Analilia Mejia, the Co-Director of the Center for Popular Democracy Action, provided a clinic on activism. She made it clear that the BIPOC community must engage and demand more from politicians seeking their votes.
Analilia Mejia discusses activism.
Analilia Mejia, Co-Director of the Center for Popular Democracy Action, outlined the organization’s mission to work on building blocks that allow communities to thrive, focusing on affordable housing, access to healthcare, access to education, and, more importantly, political power and governing powers. Their network consists of 48 organizations in 38 states, including Puerto Rico and DC.
The Center prioritizes building power with the people, rather than just advocating on their behalf or providing services. Mejia emphasizes the need for individuals to be informed and engaged, both on Election Day and beyond, attending City Council meetings, County meetings, and State Legislative meetings to win resources for communities.
Mejia and the host discuss the historical and ongoing challenges to democratic participation for black and brown communities, including systemic disenfranchisement, violence, and an undemocratic Supreme Court. They liken the current moment to periods of backlash after Reconstruction and the Civil Rights Movement.
The conversation turns to the urgency of addressing existential threats like food and water insecurity and climate change, and the need to prioritize people over capital. Mejia challenges capitalism’s unchecked influence and calls for a focus on collective goods and human needs rather than profit.
The discussion ends with a call to action, emphasizing the importance of organizing and educating communities to enact change. Both Mejia and the host stress the need to continue these essential conversations and promote understanding of complex issues, urging the audience to stay engaged and involved.
The summarized conversation reflects a progressive perspective on social and political issues, including the empowerment of marginalized communities, the critique of systemic barriers to participation, and the urgent call for collective action and organizing.