Here's a couple of interviews with Hush House Leadership talking about the process.
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Organizing Process
HUSH YOUR MOUTH PRESS April 15, 2010-
The United States Social Forum will take place June 22 thru June 26, 2010 bringing activist, social workers, journalist, community organizers and others who involve themselves in grassroots activism, from across the country, to downtown Detroit. Organizers suggest there will be over 20,000 people coming to Detroit for this meeting. The last US social forum, held in Atlanta in 2007, had an estimated 30,000 people engaging in protest, workshops, concerts, rallies, and symposiums.
The Hush House is a black world museum and leadership training institute for human rights that offers leadership training, programs for homeless and low income families, space for community meetings and operates a community black world history museum in the city of Detroit.
Hush House develops new grassroots leadership and works on a day to day basis to give young people a sense of history and a sense of hope. Hush House is at the epicenter of the organizing process for bringing the US Social Forum to Detroit. The projects that Hush House are currently working are the Tent City project, organizing work brigades for the social forum, and hosting a panel workshop during the social forum on Saturday June 26, 2010.
Tent city involves over three hundred bikers coming to the Northwest Goldberg community, more famously known throughout the neighborhood as Zone 8, to live and work during the social forum. There have been many difficulties in organizing this process. Most of the issues revolve around logistics, space, and security.
The work brigades are opportunities for those who attend the social forum to work hands on with people in the local community to solve specific, immediate crisis in the community where the work is taking place.
The panel workshop will provide an opportunity for those attending to learn about what the Hush House organization does, how it operates, who it serves, and how people can get involved and remain connected.
Hush House Leaders Marcus Cummings, Roshaun L. Harris, Jerry Whitfield, Marcia Lee, and Keisha Brook are integral in the organizing process at Hush because of the absence of owners and facilitators Dr.’s Charles and Sandra Simmons. The Simmons’ are Eastern Michigan University and Wayne State University Faculty who are on sabbatical in Accra, Ghana. The Simmons’ communicate through skype and other means of digital media.
Marcia Lee, is working with the Boggs Center, the US Social Forum committee, and also leading at The Hush House as the head organizer for this project. Marcus Cummings, a Detroit Police Officer, and also a Hush leader is handling all security and zoning issues. Logistical details of the pieces organized by Keisha Brooks and Roshaun L. Harris are put together in tandem because the other Hush organizers trust and think highly of their leadership in the areas that they are skilled. Harris and Jerry Whitfield manage the media aspect of the organizing process. Whitfield is handling the entertainment area, with performances from song writers, poets, and also musicians looking forward to broadcast their talent on stage.
In one of the skype conferences Dr. Sandra Simmons stated “This news about the lack of security at Hush is extremely Troubling. Please post a sign in and sign out sheet. Folks who can not take this responsibility need to turn in their keys. If we have another such incidence, then we will need to rethink access by changing the locks and re-issuing keys to a small group of people and all others will have to arrange access.” This alludes to the many challenges faced by the organizing committee because of the Simmons’ absence.
While everyone is working together for the Tent City project, there is also networking, contacting, and more foot work throughout the city that must be covered. One of the Hush organizers duties was to contact Joe Williams, a local business owner, and property manager who wanted to help for shelter, and vacant rooms for bikers during the USSF event. This looked to be a difficult task. Organizers called Williams, leaving messages and driving to one of his locations, yet organizers couldn’t get any contact with Mr. Williams.
Finally after 2 weeks of voice mails, and persistent emails, and then hearing from Joe Williams, the Hush Organizers found out that they’re only rooms that were treated as executive sweets at his location which doesn’t help for the Tent City project. During the weekly Hush meetings, all of the leaders bring forward the work they have followed up on since their last conference, but goals aren’t always met because of certain situations. One instance where conversation leads to an argument, Keshia and Marcia are going back and forth about who is not doing what which just adds more chaos and confusion.
“We don’t need that kind of enrgy,” said Lee, describing some of the verbal altercations that went on amongst some of the leadership.
Organizers found that many of the resources and supplies they were working with at Hush House overlapped with that of the USSF, and found that it made more sense for them to collaborate and for the Logistics Committee to take the lead on this part of the project.
With this transfer of leadership, the location of the tent city will also be changing. The new location for the tent city is on Temple and Woodward at the Veterans Memorial Park.
The tent city will be focused mainly on housing for youth and bicyclists. This new location is actually closer to the USSF (about 1.5 miles). We will no longer be offering food as a part of the package, but there are various food provisions that are available through the USSF.
One of the main reasons that organizers needed to make this transition is because of city permits for land use. Organizers at Hush have spent the last few months working with the city of Detroit to try to use the city land around the Hush House for the tents. In conclusion, organizers found that using land that is owned by people rather than the city allowed for a much smoother logistical process to occur.
The Hush House, The Hub, The Peace and Harmony Center, and King Solomon Baptist Church will still be hosting work projects and activities in the Northwest Goldberg area. The location for the bike rental will continue to be located at King Solomon Baptist Church and Hush House will still be hosting activities and work project.
The United States Social Forum will take place June 22 thru June 26, 2010 bringing activist, social workers, journalist, community organizers and others who involve themselves in grassroots activism, from across the country, to downtown Detroit. Organizers suggest there will be over 20,000 people coming to Detroit for this meeting. The last US social forum, held in Atlanta in 2007, had an estimated 30,000 people engaging in protest, workshops, concerts, rallies, and symposiums.
