The Anarchist People of Color Conference scheduled for October 7-9, 2005 in Houston, Texas has been postponed due to a myriad of urgent circumstances and the need for local organizers to turn their attention to community efforts in this demanding time in our region. In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, the addition of over 100, 000 new and temporary residents from the Gulf coast, Houston is short on help from the radical community.

We need to focus priorities on helping grassroots efforts for hurricane survivors who have been intentionally left behind and set-up by an arrogant capitalist state. It is easy to say that we should continue with the conference as scheduled, but our reality is the reality of most radical communities in this country. We are in the process of building strength as the world around us falls apart.

Houston is the epicenter of many struggles right now and it needs its own community members to figure out what is needed here before we move forward with a national conference within a month. There are many community efforts going on in Houston and not enough being done by the larger radical community in terms of support. We need educators, food, supplies and especially money for community organizations that are supporting Katrina evacuees. A clearinghouse is in the works of community centers, churches and shelters that are housing people.

Additionally, Houston is preparing itself for the coming of the racist border vigilante group, the Minutemen. Various community organizers have been readying themselves for direct actions, community patrols, and poster campaigns. Not to mention the impending state lynching of Frances Newton this Wednesday September 14th. While our hearts are heavy and the mind overburdened-we must ready the fight. Houston’s gonna pop. With all of this going on in our community, we realize that having additional people is not conducive to the needs that we have of building our foundations and preparing ourselves adequately for what’s to come. We need some extra time, we need to prioritize and focus. With the date postponed, this conference can only be bigger and stronger than our last.

Concessions for the APOC 2005 conference have been put into place. Space is confirmed, we have the fundraising in motion, we have the schedules, we have the vision and ultimately we have the will and the strength to put it together. We are simply asking for solidarity and support in our decision to move it back to March. As we move forward, we ask for more input and debate, for more voices to be involved in the planning of the event. We have a great need for discussions to happen at our event. What is our direction? We have a need to figure out how to build solid networks, foundations and goals; engage in a critical analysis, create strategies and define common visions, goals. In the coming weeks, we will be setting up a conference specific website with discussion forums, room for debate, and more information about what is going on in the Belly of the Beast.

New and established community organizations are creating mechanisms for support where people can plug in. Right now, give your support in various ways. If you had in your plans to come to Houston already, come. There will be ways to plug in and be a resource. Let us talk about the format of the conference and how we can use the coming months to have a solid foundation.

There is also work at home, now. Build parallel institutions that foster self-determination, self-definition, unity, courage and hope. People in our communities know what is going on, now more than ever. How do we serve their needs and unite them across cultural and economic lines to take this system down by creating the alternative? Get together with other people of color in your cities, communities and regions. Build for March. If you can come help before, let us know and we will set you up. We look forward to seeing you in March!

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