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Open Letter to President Barack Obama on US Refusal to Participate in Conference on Racism
March 27, 2009
Open Letter to President Barack Obama
Why the United States Should Stop Refusing to Participate in a Global Conference on Racism
Dear President Barack Obama,
We, the undersigned individuals and organizations dedicated to fighting racial injustice and promoting human rights domestically and globally received your recent decision to boycott the Durban Review Conference with profound disappointment. Recognizing that your stated objections to the conference have been addressed, we are confident that your Administration will be reversing its decision in time to participate in the conference and its remaining preparatory meetings scheduled to take place in April.
Refusing to Discuss Racism on a Global Platform is Inconsistent with a Policy of Engagement with the International Community:
As you know, the Durban Review Conference is one of the most important international platforms for discussing the elimination of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerances. Given the brutal history of slavery and Jim Crow in the United States, your Administration has much to contribute to this discussion. A boycott would be inconsistent with your policy of engagement with the international community. A policy of engagement requires discussion with governments and institutions even if one does not agree with them as demonstrated by your statement last week to the people and leaders of the Islamic Republic of Iran that your Administration is committed to seeking "engagement that is honest and grounded in mutual respect." How can your Administration engage in any manner with the international community if it has no representation at the discussion table?
The United States Should be Fighting for the Strongest Protections against Racism:
The Durban Review process has offered a sophisticated and comprehensive framework for advancing racial equality including concrete guidelines for addressing the link between poverty, racism, sexism, and multiple forms of discrimination; advancing migrant rights; addressing youth violence; providing access to quality education, health care, and adequate housing; and advancing transparent governance in the fight for racial equality. We expect your Administration will not only engage in the process but will also work to ensure that the final outcome offers the strongest and most comprehensive framework for eliminating racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerances. This is critical for progress in the domestic and global fight for racial and economic justice.
Specific Objections Raised do not Warrant a Boycott:
We are concerned by the reasons put forth by your Administration for its refusal to engage in the conference. Notwithstanding that changes have been made to accommodate your Administration's specific objections, we do not believe that these objections should warrant a decision to boycott the conference. As we mentioned before, you recently demonstrated your Administration's willingness to engage in dialogue with governments with which you do not always agree such as the Islamic Republic of Iran, and we applaud that decision. Why would your Administration pursue a different policy now that it is time to discuss how to fight and eliminate racism for people in the United States and the rest of the world? How can the United States affirm freedom of expression - even for hate speech - if it refuses even to be present to listen to the views of others?
The United States Must Not Attempt to Ignore our History of Slavery:
We are troubled that your Administration pushed for the withdrawal of language related to reparations, reference to the transatlantic slave trade as a crime against humanity, and the overall weakening of the efforts related to people of African Descent. We recall your own speech on March 18, 2008 that we need to "remind ourselves that so many of the disparities that exist in the African-American community today can be directly traced to inequalities passed on from an earlier generation that suffered under the brutal legacy of slavery and Jim Crow." We also urge you to consider the bill H.R. 40 reintroduced by Representative Conyers in January calling for the establishment of a commission to examine the institution of slavery and current forms of racial discrimination, as well as to make recommendations to the Congress on appropriate remedies. We believe it will help illuminate the importance of discussing these issues both in the United States and globally.
The United States Must Engage the Global Fight for Racial Justice in Good Faith:
It is regrettable that your Administration made its current decision on whether to participate in the Durban Review Conference based on one meeting. One meeting is inadequate for meaningful engagement in the process especially since the process has been ongoing since 2006 not including the time and preparation put into the 2001 World Conference Against Racism (WCAR). The actions of your Administration leave the impression that you are willing to ignore an important opportunity to advance racial equality if it is politically expedient.
The Current Position of Non-Participation is worse than that of the Bush Administration:
A boycott by your Administration would be the first time in recent history that the United States has refused to participate in a United Nations conference. This position is even more radical than that of the Bush Administration's as the former Administration at least attended the preceding conference on race before withdrawing. We hope that your Administration will not squander this important opportunity to push for racial equality on the global stage and will instead send a diverse and high-level delegation including representatives from the non-governmental community.
A United States Refusal to Discuss Racism Encourages Other Countries to do the same:
The current decision by your Administration not only affects the United States, but also provides cover for other countries that are reluctant to engage in a meaningful discussion on advancing racial equality to boycott the discussion as well. A United States boycott would have a long-term damaging effect on the global fight against racism.
