Women Activists Advise on Unity

About 200 people attended a panel discussion last night at the Institute of Politics (IOP) at which five "women of color" activists discussed their past and present struggles and gave advice for minority activists in and outside Harvard.

The forum, entitled "Coalition Building Across Diverse Communities: A Discourse With Women of Color Activists," was moderated by Dorothy Gilliam, former writer for the Washington Post and director of the Young Journalists Development Project.

Gilliam said her goal in participating in the panel was "to create a sense of urgency among the students, to help them understand what they are able to do to create change."

"To be at Harvard is a privilege," Gilliam said. "You have to take that learning now and do something with it."

The panelists stressed that one of the most important first steps for activists was to create a coalition between different groups in America.

"It's so important that we lift those white, opaque veils of ignorance that have been placed between men and women, between different people of color," said Suzan Shown Harjo, president of the Morning Star Institute, an American Indian advocacy group.

"People think that because we have a common language, English, that we understand what each other is saying," she added, saying that different groups need to be aware and accepting of others' opinions.

Sutapa Basu, who directs the Women's Center at the University of Washington in Seattle, also said that it was important to build trust, and to continuously bring people into one's effort.

"We must also organize the men who are sensitive to our issues," Basu said.

Rene Saucedo discussed how the Northern California Coalition for Immigrant Rights, of which she is exec- TSutive director, organized people of varyinggoals and immigrant status.

"We can build coalitions through finding commonissues," Saucedo said, emphasizing that allimmigrant groups face the same adversities, nomatter what minority groups they represent.

"The cops and INS [Immigration andNaturalization Service] officials don't care whatcolor you are, they don't care whether you haveyour papers," she said.

Pamela Chen, a trial attorney with the U.S.Department of Justice and a founder of the Asianand Pacific-American Bar Association, discussedthe politics involved in coalition building.

"One way to build coalition is to offersomething in return," she said. "The Asiancommunity is becoming better at harnessing itspolitical power."

Harjo, Gilliam, and Saucedo also said themethods of activism used in past eras such as the1960's could still be applied in situations today.

Saru Jayaraman, a second-year student at theKennedy School of Government and one of thepanel's organizers, said one of the goals of theevent was "to hear voices that are not typicallyheard at Harvard."

She said that while most IOP events discussissues of public policy, this was "an attempt totalk about the grass roots efforts that are takingplace across the country."

Jayaraman said organizers originally hadconcerns about the crowd the event would draw.

"We had challenges putting this together,because some of...the people who allow events likethis to take place...didn't think this would drawa large enough crowd," she said.

Marshall L. Ganz '64-'92, an instructor at theKennedy School who attended the panel, praised theorganizers for focusing on these issues.

"They had to mobilize quite a large number ofpeople to put this together," Ganz said. "Studentsshould be doing more agenda-setting here.

"We can build coalitions through finding commonissues," Saucedo said, emphasizing that allimmigrant groups face the same adversities, nomatter what minority groups they represent.

"The cops and INS [Immigration andNaturalization Service] officials don't care whatcolor you are, they don't care whether you haveyour papers," she said.

Pamela Chen, a trial attorney with the U.S.Department of Justice and a founder of the Asianand Pacific-American Bar Association, discussedthe politics involved in coalition building.

"One way to build coalition is to offersomething in return," she said. "The Asiancommunity is becoming better at harnessing itspolitical power."

Harjo, Gilliam, and Saucedo also said themethods of activism used in past eras such as the1960's could still be applied in situations today.

Saru Jayaraman, a second-year student at theKennedy School of Government and one of thepanel's organizers, said one of the goals of theevent was "to hear voices that are not typicallyheard at Harvard."

She said that while most IOP events discussissues of public policy, this was "an attempt totalk about the grass roots efforts that are takingplace across the country."

Jayaraman said organizers originally hadconcerns about the crowd the event would draw.

"We had challenges putting this together,because some of...the people who allow events likethis to take place...didn't think this would drawa large enough crowd," she said.

Marshall L. Ganz '64-'92, an instructor at theKennedy School who attended the panel, praised theorganizers for focusing on these issues.

"They had to mobilize quite a large number ofpeople to put this together," Ganz said. "Studentsshould be doing more agenda-setting here.