Special Meeting of the Strategy and Soul Film and Book Club: A study of Eric Mann’s recent article on Defunding the LA School Police
We just finished our third meeting with the showing of Salt of the Earth, and our young women members were overjoyed to have seen such a pro women’s rights film. For our next meeting in two weeks, we’d like to show Sorry to Bother You.
This Thursday we’ll be putting together a special meeting of the Book Club to read and study the new article on the Defunding the LA School Police written by Eric Mann. It’s a great article of record that speaks about the history of The Strategy Center, as one of the stepping stones that led to such a victory. It’s also polemical and talks about the strategies we used and bringing the fight into the upcoming election. Eric has written a great narrative about the victory to cut the LASPD by $25 million But he has also introduced our use of the idea of “ genocide against the Black Nation” and bringing those ideas into the work, and specific line on Black/Latino unity, and “youth organizing.” In that another building block is to prevent sectarianism in the united front, he and we present these ideas to explain our organizing not to compete with or criticize the work of others. In fact we have great appreciation of each of our allies. We have ideas on how to stay involved in the Defund the LA School Police Campaign and as the article says, ending federal police programs, and bringing the campaign into the presidential election. We’ll also talk about lessons from my City Council campaign in the 10th district where we spoke with thousands of Black people, 2400 voted for me and many more encouraged my candidacy and helped me get on the ballot.
Channing Martinez, co-chair Film and Book Club
