The Black Radical Congress

Its Origins and Development The inspiration behind the establishment of the Black Radical Congress (BRC), emerged out of the informal discussions that five leading members from the African-American activist and academic community began to have in the mid-1990's. Barbara Ransby, Abdul Alkalimat, Bill Fletcher, Leith Mullings and Manning Marable directed their talks towards organizing the movement of the Black Left. In time, the group decided to gather together other prominent members from the Black Left camp and on March 1, 1997, 35 of them assembled in Chicago to formulate a blueprint for the future. The outcome of that meeting led to the creation of the National Continuations Committee, wherefrom the date and venue for the first BRC was set for June 19, 1998 in Chicago.

In the first assembly of the BRC, the 2000 people that took part in the occasion were charged with organizing the group. Essentially, they sought to develop a broad network of individuals and organizations committed to revitalizing and promoting a progressive set of political, social and cultural goals aimed at improving the civil rights for people of African descent. The implementation of these ideas were to be carried out through consistent dialogue on matters relevant to the Black Left, whether domestic or international, increased levels of cooperation and a vibrant grassroots approach to bringing about progressive change.

Since the first gathering of the BRC, the organization has grown to over 20,000 members, organized into local chapters that mobilize around social injustices perpetrated against Blacks. The National Congress acts as the organizing head of the local chapters, selecting different themes each year to direct the efforts of the organization. Through the sponsorship of public forums and social projects and journal publications, the BRC has been able to engage the public's interest on a wide range of issues related to the Black Left and to instruct their members on the ideas governing their agenda.

The term 'radical' was chosen to be included in the Congress' name as a way to emphasize the organization's ardent desire to dismantle ideas and policies fundamentally adverse and/or obstructive to the progressive movement of the Black Left. Moreover, the term evokes a sense of unity with Black's from the past who were pioneers of the Black civil right's movement. A heritage of radicalism stands as a source of pride for the many Blacks that fought to overcome the injustices that they have suffered.

It should be noted that the BRC is not restricted to only fighting against racism, but also addresses the issues of sexism, homophobia and class antagonisms, to name a few, as they are played out in the context of the overall Black community. The inclusion of such a diverse body of Blacks has allowed the BRC to be recognized by kindred organizations as an avant-garde of sorts against all forms of social injustice.