Jackson, MS – May 15-18, 2009 the South X Southwest Experiment convened more than 70 community activists, leaders and public officials from New Mexico, Texas and Mississippi in Jackson, MS to share their community organizing experiences and cultural roots, and to learn how to work for an accurate census count in 2010 and to create fair political districts in 2011.
The convening, co-sponsored by SouthWest Organizing Project of Albuquerque, NM, Southwest Workers Union of San Antonio, TX, and Southern Echo and the MS Delta Catalyst Roundtable of Mississippi, featured sumptuous food throughout the day, and joyful dancing and raucous games in the evenings to complement the three long, hard days focused on community organizing and the rules and tools of census and redistricting.
On the 4th day a smaller group of representatives from each state met to develop a South X Southwest Experiment strategic planning retreat for 36 activists from the three states scheduled for July 24 – July 27 in Albuquerque, NM, and a convening in the Fall 2009 for 50 public officials, community leaders and activists to lay the foundation for building a new model of accountable governance that can be implemented at the municipal, county and state levels in each of the three states.
The South X Southwest Experiment brings Latino and African American younger and older community activists, leaders and public officials together to build bridges of understanding, common ground and social justice work across traditional barriers of race, ethnicity, culture, class and geography.
