Saturday, March 8, 2008

el participante, volume 1 issue 3

Report Back: "Race and the Democratic Party"

On March 4, Lucha joined cultural groups like SOL, Chicano Caucus and AAA in a discussion with the College Democrats entitled “Race and the Democratic Party.” The questions posed by the moderator, Lucha member Malena Arnaud, focused on policies and procedures that disenfranchise groups, and on whether or not the Democratic Party is politically viable for people of color. However, the conversation really became a discussion about the Democrats’ effectiveness and accountability in carrying out policies that their campaigns are built upon. The College Democrats seemed to share some of the same frustrations that activist and cultural groups on campus have towards the apparent laxity of the party.

Disagreement arose when tactics on how to achieve progress despite the political stagnation were proposed. While the College Democrats stressed the importance of working within the system, activist groups like Lucha have a more grassroots approach. Despite the disagreement, the dialogue broke ground, creating new awareness of the necessity for campus groups to understand where ideologies and tactics diverge. Although the discussion did not completely focus on the intended theme, the conversation was fruitful in that all groups understood that now, more than ever, we need to be united and dedicated in order to move forward.

No comments: