Critical Resistance
Encyclopedia
Critical Resistance is a national, member-based grassroots
organization that works to build a mass movement to dismantle the prison-industrial complex
. Critical Resistance has four offices (Los Angeles
, Oakland, New Orleans, and New York City
), and nine chapters across the United States
.
Critical Resistance popularized the idea of the prison industrial complex after their first conference in 1998, which drew thousands of former prisoners, family members, activists, academics and community members, and by many accounts re-invigorated anti-prison activism in the United States.
, Rose Braz, Ruth Wilson Gilmore, and others. The organization is primarily volunteer member-based, with eleven members staffing across the Chicago, Los Angeles, Oakland, New Orleans, and New York chapters.
There are chapters throughout the country, including Gainesville
, Chicago
, Baltimore
, Los Angeles, Oakland, New York, Tampa
, Washington DC, and New Orleans.
Each chapter determines its own work independently. Projects included:
Grassroots
A grassroots movement is one driven by the politics of a community. The term implies that the creation of the movement and the group supporting it are natural and spontaneous, highlighting the differences between this and a movement that is orchestrated by traditional power structures...
organization that works to build a mass movement to dismantle the prison-industrial complex
Prison-industrial complex
"Prison–industrial complex" is a term used to attribute the rapid expansion of the US inmate population to the political influence of private prison companies and businesses that supply goods and services to government prison agencies. The term is analogous to the military–industrial complex that...
. Critical Resistance has four offices (Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, Oakland, New Orleans, and New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
), and nine chapters across the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Critical Resistance popularized the idea of the prison industrial complex after their first conference in 1998, which drew thousands of former prisoners, family members, activists, academics and community members, and by many accounts re-invigorated anti-prison activism in the United States.
Organization
Critical Resistance was founded by Angela DavisAngela Davis
Angela Davis is an American political activist, scholar, and author. Davis was most politically active during the late 1960s through the 1970s and was associated with the Communist Party USA, the Civil Rights Movement and the Black Panther Party...
, Rose Braz, Ruth Wilson Gilmore, and others. The organization is primarily volunteer member-based, with eleven members staffing across the Chicago, Los Angeles, Oakland, New Orleans, and New York chapters.
There are chapters throughout the country, including Gainesville
Gainesville
Gainesville is the name of several places in the United States of America:*Gainesville, Alabama*Gainesville, Florida, largest municipality with this name*Gainesville, Georgia*Gainesville, Missouri*Gainesville , New York...
, Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, Baltimore
Baltimore
Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...
, Los Angeles, Oakland, New York, Tampa
Tâmpa
Tâmpa may refer to several villages in Romania:* Tâmpa, a village in Băcia Commune, Hunedoara County* Tâmpa, a village in Miercurea Nirajului, Mureş County* Tâmpa, a mountain in Braşov city...
, Washington DC, and New Orleans.
Each chapter determines its own work independently. Projects included:
- copwatchCopwatchCopwatch is a network of activist organizations in the United States and Canada that observe and document police activity while looking for signs of police misconduct and police brutality...
ing - coalition-building and participation in the Community in Unity Coalition to stop construction of a 2,000 bed jail in the South Bronx.
- facilitating education within prisons and the creation of political media by, for and with prisoners and former prisoners
- contributing to stopping California's prison building boom
- political education and leadership development
- building a mass movement for genuine safety that doesn't rely on caging and control to address social, economic and political problems
Mission
Critical Resistance's mission statement is:- "Critical Resistance seeks to build an international movement to end the Prison Industrial Complex by challenging the belief that caging and controlling people makes us safe. We believe that basic necessities such as food, shelter, and freedom are what really make our communities secure. As such, our work is part of global struggles against inequality and powerlessness. The success of the movement requires that it reflect communities most affected by the PIC. Because we seek to abolish the PIC, we cannot support any work that extends its life or scope."http://www.criticalresistance.org/article.php?id=36
Achievements
- 1998 - "Critical Resistance to the Prison Industrial Complex" conference in Berkeley, California.
- 2001 - Conference in New York City.
- 2003 - Southern Regional Conference in TremeTremeTremé is a neighborhood of the city of New Orleans. A subdistrict of the Mid-City District Area, its boundaries as defined by the City Planning Commission are Esplanade Avenue to the north, North Rampart Street to the east, St. Louis Street to the south and North Broad Street to the west...
, New Orleans. - 2005 - Helped bring about the end of California's prison building boom; featured in Christian Science Monitor, Los Angeles TimesLos Angeles TimesThe Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
, and others. Launched amnesty campaign for people accused of looting post-Katrina. Campaigns across country. - 2008 - In September, Critical Resistance held its 10th Anniversary "conference" in Oakland, CA.
Slogans
- '"One day there were no prisons. That day will come again"'
- '"A wall is just a wall and nothing more at all. It can be broken down"' --Assata ShakurAssata ShakurAssata Olugbala Shakur is an African-American activist and escaped convict who was a member of the Black Panther Party and Black Liberation Army...