FAQ about ARCN's membership plans.
To establish, develop, and support an online anti-racist multiracial community of members who are involved in learning, activism and organizing to achieve racial justice and to end white supremacy.
Multiple voices and points of view.
There are many ways to resist racism and work to undo white supremacy. Activists and organizers sometimes get caught up in their particular approach and perspective. We welcome the critical exchange of ideas and experiences. But we do not want to see the circular firing squad dynamic that sometimes arises in left wing, progressive, and radical circles. We need every person’s contributions.
Developmental approach
ARCN is growing and evolving. At this early stage of its formation the community needs the support of a founding organization to set up the system, recruit membership, provide initial programming and set policy. (The founding organization is CSWAC; see Policy – Governance below.) In time, as the community grows, we anticipate that the community itself will begin to develop its own policy and means of governance.
Decentering whiteness
This means several things. At the highest level, it means majority control of ARCN does not and will not rest in the hands of white people alone. Second, we will do our best to balance everyone’s interests fairly, but if and when there is a need to balance the interests of white people versus that of BIPOC people in regard to sharing power and resources, we will privilege BIPOC people. This does not mean we will disregard or disrespect any individual person for their presence and contribution.
Calling in, not calling out
Many voices are needed to overcome white supremacy. While we understand loving criticism, we want a community that recognizes the humanity of each of its members. We want to reflect the world we hope to bring about. We can not afford to throw anyone away.
Building multiracial community
Easily said, but difficult to do. We want to cross the big divide of white supremacy between white people and people of color. That may be the most difficult task but not the only one. We do not support monoracist constructions which naturalize the internal cohesion of one community at the expense of another. We will have our differences as individuals and as racialized communities. In ARCN, we are working toward the goal of a multiracial, anti-racist nation and we intend our community to reflect and model what that may look like. We will experiment and learn. We will stay with the process. No group gets left behind.
ARCN is currently a project of the Center for the Study of White American Culture (CSWAC). CSWAC is a multiracial organization. You can see our board, our staff, and our trainers here. Day to day operations of ARCN are managed by the CSWAC Operations Team, which consists of CSWAC’s board president, executive director, associate director, and director of training (a black woman, white man, biracial woman, and white woman, respectively). Periodically, the CSWAC board of directors reviews the current status and operation of ARCN.
Where does the money go?
Membership fees are used by CSWAC to pay for the Mighty Networks platform on which we run, and for time spent by CSWAC staff-provided services and support of the operation of the community.