We AFFIRMed our willingess to collaborate and ACTed.

What does LUCHA, GQ, immigrant rights groups, anti-war groups, AIDS centers, legal justice organizations, sororities like Omega Phi Beta, and Fraternities like La Unidad Latina, the Hispanic Scholarship Fund, cultural organizations, Queer Union, and businesses like Beeing all have in common? They all work for a better tomorrow. They all see the interconnectedness of their related struggles. They are all willing to take a chance to start a new movement that can transform our society.

A Call for Activists! “If we always wait for injustice before we act we will forever be limited. For once the injustice subsides the movement is over. The movement can only grow to the extent of remorse and reform of the perpetrators of injustice. Such an approach abdicates our roles as responsible human beings and reduces us to that drop of water that bounces back after a turd has been dropped into the bowl, doomed to serve as a check on the system rather than a creator of it, afterthoughts perpetually contained to responses, but never freed for self-determination. But when we dream... When we dream nothing limits us but our creativity. We can put the nation right without being beaten to do so. We can fight for health care before we're sick, we can fight for a cleaner environment before the world melts, we can fight against police brutality before we're brutalized, we can fight to end poverty before we're poor. Let's become activists because we smell the stench in the world and have the vision and bravery to clean it up. Let's take AFFIRMative ACTion!”

The first annual AFFIRMative ACTion Social Justice Party in the Park kicked off with Jimmy Hendrix’s version of the Star Spangled Banner. In the spirit of the group, Transform America, which pulled together these organizations, the participants of AFFIRMative ACTion, as well as the anthem’s rendition were not intended to be anti-American, but transformative. The event was intended to inspire people to create a different America, a more equitable one, a better one.

Through out the day hundreds of attendees were able to learn about a wide array of issues – some related to the Latino community, some related to the immigrant community, and some related to the Black community, however all related to our shared human community. People graffitied their vision of a better New York and a better America. A social justice agenda was created which highlighted the work that some of these organizations would address this year. LUCHA spoke of its efforts this year to rebuild communities of color, GQ spoke about it’s work to build our youth through mentorship, the Hispanic Scholarship Fund and La Unidad Latina spoke about their work to increase minority enrollment here at NYU and elsewhere, and the New York State Leadership Council spoke about their efforts to pass the DREAM Act and fight for immigrant rights. Beeing, a socially responsible clothing line paraded through with a tantalizing fashion show, and DJs kept people dancing as they ate, networked, and reflected on the opportunity for a better tomorrow. The day concluded with the Harlem Drum Line providing the beat of social justice and inspiring us to march on through out this year with commitment, with purpose, and with the belief of our own power for significant social change.

Transform America, LUCHA, GQ, and many of the other organizations which attended plan to continue this new wave of collaboration. Individually we may make a difference, united, we can transform our society. If you’re not already part of LUCHA, GQ, Transform America or one of its Wings, make sure you sign up. Don’t miss this wave of change.

www.transformamerica.org