In closing, we are reminded again of a speech you made a year ago insisting that race is an issue that this nation cannot afford to ignore right now. We applauded your thought-provoking speech then as it echoed basic American values of equality and fairness and reminded us of the importance of engaging in mature and constructive dialogue on race. We urge you not to ignore this global discussion on race. This is an issue that is extremely important for making genuine progress in the United States and advancing peace worldwide. It is also a priority for many of us who supported your campaign for change. Again, we look forward to your timely and substantive engagement in the Durban Review Conference.
| Organizational Signatures 1. Advocates for Environmental Human Rights 2. Alianza Latinoamericana por los Derechos de los Inmigrantes, ALDI 3. Black Alliance for Just Immigration 4. Black Workers for Justice - Europe (BWJ-e) 5. BLACK Advisors 6. Center for Constitutional Rights 7. Cidadao Global 8. Coalition of African, Arab, Asian, European, and Latino Immigrants of Illinois 9. Coalition to Save Harlem 10. Committees of Correspondence for Democracy and Socialism 11. Croydon African Caribbean Family 12. Equal Justice Society 13. Equality Now 14. Four Freedoms Forum 15. Global Afrikan Congressuk 16. Hawai'i Institute for Human Rights 17. Highlander Research and Education Center 18. International Action Center 19. Justice Now 20. Labor/Community Strategy Center 21. Malcolm X Grassroots Movement 22. Maria Iñamagua Campaign for Justice 23. Matahari: Eye of the Day 24. The Meiklejohn Civil Liberties Institute 25. Minnesota Tenants Union 26. Movement for Immigrant Rights Alliance (MIRA) 27. National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, Chicago Branch 28. National Conference of Black Lawyers 29. National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty 30. National Lawyers Guild 31. National Lawyers Guild - Minnesota Chapter 32. National Network for Immigrant & Refugee Rights 33. National Rail Maritime and Transport Union 0543 Local Finsbury Park Branch 34. Norbertines of the Priory of St. Moses the Black 35. NY Solidarity Coalition with Katrina & Rita Survivors and the Survivors Assembly 36. United Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers of America (UE) 37. Urban Justice Center 38. Willets Point Defense Committee 39. Women's International League for Peace and Freedom 40. Women of Color United |
Individual Signatures (with organizational affiliation for identification purposes only) |
| Individual Signatures (with organizational affiliation for identification purposes only) - Part 2 30. Dowoti Désir, Founder of the DDPA Watch Group 31. Ms. Dra Barryl A. Biekman, President of the African European Women’s Movement “Sophiedela”; Chair of the National Platform Dutch Slavery; Past President of the Pan African Strategic and Policy Group (Panafstrag Europe EU/NL; Board member of Tiye International 32. Edith M. Jackson, Howard University 33. Edward L. Palmer, Chicago, Co-Chair of the People Programme 34. Ellen Raider, Independent Commission on Public Education 35. Emira Woods, Foreign Policy In Focus/Institute for Policy Studies 36. Eric Mann, Author, Dispatches from Durban: The World Conference Against Racism and Post-September 11 Movement Strategies. 37. Erika Simard, Vermont Workers' Center 38. Eva Paterson, President, Equal Justice Society 39. Francisco Ramos, Executive Director, Coalition of African, Arab, Asian, European, and Latino Immigrants of Illinois. (CAAAELII) 40. Gary Orfield, Professor of Education, Law, Political Science and Urban Planning. Co-Director, Civil Rights Project/Proyecto Derechos Civiles, University of California, Los Angeles, UCLA 41. Gerardo Renique, Associate Professor, Department of History, City College of the City University of New York 42. Dr. Gloria A. Caballero-Roca, Hispanic Studies, Earlham College 43. Gwendolyn Anderson, Member, NEA, WEAC and Milwaukee Teachers Association 44. Henrietta Faulconer, Northside Neighbors for Justice 45. Ignatious Muhammad, Member, Nation of Islam 46. Dr. Irma Loemban Tobing-Klein, President MDG Global Watch 47. Iwan Leeuwin, Chairperson, AAD Network in the Netherlands 48. James Haslam, Vermont Workers' Center 49. James Rowan, Northeastern University School of Law 50. Dr. Jason M. Ferreira, Department of Race and Resistance Studies College of Ethnic Studies, San Francisco State University 51. Jeanne Mirer, Secretary General of the International Association of Democratic Lawyers 52. Rev. Jeremy Tobin, Board Member, US Human Rights Network and Executive Board, Movement for Immigrant Rights Alliance (MIRA) 53. Jerrika Rivera, President, Asociacion Latina DBA Latina Association 54. Jewel L. Crawford, MD, National Medical Association; Participant, UN World Conference Against Racism, 2001 55. Joanna Cuevas Ingram, Student Member, National Lawyers Guild - San Francisco 56. Joceline A. Clemencia, Director Cultural Institute Independence, Curaçao, Netherlands Antilles 57. John A. Powell, Exec Director, Kirwan Institute for the Study of Race & Ethnicity 58. Jonathan Kissam, Vermont Workers' Center 59. Jose R. Matus, Alianza Indigena Sin Fronteras 60. Joshua Cooper, Director, Hawaii Institute for Human Rights 61. Kalin Williams, Malcom X Grassroots Movement 62. Katie Seitz, Teaching for Change 63. K-C Nat Turner, Assistant Professor, School of Education, UMass, Amherst 64. Keith Jennings, President, African American Human Rights Foundation 65. Kristine Suozzi, Ph.D., New Mexico Health Equity Working Group Coordinator 66. Dr. Lady Dhyana Ziegler, Professor of Journalism, Florida A&M University, Tallahassee, Florida 67. Laura Roskos, Ph.D., Co-President of U.S. Section, Women's International League for Peace and Freedom 68. Lisa A. Crooms, Howard University School of Law 69. Loretta J. Ross, National Coordinator, SisterSong Women of Color Reproductive Health Collective 70. Lucy Murphy, Convenor, Gray Panthers of Metropolitan Washington |
Individual Signatures (with organizational affiliation for identification purposes only) - Part 3 71. Lynn Roberts, PhD, Assistant Professor & Coordinator, Community Health Education Track, Urban Public Health Program, Hunter College 72. M. Thandabantu Iverson, Ph.D., Indiana University Labor Studies Program, School of Social Work 73. Madeline Labriola, Hudson Valley PaxChristi 74. Marc Pilisuk, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus, The University of California. Professor, Saybrook Graduate School and Research Center 75. Marilyn Fischer, Franciscans International 76. Martin Y. Iguchi, Ph.D., UCLA School of Public Health 77. Dr. Martin C. Okeke, (PhD) Former President of the Organisation NIDOE-France, Vice President PanAFSTRAG-France 78. Matt McGrath, Vermont Workers' Center 79. Mavis G. Biekman, Board Member, African European Women's Movement Sophiedela, The Hague, The Netherlands 80. Monami Maulik, DRUM-Desis Rising Up & Moving 81. Monique Ndigo Washington, The Healing Drum Collective 82. Nancy J. Bothne, Instructor, DePaul University 83. Nancy Munger, Co-President of U.S. Section, Women's International League for Peace and Freedom 84. Nina T. Harawa, MPH, PhD, Department of Research, Charles Drew University 85. Nkem Dike, Northwestern University, IL 86. Nzingha Assata, Founding Member, The Alliance of Afrikan Women in England 87. Peg Franzen, Vermont Workers Center 88. Mr. Philip M. J. Baptiste, III, Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc 89. Queen Quet, Founder, Gullah/Geechee Sea Island Coalition 90. Radhika Balakrishnan, Professor of Economics and International Studies , Marymount Manhattan College 91. Raj Patel, Affiliation. UC Berkeley Center for African Studies 92. Ramona Ortega, Executive Director, Cidadao Global 93. Sam Anderson, Author, The Black Holocaust For Beginners. National Reparations Congress. Black New Yorkers for Educational Excellence 94. Sandra Rivers, Black New Yorkers for Educational Excellence, Independent Progressive Politics Network (IPPN), National Black Education Agenda (NBEA), Coalition to Save Harlem (CSH) 95. Sara Flounders, Co-Director, International Action Center 96. Serfia Macnack, Comité Moederhart 1982, Suriname/Holland 97. Sharon Bator, Doctoral Student Southern University and A&M College 98. Shawna Howell, MPH, ASPH/CDC Health Disparities Fellow, Community Health and Program Services Branch, Division of Adult and Community Health, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 99. Sheila McNiff, Sisters of Holy Child 100.Shelby F. Lewis, Professor Emeritus, Clark Atlanta University 101.Shulamith Koenig, 2003 Recipient of the UN Human Rights Award 102.Dr. Stephanie Athey, Lasell College, Newton, MA 103.Susan Alva, Migration Policy & Resource Center UEPI/Occidental College/Los Angeles, CA 104.Sylvanna Falcon, Assistant Professor, Dept. of Sociology, Connecticut College 105.Taliba Adjoa, Project South: The Institute for the Elimination of Poverty and Genocide 106.Tanisha Douglas, Malcom X Grassroots Movement 107.Thomas B. Hall Jr., Peace and Justice 108.Vernellia R. Randall, Professor of Law, University of Dayton 109.Virginia Ott, Nord-Sud XXI 110.Wendy Lopez, Malcom X Grassroots Movement 111.William Stokes, Afro-Americans C.A.R.E. |
| Individual Signatures (with no organizational affiliation) 112.Akosua Gyeaboa LCSW, MSW, Indianapolis, Indiana 113.Alexis Berkowitz, New York, NY 114.Andrea Silva, Normal Illinois, USA 115.Angela Flynn, Bethesda, MD 116.Celeste Bocchicchio, Atlanta, GA 117.Chandra S. Bhatnagar, New York, NY 118.Cynthia Racer, MA, MPH 119.Dorothy Stephens 120.Gail Lerner, New York, NY 121.Ijeoma Dike-Young, Indianapolis, IN 122.Jeanne Bergman, Ph.D., New York, NY |
Individual Signatures (with no organizational affiliation) 123.Judith L. Killen, Educator, New York City 124.Kawika Liu, MD, PhD, JD, Honolulu, HI 125.Kwasigadyapay. F. R. Kotzebue, The Netherlands 126.Lee Guest, New York, NY 127.Lorraine Halinka Malcoe, PhD, MPH, Albuquerque, NM 128.Ms. Lynda Wolfe Smith 129.Marlene L. Grant 130.Naomi Blake, London, UK 131.Pauline Park, Transgender Activist, New York, NY 132.Terry Day, Anti-Racist Activist, UK 133.Vrede Yvonne, Suriname |
