Notes from the Left Coast

Drummond Pike’s Blog

Tides’ presence was strong at the Bioneers conference last weekend. Tides folk, ably led by Berit Ashla, produced three panels, including “Race, Class, and Power: Structural Analysis and Fairness.”

Over 350 participants filled a conference room to learn from: Gihan Perera (Miami Worker Center),
Manuel Pastor (USC, Economist),
Colette Pichon Battle (Moving Forward Gulf Coast),
and Van Jones (Ella Baker Center).

I thought they were at the top of their game addressing themes central to Tides Foundation’s emerging ECO Initiative, including:

• How environmental degradation in communities of color is a symptom of the way we have structured the economy, distributed resources and excluded communities of color
• Communities of color must be part of the solution, and that means political and economic power building in communities of color
• There are terrific opportunities based on current work, and there is a need to build more and different kinds of capacity; and
• The high costs we will all pay if we don’t recognize the critical importance of this work.

It’s that time again, please circulate amongst folks who may want to apply! As many of you probably already know, it’s a pretty prestigious award and a great way to refresh and rejuvenate many folks of color whose work has helped push forward social change to a higher level. I’ve been fortunate to have worked with and for some of the past recipients of this award program and know how much it helped sustain and renew their fervor in their work.

The Alston/Bannerman Fellowship Program

Long-Time Activists of Color Invited to Apply for Sabbatical Program

Deadline: December 15, 2007

The Alston/Bannerman Fellowship Program is committed to advancing progressive social change by helping to sustain long-time activists of color. The program honors those who have devoted their lives to helping their communities organize for racial, social, economic, and environmental justice, and provides resources for these organizers to take sabbaticals for reflection and renewal.

To qualify for an Alston/Bannerman Fellowship, applicants must:

• be a person of color;
• have more than ten years of community organizing experience; be committed to continuing to work for social change;
• and live in the United States or its territories.

Both full-time and volunteer activists are eligible to apply.

Fellows receive a $25,000 award to take sabbaticals of three months or more.

Fellows are expected to stop their day-to-day work activities for at least three months and devote that time to activities that are substantially different from their normal routine. Fellows have the freedom to use their sabbaticals however they think will best re-energize them for the work ahead. Past fellows have used the time and resources to travel, study, visit with other activists, read, relax, acquire new skills, explore new interests, spend time with their families, restore their health, plan, evaluate, and “just be still.”

Visit the program’s Web site for complete program details:
http://fconline.foundationcenter.org/pnd/10009223/alstonbannerman

Alston/Bannerman Fellowship Progam
1627 Lancaster Street, Baltimore, MD 21231
Phone: 410-327-6220
Fax: 501-421-5862
E-mail: info@Alston/Bannerman.org
Web: www.AlstonBannerman.org

I also want to acknowledge the stellar work of Maritza Schafer and Christopher Herrera on The Right to the City, Tides’ newest Donor Guide.

If you haven’t picked up a copy from Maritza (or viewed the video documentary on the Tides Foundation’s website), you should. The content offers a powerful model for organizing to revitalize our cities, and introduces basic issues of human rights.

It is a model for what Tides can achieve, bringing together donors and activists to maximize our impact and create strategic change.