In the wake of the crises of 2020, activists and social justice organizers have faced immense challenges. Events that would normally be in-person have had to take place virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the entire world had to abruptly shift to an entirely new way of doing things. Many activist strategies such as canvassing, holding rallies, and hosting meetings had to be put on hold and organizations needed to find new ways to connect with their communities. On top of that, social justice organizers were faced with the challenge of providing for the forgotten communities who faced layoffs, pay cuts, and food shortages. Tensions were rising everywhere as the world shut down.
Then, widespread distress took over the country as we learned about the police killings of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor. In Connecticut, Mubarak “Mubi” Soulemane, a 19-year-old who was suffering from a schizophrenic episode at the time he was killed by the police, became the face of the local fight against racism and police violence. The country erupted in protests and rallies, petitions to hold the police accountable were being circulated across social media, and donations were being pledged in support of Black lives. On social media, influencers and celebrities were challenged to show support in tangible ways, such as through donating their Youtube earnings to supporting Black lives. Ideas about defunding the police and abolishing the prison industrial complex came into mainstream consciousness more than ever before. Activist organizations were receiving large influxes of support, and they were challenged to act upon this momentum.
As the Black Lives Matter movement gained a revived urgency, a group called UConn Collaborative Organizing (UCCO) became a major hub for information and events in the UConn community and beyond. During the summer’s myriad protests, UCCO utilized Facebook and Instagram to serve as an amazing outlet for organizing protests and rallies, spreading news about new developments locally and nationally, and sharing petitions and donation funds. UConn’s Graduate Employee Union even directed their community towards UCCO’s Instagram page for updates during summer 2020’s protests. UCCO now has over 1,400 followers on the platform. The group has sustained their activism throughout this year despite the pandemic with socially distanced rallies, virtual events, online petitions, and email campaigns. Many UConn students see the group as a central resource in our school’s social justice efforts. How did they gain such a large reach? The answer is in their name: Collaborative Organizing.
UConn Collaborative Organizing, a student group founded by scholar-activist Katharine “Kat” Morris was created to be a joint effort among student leaders across campus. The group’s eboard consists of poets, student government officials, and climate strikers, to name a few, and they hail from a variety of ethnic, racial, and geographic, and academic backgrounds. These leaders reflect UConn’s diverse community of thinkers and learners. While many affinity groups exist across campus for all sorts of identities and interests, Collaborative Organizing has become a place where all of the issues and interests in students’ lives come together for change. The diverse backgrounds of UCCO’s members could explain how the group has been able to diversify their strategies in the face of 2020’s challenges.
The hallmark of UCCO’s recent organizing is Black Liberation Night School, a virtual event series that started in June of 2020 and continues to this day. UCCO hosts guest speakers over Zoom to teach UConn students and the general community about Black liberation and radical history including topics like Black Feminism, racial capitalism, and environmental racism. Community members get to be part of the events, not only asking questions about the guest speaker’s presentation, but also posing questions about larger topics that attendees, presenters, and UCCO leaders all have the opportunity to provide insight on. UCCO’s student leaders merely serve as moderators and eager participants of these events. The events feel as if they are community-run, with participants utilizing the chat and discussing topics amongst each other rather than in a one-way question and answer with the speaker. Black Liberation Night School events allow everybody to be part of ongoing conversations surrounding anti-racism, and attendees are even asked to provide suggestions for topics they would like to see covered in future events. Recordings of past events and registration for future events can be found on the group’s Linktree.
Black Liberation Night School originated as a way to respond to the needs of the larger population at the time. When the summer’s protests began, books like Robin DiAngelo’s White Fragility shot to the top of bestseller lists as social media users feverishly circulated reading lists in sometimes misguided attempts to learn about the issues facing our country. UCCO began offering Black Liberation Night School events at a time where many people wanted to know more, but didn’t know where to start. Similar to legendary radical organizations like the Black Panthers and the Young Lords, UCCO has created ongoing interest in activist movements through free and open education.
Furthermore, although many people took to the streets to protest over the summer, not everybody was able to, particularly because many did not feel safe going out due to COVID-19. Being able to get involved virtually makes activist movements more accessible, and accessibility has become even more necessary because of the pandemic. UCCO has served as a directory for people looking to donate to the cause, sign petitions, or be part of email campaigns. They also have been a driving force in movements at UConn, such as the recent movement to restore funds to the CT Commitment, a program meant to provide free college tuition to students from low-income families, which was suspended this past fall. Attending protests and rallies can help bring change, but UCCO has been successful in creating sustained involvement because of its multi-media, accessible, and diverse methods of activism.
UCCO’s biggest success lies in its unique ability to respond to the needs of the surrounding community. Its collaborative approach has allowed it to address multiple issues at a time and to quickly pivot to tackle new challenges. The diverse array of members and leaders in the organization has allowed for innovation in the face of crisis throughout all of 2020, and that innovation has created a movement that will undoubtedly sustain itself in the future.
talking across aCTivisms 