October 14, 2008
Radical Women national conference ignites passionate support for
expanding socialist feminist movement
While one woman raised money in the Bay Area for her multi-million-dollar Vice-Presidential campaign over the first weekend in October, more than 250 anti-capitalist women and men gathered in San Francisco to chart a course for a bigger and bolder feminist movement—independent of the Republican and Democratic parties.
Participants traveled from far and near to attend Radical Women's 41st anniversary conference, The Persistent Power of Socialist Feminism. They came from Australia and Costa Rica and Mexico, from New York, Kentucky, Illinois, Michigan, Arizona, Oregon, California and Washington. The packed auditorium in the city's landmark Women's Building was a tapestry of ethnicities and colors, feminists born in the United States and many other places, such as Somalia, Iran, Puerto Rico, China, South and Central America, and Spain.
Ranging in age from 18 to 87, they all shared a sense of urgent responsibility to reverse the misery enveloping humanity worldwide. Striking was the large number of young students and workers eager to organize on the basis of socialist feminist politics.
Convened in the midst of the imploding U.S. economic crisis, the four-day conference of keynotes and policy resolutions, panels and workshops, sparked intense discussion. The result — concrete action plans to strengthen women's leadership in the social movements, to build united fronts with other committed activists, and to foster solidarity among working people at home and abroad.
"Women & revolution — alive & inseparable." In her opening keynote address, celebrated poet and unionist Nellie Wong put it bluntly: "This weekend, we continue the fight for women's liberation because it's as necessary as breathing. The revolution is ours to make. It is our greatest duty. It is our greatest joy."
Such sentiments permeated the high-energy event. As one young Chicana noted, "Thunderous applauses, tears of pride and cheers of laughter empowered and emboldened those who came to build the revolutionary feminist movement."
In a Friday night keynote speech, New York public defense attorney Lynne Stewart advised the crowd, "The righteous response to oppression is to speak out, fight back and confront. Make the movement too big to lock up!" Stewart was convicted in 2005 on charges of "supporting terrorism" by representing an Egyptian client dubbed a "terrorist." She is appealing the conviction.
Featuring a pro-labor and international agenda. One pivotal resolution was For a U.S. feminist movement independent of the twin parties of war and reaction. The author, Oregonian mom and bi-lingual teacher Laura Mannen, provided concrete advice on how women can organize independently of the two major parties. "On the job where we are already reviving union power," said Mannen. In coalitions where an army of grassroots women organizes in every community and social movement. In the anti-war movement, pressing it to include youth, women, people of color, queers, socialists, anarchists, pacifists, GIs, veterans and unionists in the crucial war against U.S. militarization. The point, she stressed, is to work together, not separately.
A panel of union organizers told of hard-won victories and struggles by janitors, bus drivers and university workers, giving concrete advice on how to organize in the labor movement, and how not to. "When you want to fight for something, brace yourself… For my children, I will do anything," said panelist Raquel Rodriguez, a Justice for Janitors strike leader. Attendees affirmed a commitment to organize in the house of labor, to agitate for democracy within unions and encourage them to be active in the community, in antiwar mobilizations, in defense of immigrants and on women's issues.
International perspectives reverberated throughout the conference. Greetings from workers, feminist and youth groups came from Argentina, Guatemala, El Salvador, Brazil, Costa Rico, Mexico, Australia, and Cuba. At a Saturday panel entitled "Magnificent warriors: Female leadership in the global freedom struggle," Costa Rican labor lawyer Patricia Ramos Con urged on U.S. feminists, "As Latin American revolutionaries, we know that world revolution depends on you. We're in the trenches and you're in the belly of the beast. Your fight is our fight." Other panelists recounted the heroic struggles by the women of Palestine, Southeast Asia, Mexico, China and Australia.
For immigrant, people of color and queer rights. Seattle Radical Women president, Christina López, motivated Estamos en la lucha: Immigrant women light the fires of resistance, the second major policy resolution of the conference. A Chicana-Apache, López exposed the harsh impact of U.S. immigration policies on women and children and heralded the leadership of migrant women fighting for the right to survive around the world. Radical Women members voted unanimously to step up defense of immigrants and to send López on a national speaking tour to address these critical issues.
A panel of Asian American, Black and Chicana/Latina members spoke on "The galvanizing impact of multiracial organizing in a society divided by racism." From its founding in 1967, emphasized Emily Woo Yamasaki, New York City president of Radical Women, the group has fiercely defended its fundamental political position that there can be no revolutionary change without the leadership of women of color. How to teach and practice this made for riveting discussion.
Queer activists at the conference, eager to address issues beyond same-sex marriage, want to combine their issues with the struggle for immigrant rights. The conference pledged to help a guest from Arizona, one who is integrating these struggles in her community. The group also agreed to highlight transgender rights and organize to support the New Jersey Four — Black lesbians being prosecuted for defending themselves.
Moving into action. The conference concluded with National Organizer Anne Slater's report and proposals, Rising to the challenge of socialist feminism in a neoliberal world. Radical Women members affirmed plans outlined by Slater, including the need to maintain a strong national organization and build chapters. The group decided to canvass door-to-door in workingclass neighborhoods to see what issues are of interest to women in local communities, and then organize campaigns around those topics. Furthermore, it was agreed to send resolutions of support and solidarity to political prisoners including the San Francisco 8, Mumia Abu-Jamal, Marilyn Buck, and Leonard Peltier in the United States, Lori Berenson in Peru and Lex Wotton in Australia.
The actions decided by the membership, Slater said, illustrate that, "Armed with dynamic ideas, principled politics, and a rich legacy of practical organizing experience, we are ready to do what is needed."
At the end of the four-day conference, it was clear that socialist feminism is alive and thriving. Linking arms across age, race, gender and sexual orientation lines — attendees went forth fortified with the ideas and practical knowledge needed to build a stronger, independent women's movement. And, as the bright conference T-shirts proudly exclaimed, it would be —UNBOUGHT & UNBOSSED.
For information, contact: radicalwomenus@gmail.com • www.RadicalWomen.org
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