Kavitha Rao

Revolution is Based on Land: A Framework and Practices for a Just Restoration

Malcolm X said “Revolution is based on land. Land is the basis of all independence. Land is the basis of freedom, justice, and equality.” What individuals, organizations and communities measure often determines what they pay attention to and says much about what they value. We will introduce Whole Measures as a relational and story-based collaborative process for program planning and assessment. Through story-telling and historical analysis, we will explore the impacts of displacement from land, urban renewal, and environmental injustice, as well as examples of our ancestors working for land sovereignty and how those efforts are being continued today in multiracial alliances. Whole Measures is designed to give organizations and communities a collaborative process for defining and expressing their complex stories and the multiple outcomes that emerge from their work. Center for Whole Communities will partner with Soul Fire Farm in this session to reflect on the successes, unintended consequences and failures in integrating and considering land in our movements for racial justice. We will explore inherent oppressiveness in our normal standards for program planning and ask ourselves how we can develop Whole Measures that involves relational-based, story-based practices to determine what success and unintended consequences look like. We offer Whole Measures as an alternative process and planning tool against what white supremacist business culture has traditionally offered us for business planning and evaluation. In addition to Kavitha and Julian, we will be joined by Flint-based, educator and activist, Delma Thomas-Jackson.

Speakers: Kavitha Rao, Julian Mocine-McQueen