Joshua Saleem (left) and Jonathan Pulphus of AFSC St. Louis lead a presentation, game and discussion with Game Changers at Ritenour High School. AFSC
“A luta continua: The resistance continues.” This Portuguese phrase was a rallying cry used to gather support for Mozambique’s fight for independence. Reflecting on the accomplishments achieved and challenges confronted in 2019, AFSC St. Louis staff and volunteers are reminded that our battle against injustice is far from over. Goals met such as relationship development, conscious raising, and youth-led anti-racist work make us cheer. Obstacles encountered such as the sluggishness of change, limited resources, and internal struggles keep us humble. As we continue our work of resistance into 2020 and adjust to the pandemic, we will study 2019’s lessons and remember its victories.
In 2019, AFSC St. Louis aimed to utilize every ounce of energy to increase access and opportunity within the context of anti-racist work. AFSC St. Louis is an activist organization that strives to give young people a sense of their power to create change. This team of organizers has the privilege of being paid to do labor that working class and everyday people do for free. Given our disposition, we carefully set milestones we hope to reach and stay alert for issues that impede our work. We have had proud times and disappointing ones, too. In this recap, we share a glimpse into the contours of our imperfect yet worthwhile 2019 journey.
The highlights of AFSC St. Louis’ time was spent on deepening connections, political education, and following the leadership of our youth. Below is a timeline of some of our proudest experiences. To kick off the year, we hosted a Fruitvale Station screening and discussion with a class of brilliant scholars at Northwest Academy of Law.
In February, Ritenour’s Game Changers and Tavonda Palmer invited us out to facilitate a discussion on the History of Policing in Schools (they'd extend the invitation again in October 2019). In March, we organized our Freedom School and invited community and elected representatives to rub elbows with the youth.
In April, we joined Deaconess Foundation for Child Advocacy Day in Jefferson City to network with political leaders. In addition, AFSC participated in Saint Louis University’s annual North St. Louis Symposium where we went to shed light on our mission and work. Later that month, we brought Youth Undoing Institutional Racism (YUIR) members to the Youth Empowerment Symposium at Deaconess.
In May, we sought to further cement relationships between our young people by having them watch Marvel’s Avengers: The End Game. In June, we took steps to prepare ourselves to teach Deaconess Foundation’ and Children's Defense Fund’s Freedom School participants how to play chess.
In July we hired on three YUIR members as interns. Together, we traveled to New Orleans for a nationwide gathering of YUIR chapters. Shortly after we returned in August, the YUIR interns were invited to speak at an anti-gun violence rally hosted by Action St. Louis.
Around this time, our team re-started its mentorship program with Clay Elementary’s 4th and 5th grade youth and began working with students at Roosevelt High School. In September, our YUIR interns prepared speeches and advocated for educational improvements at the monthly St. Louis Public School (SLPS) Elected Board Meetings.
In October, we worked with Northwest Academy of Law on their anti-gun violence campaign by leading discussions with their scholars. And in November and December, we wrapped up our mentorship program at Clay by having discussions with the youth on peace, justice, and what it means to be valued.
While the above offers insight into the joyous life of our programming and organizing, much that is left out is still valuable. There are many meetings with awesome community leaders, dynamic events we attend to stay sharp, and visits with youth that shape our routines. Lifting this up is key because we know that it all contributes to our aims.
Bissau-Guinean revolutionary Amil Cabral reminds us of the importance of honesty and vulnerability in organizing with one powerful phrase: “Tell no lies, Claim no easy victories.” AFSC St. Louis’ 2019 story is a testament that every rose comes with its thorns.
First, on several levels our team confronted the reality that the fight against justice won't be won overnight. For example, we are still fighting for the demands that our YUIR interns spoke their hearts and minds about at the September SLPS Board member meeting. We have elected representatives who we consider accomplices in the work but have been unable to materialize elements that we thought would be simple.
Second, our team wrestles with the same reality that many other organizations do in that we have modest resources in this fight. For instance, we only have two staffers on our team alongside an occasional budget for part-time and short-term support. This makes self-care a constant conversation on a professional level. Fortunately, our team is not alone given the partnerships and young people we build with who are relentless in their passion for justice.
Third, AFSC faced significant challenges in 2019 with both financial constraints and planning for its future. Every organization has to make tough decisions around money, but there’s often lingering tension. Two of the YUIR chapters have left AFSC due to harms experienced, thus weakening the vitality of our YUIR network. Two of our offices in the Midwest Region of AFSC have been cut. Outcomes like these make our fight against injustice tougher.
Despite a complicated 2019, our Team looks forward to continuing our good work amid the challenging new realities of 2020. We know that we stand on the shoulders of those who made something out of nothing. We acknowledge that even in uncertain times our values will guide the way. We feel that with our supporters, youth, and partners, we can accomplish much more. The future continues to depend on the selfless commitment of those who continue and persist, even when the fight is hard.
A luta continua.