is an advocate for anti-racist and social justice. He talked to us about his feelings toward anti-white supremacist back in 1960s, because back then there were probably more Whites advocating for the white supremacist. Throughout my years of learning African American leaders, I only knew famous Black leaders such as Martin Luther King Jr., Marcus Garvey, Booker T. Washington, and Dubois. After hearing about Hubert Harrison, it made me to realize that there were other leaders who fought hard for the Blacks’ freedom.
As a future teacher, an anti-racist action is an issue that is still going around in countries and that racism still exists in this world. Therefore, it is a critical issue to teach about how racism impacted our history and affected the lives of people. It’s also important to mention to students about how this is the reality and that this is also a struggle to face for everyone. I would definitely incorporate anti-racism in the core curriculums.
This connects with social justice education. Everyone has the equal right and opportunity, but there are still many people who believe in inequality and injustice. However, there are people who want the change. People are always conscious about racism and to meet people who support for anti-racist was powerful to hear about their opinions on advocating the justice.