How to Get off the Couch

What would make you get off the couch and take to the streets in the name of justice?  Justice for people like you?  Justice for people who are “different”?  We continue to struggle with these questions, but our guests today got off their respective couches long ago.  Find out what activism is like here in the Prescott area for Ren Manning and Rosemary Dixon, as they fight for healthcare, freedom, and basic respect for all of our neighbors. 

Rosemary Dixon lived all over the world before settling in Prescott 9 years ago. She earned her graduate degree at the University of the Western Cape, in South Africa, and lectured in gender, race, racism and whiteness at the University of Nevada, Reno for eleven years. She is a steering committee member of Prescott Indivisible and the of chair of the recently formed AREA-P (Anti-Racist Education and Action-Prescott). This group operates to educate primarily white people on the hierarchical system we have created, but also acts to spotlight racial injustice and white supremacy in all its forms.
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Ren Manning is a local artist, organizer, and educator who is deeply committed to transformation and justice. They moved to Prescott in 2011 from Silver City, New Mexico. They’ve also lived and organized in Tucson, New York City, Guatemala, Mexico, and Maasailand, Kenya. Experiences within international struggles for freedom have influenced their moral, ethical, political, and spiritual growth.

Ren graduated from Prescott College with a Bachelors of Arts in Social Movement Studies and a Masters of Arts in Social Justice and Human Rights. They have taught courses in US/Mexico border studies, anti-racist organizing, landscapes of neoliberalism, art & agency, and community outreach.

Their organizing work includes establishing a full ride scholarship for undocumented students at Prescott College called Freedom Education Fund, two years as the Social Justice Coordinator at Granite Peak UU Congregation, research on US involvement in global border militarization for Todd Miller’s most recent book, and helping form a local deportation defense network, Keep Prescott Together. Ren co-founded and performs with the local Preskitt Drag Cabaret Troupe. They are currently working for the Judy Stahl for AZ State House campaign in Legislative District 1, Co-Director of BorderLinks, and on the Board of UU Justice Arizona.


I’m amazed that we could even get time with them to record this podcast, they are so busy, but I’m thrilled that we did.  

This is an intense conversation, but we left it feeling inspired, hopeful, and most important, ready to take action to make things better for ALL of our neighbors.  We hope you’ll come along with us for this talk and then we’ll see you at the meeting after. I’ll bring the cookies
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SHOW NOTES:
Do a Science:

• Learn more about the concept of race
• Volunteer for a campaign
• Be curious about what you hear about race and justice organizations

References:

• The Open Letter to the Community
• Find Your Local Indivisible Group 
• Prescott Indivisible 
• Keep Prescott Together
• AREA-P (Anti-Racist Education and Action-Prescott)
  • Email: piar072020@gmail.com
• Volunteer for Judy Stahl’s Campaign
• Volunteer for other AZ Campaigns
• Black Phoenix Organizing Collective
• Black Lives Matter

Resources: 

• Books
  • Pedogogy of the Oppressed - Paulo Fiere
  • Just Mercy - Brian Stevenson’s
• Movies
  • Bisbee 17
  • Hidden Figures
• Video 
  • Message from the Future: The Years of Repair
  • Race: The Power of An Illusion

Quote:

• “When I dare to be powerful, to use my strength in the service of my vision, then it becomes less and less important whether I am afraid.” - Audre Lorde

 Music Credits: 

• Singing Bowls from Mixkit.com