The Praxis Project

Whether it's the imagery in the movie Precious, police harassment of queers, incarcerating people of color,"obesity," or our understanding of "abled" and "disabled," there's no denial that racism, sexism, ableism and more are intertwined with socialized conceptions of the body, beauty and basic humanity. Yet, we often ignore how perceptions of the body shape the political context and even become a basis for policy. Our work and personal lives often reflect a similar avoidance of ourselves as physical beings. From long meetings without movement to the ways we treat our bodies as organizers, inattention to the body has become deep seated organizing practice for decades. This interactive session is a deep dive; an exploration of a more intersectional and comprehensive analysis of body politics and how it shapes our political analysis and work at the core. What are the larger forces that shape how body politics play out? How do constructs such as racism, patriarchy, white privilege and colonialism shape how bodies of color are perceived, valued and treated? How might we, as organizers, integrate this kind of analysis into our work? And how do we truly even imagine the project of human liberation without it?

In this interactive workshop, grassroots organizations that are currently or interested in engaging in electoral work, voter education and registration and the U.S. Census count will hear how they can elevate this work as part of a long-term strategy for building power. This workshop will emphasize the importance of redistricting at the state, county, municipal, school district and judicial levels as it relates to the redistribution of power (resources). Together we will examine how the redistricting processes have historically played out in communities of color and undermined the capacity of communities of color to change policies. We will present and discuss alternative solutions to the current undemocratic structure of the redistricting process by raising and examining the question of why there is no such thing as a neutral or objective redistricting plan or redistricting commission and how every redistricting plan must flow from an agenda or core set of values that inform how districts are designed. Participants can learn based on our extensive experience with educating communities about redistricting, that it is possible to learn the tools and skills of how to draw fair districts on behalf of community.

Whether it's the imagery in the movie Precious, police harassment of queers, incarcerating people of color,"obesity," or our understanding of "abled" and "disabled," there's no denial that racism, sexism, ableism and more are intertwined with socialized conceptions of the body, beauty and basic humanity. Yet, we often ignore how perceptions of the body shape the political context and even become a basis for policy. Our work and personal lives often reflect a similar avoidance of ourselves as physical beings. From long meetings without movement to the ways we treat our bodies as organizers, inattention to the body has become deep seated organizing practice for decades. This interactive session is a deep dive; an exploration of a more intersectional and comprehensive analysis of body politics and how it shapes our political analysis and work at the core. What are the larger forces that shape how body politics play out? How do constructs such as racism, patriarchy, white privilege and colonialism shape how bodies of color are perceived, valued and treated? How might we, as organizers, integrate this kind of analysis into our work? And how do we truly even imagine the project of human liberation without it?

In this interactive workshop, grassroots organizations that are currently or interested in engaging in electoral work, voter education and registration and the U.S. Census count will hear how they can elevate this work as part of a long-term strategy for building power. This workshop will emphasize the importance of redistricting at the state, county, municipal, school district and judicial levels as it relates to the redistribution of power (resources). Together we will examine how the redistricting processes have historically played out in communities of color and undermined the capacity of communities of color to change policies. We will present and discuss alternative solutions to the current undemocratic structure of the redistricting process by raising and examining the question of why there is no such thing as a neutral or objective redistricting plan or redistricting commission and how every redistricting plan must flow from an agenda or core set of values that inform how districts are designed. Participants can learn based on our extensive experience with educating communities about redistricting, that it is possible to learn the tools and skills of how to draw fair districts on behalf of community.