Educate, organize and mobilize — Declaring that Americas race problem will require a new reconstruction to solve, The Nation’s Magazine sponsored a forum to discuss The Third Reconstruction. The Nation is 150 years old and was found by abolitionist to aid in the struggle of Black people to receive justice in America. Oswald Garrison Villard, a descendant of abolitionist and a former publisher of The Nation was a founding member of the NAACP. The forum was hosted by the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture and conducted on January 15, 2015. [http://www.thenation.com/article/194553/watch-americas-race-problem-will-require-new-reconstruction-solve#].
The Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture located in Harlem, New York, is a research unit of The New York Public Library system. It is recognized as one of the leading institutions focusing exclusively on African-American, African Diaspora, and African experiences. Moderated by the Schomburg’s Director, Khalil Muhammad, the forum featured Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist and author Isabel Wilkerson, Nation columnist and Columbia law professor Patricia J. Williams, Nation editorial board member and DeWitt Clinton Professor of History at Columbia University Eric Foner, Nation contributing writer and blogger Mychal Denzel Smith and award-winning author and essayist Darryl Pinckney.
This video is mandatory viewing for those that recognize the challenges Black communities face in their effort to achieve social and economic justice in America. During the forum, Rev. Dr. William J. Barber, II was recognized and applauded coining or helping to coin the phrase (The Third Reconstruction). The panelists opined that Dr. Barber’s overview of The Third Reconstruction was their guiding view and definition. [http://thethirdreconstruction.com/voter-suppression/rev-barber-the-third-reconstruction/].
At the end of the forum, the panelists were asked to give their view of what The Third Reconstruction movement would look like. I believe the observation made by Professor Eric Foner was invaluable. His belief was that individuals and organizations should to continue their self-defined efforts to address our movement toward social and economic justice, and to use the theory of The Third Reconstruction as an umbrella/vision concept that unifies our focus.
After viewing the video by Dr. Barber, I’ve reflected on community based ideas and initiatives that I believe would be more viable under the banner of the Third Reconstruction and will report on them after making contacts and having discussions with the proper parties. I hope that our readers will do the same reflection and have the same discussions that I intend to have. I would love to review activities and organizations that decide to pursue their goals and activities under the umbrella/vision of The Third Reconstruction.
Professor Melissa Harris-Perry embraced the concept of The Third Reconstruction as far back as July, 2013. As one of our leading thinkers, she asked the same question about the pursuit of Dr. Martin Luther King’s “beloved community” that was asked of the panelists concerning The Third Reconstruction. What would it look like? Her contention, with which I concur, was that each individual and organization should define the vision for themselves and continue to work to make the vision a reality.
Lastly, I’m continuing to work with a leadership team that is developing a strategy to get community participation in our efforts to prepare for our voting challenges in November, 2016 and our standing challenge to bring about economic justice. I’m pleased to report that our efforts are growing stronger every day. Of course, I will continue with periodic updates going forward.
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Peter Grear, Esq. writes for Greater Diversity News and www.thethirdreconstruction.com with a primary focus on politics and economics. To support our efforts, to marry our politics and economics, please “Like” and follow us at http://www.facebook.com/VoteYourEconomics and our Third Reconstruction Facebook page. Please “Share” our articles and post your ideas and comments on Facebook or at our websites http://www.GreaterDiversity.com and http://www.thethirdreconstruction.com. Please comment below. Finally, please ask all of your Facebook “Friends” to follow our above-referenced recommendations. •