Western States Center Blog
Get the latest news, opinions and thoughts from the Center staff and guest bloggers. Subscribe to our blog RSS.
Get the latest news, opinions and thoughts from the Center staff and guest bloggers. Subscribe to our blog RSS.
Space to Breath: Uniting Communities Workshop at USSF
Western States Center's workshop at the US Social Forum provided a space for LGBTQ people of color and allies to come together, to reflect, to share experiences, and to make connections to continue the work of LGBTQ equality in communities of color.
A New Detroit is Happening: US Social Forum
The US Social Forum began Tuesday, June 22nd, with a march that filled the streets of Detroit and signaled a coming together of politics and action.
Are Organizations Raising Money Online?
Millions of dollars have been raised for Haiti via text messages. Are grassroots groups get some of that? Andy Robinson examines the costs, benefits, opportunities, and challenges of embracing online fundraising.
Outlawing Shackling of Women Inmates in Washington
Guest blogger, Sara Ainsworth, writes about outlawing shackling of female inmates and the "new poor"
Don't Mess with Texas (and Arizona)
Content in public schools is a front line for the culture wars. Read on to learn more about Texas and Arizona's recent decisions to change white-wash their curriculum.
May Day - Change is Possible
May Day 2010 was a day of global action and solidarity - in the US and around the world.
A Valentine for Being in the Moment, and the Moment
We did not solve the world’s economic crisis, but we shared our ideas about how to create common ground as the extremist right tries to push the dialogue further and further away from community and into isolation.
Yes we did!
Oregon Progressives Win Campaign to Preserve Public Services By Raising Taxes on Corporations and the Wealthy
Big Banks Rule
Goldman Sachs reported record 2009 profits of $13.4 billion and the U.S. Supreme Court says corporations now have unlimited rights to influence elections. Let’s see – unimaginable profits plus unrestricted ability to spend on elections. I wonder how that’ll turn out?
TRENDZ Youth invited to White House
TRENDZ interns participate in national strategy meeting December 4th to counter the rise of HIV among youth, particularly African American young people. Trendz co-founder and Center board member Kenya Pierce shares an update.
Removing Re-Entry Barriers, One City at a Time
Partnership for Safety and Justice's "Think Outside the Box" campaign had a major victory in the city of Eugene a few weeks ago. Read all about this huge step that removes re-entry barriers while making our communities safer and healthier.
Waiting for the Backlash
In the analysis of what went wrong in the fight over marriage equality in Maine, who will get blamed? Read more about race, LGBTQ equality, and ballot measure fights.
Focusing on Urban Reproductive Health
The health care debate is happening all across the country with a deafening silence in one key area, REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH. Check out this quick report back from the Urban Reproductive Health Initiative regional summit in Denver, CO.
Uniting One County At A Time
We helped make rural Oregon a force for progressive change. An article by Mike Edera and Marcy Westerling in In These Times.
Long Trek to CSTI: Was It Worth It?
Joseph Phelan of Miami Workers Center writes about his long trek to CSTI. From Miami through Houston and finally to Portland, Oregon. Was it worth it?
Making the Organizing Toolbox Accessible
What does it mean to be an organization and a movement where all languages and cultures are included? How does this look in practice? Language access at CSTI 2009.
State Immigration Policy Issues
An article in the Nonprofit Quarterly by Dan Petegorsky and Kalpana Krishnamurthy
Trans Justice & My Body
Oppression is embedded into our bodies, not just our minds or institutions. We live in an age where we’ve become increasingly reliant on blogs like this to drive social change. It’s spaces like CSTI, though, that give us our best opportunity to change the way bias writes itself into our neuro-pathways.
Uniting Communities
CSTI participants practice organizing for LGBTQ equality in communities of color...
Hard for a Trainer, Great For a Movement
CSTI workshops are difficult to prepare for and a bear to lead, since the participants can't be easily lumped together. But what's difficult for me as a trainer is great for building a movement.
