NAARPR Conference unites the fight against Trump’s racist agenda

Chicago, IL – 500 organizers convened at the Chicago Teacher’s Union Hall from Friday, November 14 through Sunday, November 16 for the 52nd anniversary national conference of the National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (NAARPR).

The conference was the fourth of its kind since the refounding of NAARPR in 2019. It showcased the tremendous growth of the organization and its fighting capacity since its original founding in 1973 out of the movement to free Angela Davis. 530 people registered for the conference, representing 31 NAARPR branches and affiliate organizations.

After a spirited rally to kick off the conference on Friday evening, attendees got started at 9:30 a.m. Saturday morning for a panel discussion on the fight for community control of the police in the era of Trump. Panelists representing NAARPR branches in seven cities described the different conditions in their struggle to make police departments accountable to and controlled by working and oppressed people, as well as the importance of being part of a national organization united around a common goal.

Community control of the police is “more important than it has ever been,” said Frank Chapman, NAARPR’s executive director.

The second panel discussion focused on building a united movement against Trump. Panelists emphasized the importance of working with anyone who is ready to unite against Trump’s racist attacks, even through disagreements.

Merawi Gerima, a filmmaker and organizer with the DC Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, has been involved in forming and struggling for unity within the DC Coalition Against Trump in response to the federal occupation of the nation’s capital.

“When debates come up within our coalition, we center with ‘what action can we agree on?’” Gerima said. “The united front is an old weapon, but many organizations are learning to wield it again after many years of repression. Let’s all come together on the basis of action.”

After lunch, the conference broke out into two sets of breakout sessions through the afternoon which included deeper discussion of the fights for legalization for all and immigrants’ rights, an end to the genocide in Palestine, a new task force addressing prison conditions, stopping the attacks on women’s and LGBTQ rights, and the fight to free political prisoners.

With racist and violent ICE attacks set to increase in the new year, the breakout session focused on immigrant rights was well attended and fruitful, according to organizers of the conference.

Carlos Montes, a longtime organizer and leader in the Centro CSO and the Legalization For All Network, described the energy and inspiration that came out of the emergency Southwest Summit to Stop Deportations held in East Los Angeles in April.

At the summit, organizers from LA shared their success with what they call ‘barrio walks,’ where organizers walk through local neighborhoods to spread “know your rights” information and invite into organized struggle the communities facing the brunt of ICE attacks. Since attending the conference in April, immigrant rights groups have been implementing barrio walks to protect their communities too.

In the evening, families of those murdered or wrongly convicted by police violence were given a chance to share their stories in a plenary session titled “Families of the movement.”

Families of survivors or victims of police crimes “are largely ignored by the system,” said Jae Yates, an organizer with the Twin Cities Coalition for Justice. “The families have been instrumental in disrupting that misinformation and coverup.”

Sergio Flores, brother of Jeremy Flores who was killed by Los Angeles Police, described the corruption and cruelty of the Hollenbeck division of Boyle Heights in East LA.

“I don’t understand how they get to go home every single day to their families – I have to visit my brother in the cemetery,” Flores said. “It’s time for them to go down.”

On Sunday, the conference closed with reports from NAARPR Executive Director Frank Chapman, as well as from all the 31 branches and affiliate organizations present at the conference.

Seven new resolutions were debated and passed. They resolve to fight against Trump’s federal occupation, ICE raids, repressive Presidential Memorandum NSPM-7, the expansion of detention centers, charter school takeovers, resolve to fight for the freedom of political prisoners, solidarity with the unified Palestinian resistance, and the partnership of families of victims of police brutality and organizations fighting against police crimes.

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