Third World Assembly informational meeting

Friday, April 16, 2010
6:00pm - 8:00pm
Cervantez-Velazquez Conference Room, above the Baytree Bookstore

The constant attacks on public education have brought us to the point where we say enough is enough. On March 4th students, teachers and workers statewide took to the streets with the purpose of making a statement-- that we will no longer tolerate the constant blows to public education. The momentum that was built up through Mach 4th cannot die down.

Within the academic year of 2009-2010 we have endured severe attacks to our classes, resources, lecturers-- the quality of our education. These attacks disproportionably disadvantage students who come from underprivileged communities.

The fact that institutions whose purpose is to further advance the success of underprivileged students within the university are being slowly decimated indicates a pressing need for students of color to independently organize against the budget cuts.

Call for a Third World Assembly at UCSC

This is a call to create a space where students of color from all communities come together to specifically organize against the budget cuts. The attack on public education has a more severe impact on communities of color, this reason alone attests the urgent need for students of color to mobilize independently against the budget cuts. The purpose of this space is to bring together the struggles from various communities of color-- to work in solidarity and empower each other.

Students of color have been hesitant to organize within the general movement at UCSC because the hegemony that it displays. This organizing body is tagged by the memory of past events such as occupations that have only further isolated students of color. It’s time that we as a community take ownership of this struggle and advance the movement in a way that it speaks for us as well.

It’s important to mention that this space is exclusively for students of color. This decision was made on the basis that the organizing space that already exists has attempted, and failed, to incorporate the voice of underrepresented communities. Given that we live in a society in which race, gender and privilege plays a major role in determining a persons experience, we must understand and respect the need for students of color to organize independently from white allies.

If you are interested in being a part of this space please come to an informational meeting this Friday at 6pm at the Cervantez-Velazquez conference room above the bookstore. In this meeting we will talk more in depth about some of the points that I vaguely mentioned in the description and ways in which we can make this a permanent space.