WACAN 2008 Spring Appeal

(The next regularly scheduled WACANupdate is Wednesday, May 28.)

May 21, 2008

Dear reader,

A few weeks ago I ran across several members of WACAN at the White Privilege Conference. Maybe you were there, too. Many of the members I met said good things about the WACANupdate. Well, okay, they named it my "newsletter," "that thing you send out," and "those emails," but I knew what they meant. "Keep sending it," everyone said. The feedback was wonderful.

The WACANupdate is a popular and growing project, bringing you news, feature stories and opinion every two weeks from October into June. We're approaching the end of our third season, and the WACANupdate continues to develop. This spring we have been joined by Elizabeth Gordon, who has researched and written original articles for each new issue. (By the way, I'll tell you some news about Elizabeth and her recent book, Walk with Us, in next Wednesday's issue of WACANupdate.)

Interest is growing in media with a white anti-racist perspective. I'm not too surprised, but still, it affirms there is a coming together of many people and groups across the U.S., Canada, and the world. There is movement afoot among white people to work for racial justice, and there is understanding that building community among ourselves is an important step in that process.

Building community does not mean we all have to be "on the same page." But it does mean we need to accept one another as being in the same book. Words like "movement" and "community" speak to large processes in which no single person or organization has control. Community and movement-building speak of things like shared values, collaboration, common interests, and a broader and shared perception of purpose.

Every community needs its own media. The WACANupdate steps into that need. We articulate our view of a white anti-racist perspective by selecting articles and items of interest, along with authoring an occasional editorial. We give you a platform to reach over a thousand like-minded readers with letters, requests for action, and listings of events. We're planning more opportunities, including reader-submitted advertising at nominal cost, or free.

In fact, we're even thinking of making the WACANupdate available to everyone. Our present readership consists now entirely of members who have affirmed WACAN's four principles of unity. Next season we expect to deliver the WACANupdate to anyone who requests it. However, membership will continue to have benefits. The online discussion forums of WACAN at www.wacan.org will still be limited to members, as may be some WACANupdate resources such as announcements, ads, etc.

By the way, WACAN does more than publish the WACANupdate and operate www.wacan.org. We also encourage dialogue and relationship-building in the white anti-racist community through sponsoring events such as the recent White Anti-racist Summit. Through our media and our event organizing, we provide support to a broad community of people, some of whom are joined together in other groups, and some who may be only one of a few people in their locality who share our views.

Our parent organization is the Center for the Study of White American Culture, a non-profit corporation that was started in 1995. For more than a dozen years, the Center has been a thorn in the side of whiteness. WACAN, the White Anti-racist Community Action Network, itself is 5 years old. You're part of that history, even if you just joined this week. And we're only getting started. You're part of our future.

We may be part of a "corporation" but we're not "corporate" by any means. We're free to say what we want, and we're accountable only to the people who support us. When you join WACAN and register as a member, that's support. It's like a vote of confidence and we need that to carry and sustain us. Thank you for being here.

And like public radio, we need financial support.

Please give WACAN $35 to support our work. If you have need to give less, consider a gift of $5 to $10. If you can afford more, consider a gift of $100. We accept contributions at any time but our fundraising appeal will last for a limited time. Please respond by June 11, 2008.

Sincerely,

Jeff Hitchcock

WACAN.org

p.s. If you know someone who might be interested in supporting WACAN, please send them a copy of this letter.

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