Black Alliance for Just Immigration

This is an organizing workshop to bring together African American and black immigrant-led organizations to discuss the consolidation of the Black Immigration Network (BIN). This is a follow up from the inaugural meeting of BIN in April 2009. As a network, BIN has three goals: 1. To address critical issues around the relations between African Americans born in the U.S. and immigrants of African descent by promoting dialogue, relationship building and alliance building between and among black communities; 2. To share strategies, opinions and information to address race, immigration and globalization issues and other key social and political issues facing African descendant communities; 3. To share resources and engage in collaborative efforts to foster racial and economic justice for people of African descent and other people of color. The goals of the workshop are: 1) to orient new participants to the history and work of the Black Immigration Network; 2) to enlist the participation of workshop attendees in shaping the agenda and work of BIN.

Panelists will discuss the work of their organizations in building cross-racial alliances. The focus will be on distilling the groups’ alliance-building methodologies, factors for success, educational and training activities organized and curricula used, lessons learned, and future plans. The panelists are: 1) Gerald Lenoir, Director, Black Alliance for Just Immigration, Oakland, CA; 2) Mónica Hernández, Highlander Research and Education Center, New Market, TN; 3) Bill Chandler, Executive Director, Mississippi Immigrant Right Alliance, Jackson, MS; and 4) Representative, Koreatown Immigrant Workers' Alliance, Los Angeles, CA

This is an organizing workshop to bring together African American and black immigrant-led organizations to discuss the consolidation of the Black Immigration Network (BIN). This is a follow up from the inaugural meeting of BIN in April 2009. As a network, BIN has three goals: 1. To address critical issues around the relations between African Americans born in the U.S. and immigrants of African descent by promoting dialogue, relationship building and alliance building between and among black communities; 2. To share strategies, opinions and information to address race, immigration and globalization issues and other key social and political issues facing African descendant communities; 3. To share resources and engage in collaborative efforts to foster racial and economic justice for people of African descent and other people of color. The goals of the workshop are: 1) to orient new participants to the history and work of the Black Immigration Network; 2) to enlist the participation of workshop attendees in shaping the agenda and work of BIN.

Panelists will discuss the work of their organizations in building cross-racial alliances. The focus will be on distilling the groups’ alliance-building methodologies, factors for success, educational and training activities organized and curricula used, lessons learned, and future plans. The panelists are: 1) Gerald Lenoir, Director, Black Alliance for Just Immigration, Oakland, CA; 2) Mónica Hernández, Highlander Research and Education Center, New Market, TN; 3) Bill Chandler, Executive Director, Mississippi Immigrant Right Alliance, Jackson, MS; and 4) Representative, Koreatown Immigrant Workers' Alliance, Los Angeles, CA