A Path Toward Building a Black-Brown Coalition

SRC Video Reveals Nine Keys to Successful Collaboration.

Through our research, informal discussions with individuals intimately involved with the issue of inter-ethnic collaboration, and four focus group sessions, we have gained greater clarity about effective coalition- building among African Americans and Latinos.

Times are changing in the Southeast. Latinos have become an integral part of the Southeastern social, economic and political landscape. Their exponential growth within some states has led to tensions, but it has also brought forth new opportunities in the struggle for freedom, justice, and equality.

During our Project Team's ten-month journey, we learned that coalition-building is a logical and pragmatic endeavor, especially when trying to stimulate public will to effectuate change. It is also an emotional process in which fears are confronted and sympathetic and empathetic actors are compelled into action. Although each person's motivation to coalesce with others may differ, the outcomes have become dynamic, enlightening, and empowering.

Based on our research, we have identified nine elements that prove very helpful in establishing and sustaining an African American/Latino coalition. Of course, there is more to it than this, and we don’t think a “cook book” approach to coalition-building is viable. However, these elements seem to have been useful for successful coalitions, and so we offer them as practical advice and as a starting point in working together for a common cause.

Establish Trust Among Coalition Members

Identify the Issues

Develop a Process for Communication

Find a Safe Place to Meet

Promote Contextual Understanding

Promote Representative Leadership Predicated on Trust

Develop an Agenda Based on Current Community Concerns

Identify Goals, Objectives and Tasks that are Attainable

Participants Should Enjoy the Company of One Another

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