The Hush House is a black world museum and leadership training institute for human rights that offers leadership training, programs for homeless and low income families, space for community meetings and operates a community black world history museum in the city of Detroit.
Hush House develops new grassroots leadership and works on a day to day basis to give young people a sense of history and a sense of hope. Hush House is at the epicenter of the organizing process for bringing the US Social Forum to Detroit. The projects that Hush House are currently working are the Tent City project, organizing work brigades for the social forum, and hosting a panel workshop during the social forum on Saturday June 26, 2010.
Tent city involves over three hundred bikers coming to the Northwest Goldberg community, more famously known throughout the neighborhood as Zone 8, to live and work during the social forum. There have been many difficulties in organizing this process. Most of the issues revolve around logistics, space, and security.
The work brigades are opportunities for those who attend the social forum to work hands on with people in the local community to solve specific, immediate crisis in the community where the work is taking place.
The panel workshop will provide an opportunity for those attending to learn about what the Hush House organization does, how it operates, who it serves, and how people can get involved and remain connected.
Hush House Leaders Marcus Cummings, Roshaun L. Harris, Jerry Whitfield, Marcia Lee, and Keisha Brook are integral in the organizing process at Hush because of the absence of owners and facilitators Dr.’s Charles and Sandra Simmons. The Simmons’ are Eastern Michigan University and Wayne State University Faculty who are on sabbatical in Accra, Ghana. The Simmons’ communicate through skype and other means of digital media.
Marcia Lee, is working with the Boggs Center, the US Social Forum committee, and also leading at The Hush House as the head organizer for this project. Marcus Cummings, a Detroit Police Officer, and also a Hush leader is handling all security and zoning issues. Logistical details of the pieces organized by Keisha Brooks and Roshaun L. Harris are put together in tandem because the other Hush organizers trust and think highly of their leadership in the areas that they are skilled. Harris and Jerry Whitfield manage the media aspect of the organizing process. Whitfield is handling the entertainment area, with performances from song writers, poets, and also musicians looking forward to broadcast their talent on stage.
In one of the skype conferences Dr. Sandra Simmons stated “This news about the lack of security at Hush is extremely Troubling. Please post a sign in and sign out sheet. Folks who can not take this responsibility need to turn in their keys. If we have another such incidence, then we will need to rethink access by changing the locks and re-issuing keys to a small group of people and all others will have to arrange access.” This alludes to the many challenges faced by the organizing committee because of the Simmons’ absence.
While everyone is working together for the Tent City project, there is also networking, contacting, and more foot work throughout the city that must be covered. One of the Hush organizers duties was to contact Joe Williams, a local business owner, and property manager who wanted to help for shelter, and vacant rooms for bikers during the USSF event. This looked to be a difficult task. Organizers called Williams, leaving messages and driving to one of his locations, yet organizers couldn’t get any contact with Mr. Williams.
Finally after 2 weeks of voice mails, and persistent emails, and then hearing from Joe Williams, the Hush Organizers found out that they’re only rooms that were treated as executive sweets at his location which doesn’t help for the Tent City project. During the weekly Hush meetings, all of the leaders bring forward the work they have followed up on since their last conference, but goals aren’t always met because of certain situations. One instance where conversation leads to an argument, Keshia and Marcia are going back and forth about who is not doing what which just adds more chaos and confusion.
“We don’t need that kind of enrgy,” said Lee, describing some of the verbal altercations that went on amongst some of the leadership.
Organizers found that many of the resources and supplies they were working with at Hush House overlapped with that of the USSF, and found that it made more sense for them to collaborate and for the Logistics Committee to take the lead on this part of the project.
With this transfer of leadership, the location of the tent city will also be changing. The new location for the tent city is on Temple and Woodward at the Veterans Memorial Park.
The tent city will be focused mainly on housing for youth and bicyclists. This new location is actually closer to the USSF (about 1.5 miles). We will no longer be offering food as a part of the package, but there are various food provisions that are available through the USSF.
One of the main reasons that organizers needed to make this transition is because of city permits for land use. Organizers at Hush have spent the last few months working with the city of Detroit to try to use the city land around the Hush House for the tents. In conclusion, organizers found that using land that is owned by people rather than the city allowed for a much smoother logistical process to occur.
The Hush House, The Hub, The Peace and Harmony Center, and King Solomon Baptist Church will still be hosting work projects and activities in the Northwest Goldberg area. The location for the bike rental will continue to be located at King Solomon Baptist Church and Hush House will still be hosting activities and work project.
Friday, April 2, 2010
Hello young world!
Why are we here? We are here to be a voice for the voiceless by virtue of shedding light on their issues. The United States Social Forum is coming to Detroit June 22-26, 2010. The social forum will bring to light the issues of working class people, poor people, and all of those who find themselves on the periphery of society.
The Hush House is a community organization that will help facilitate much of the organizing, work brigades, and even host its own workshop during the forum at Cobo Hall Saturday June 26, 2010. Hush Your Mouth is the media arm of the Hush House and will serve as the connection between the Detroit activist community and the national and global network of activist. This blog will do many things to facilitate community but more importantly provide information on how people can get involved with the Hush House and the USSF.
The Hush House is a community organization that will help facilitate much of the organizing, work brigades, and even host its own workshop during the forum at Cobo Hall Saturday June 26, 2010. Hush Your Mouth is the media arm of the Hush House and will serve as the connection between the Detroit activist community and the national and global network of activist. This blog will do many things to facilitate community but more importantly provide information on how people can get involved with the Hush House and the USSF.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)