What is the key to successfully organizing the Alliance?
All five organizers emphasized the importance of going to the grassroots. Muhammed explained: “Our middle-class African Americans can be progressive and they may unite with Latinos around the struggle against ‘driving while black or brown.’ But the Alliance sees the need to attract more working-class participation. Last year about 300 Guatemalan workers at Tyson’s Chicken went on strike. They didn’t win any major concessions. They didn’t have African American support or statewide support in general.” Alyce Gowdy Wright also emphasized working in the communities. “We had a barbecue. We’re still at the point where blacks sit on one side of the room and Latinos on the other- and me with Armando in the middle! It’s all very new.” Wright recalled when a Latino worker came into her office who had a Confederate flag on his truck; he wanted to be accepted. “We explained what the flag meant and he understood that for many people it was unacceptable. Fortunately, Armando and I were both there no
