There is no American meritocracy

Anti-oppression training, Day One:

Meritocracy (according to the American Heritage Dictionary): 1. A system in which advancement is based on individual ability or achievement. 2. a. A group of leaders or officeholders selected on the basis of individual ability of achievement. b. Leadership by such a group

The concept of meritocracy is appealing, and is, in my opinion, something for which we should strive: a system in which one's success is based on one's own actions. To insist, however, that a meritocracy exists in this country is not only deluded, but harmful. If we refuse to recognize the impact of race, gender, class, etc. on success and failure, we are ignoring the realities of individual situations in favor of some ideal that we would prefer.

Now for your activism of the day:

Homelessness is a problem in Madison and around the world. And it is a problem compounded by the effects of racism. In order to create a more just society, we need to work to eliminate disparities between white people and people of color, including disparities in wealth.

Want to learn more about homelessness here in our community? Get the facts, straight from people who work with the homeless and from the homeless themselves. The Dane County Coalition to Fight Homelessness and End Poverty will be hosting a Community Forum on Homelessness on Thursday, June 5th at First United Methodist Church (203 Wisconsin Ave.). The event will be from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. and light snacks will be provided. If you'd like to learn more about the extent of homelessness in our community, the challenges faced by families who are homeless and discuss what is and can be done to decrease homelessness, please try to attend. We'd appreciate it if you could register so we know how many materials to print and food to bring, please call Madison-area Urban Ministry, 256-0906 to register, or email Linda@emum.org. The event is free and open to the public. A more detailed agenda is as follows:

Presentations:
History of Homelessness in Dane County - Ralph Middlecamp, St. Vincent de Paul
Affordable Housing and Single Men - Steve Schooler, Porchlight Inc.
Homeless Families - Rachel Krinsky, Interfaith Hospitality Network
Plan to End Homelessness (written by the Homeless Services Consortium, a group of about 40 groups that work with the homeless) - Gayle Ihlenfeld, YWCA
Proposal for Services to Address Brittingham Park Issues - Operation Welcome Home

Panel Discussion:
Lynn Green, Dane County Human Services
Joel Plant, Mayor's Office
Captain Mary Schauf, Madison Police Department
Pat Mooney, formerly of Madison School District
Nichelle Nichols, Community Action Coalition
Dean Loumos, Housing Initiatives
Joe Lindstrom, Homeless Services Consortium Legislative Committee

In addition to groups listed above, the event is also sponsored by: Tenant Advocacy Group, Affordable Housing Action Alliance, Tenant Resource Center, Communities United

Information on this event stolen almost entirely from Brenda Konkel:
This side of town . . .: Community Forum on Homelessness