Ep. 71 - The Collective Freedom Project, Pt. 1: Chicago & #EraseTheDatabase ft. Xanat Sobrevilla

BrownTown shares virtual space with Xanat Sobrevilla as they discuss the #EraseTheDatabase campaign to abolish and repair the harm done by the City's gang database as well as breakdown the broader connection between local police and ICE.BrownTown and Xanat set the stage for Chicago as a site with a longstanding tradition of coalition-building nodding to the rainbow coalition of the Fred Hampton era all the way to #NoCopAcademy (1, 2) and of course #EraseTheDatabase. Xanat explains that coalitions are not just about "diversity" of organizations but about shared power that are most effective when the most marginalized people are leading. They contrast that shared power for liberation to faux progressive politics like former Mayor Rahm Emanuel outwardly proclaiming Chicago a "sanctuary city" while still upholding coordination with ICE. The gang unpacks the stark issues with Chicago's gang database as well as surveillance of Black and brown communities as a whole, while zooming out to decades of United States neoliberal policies that create forced migration in the first place (hear that, Mrs. VP?).Through the CFP, SoapBox created a micro-doc on the Erase the Gang Database coalition and campaign, which you can find among other cities/regions' videos, podcast episodes, and a plethora of resources on CollectiveFreedomProject.org/Multimedia.GUESTXanat Sobrevilla is a co-founder of Organized Communities Against Deportations (OCAD) who started with this work as an undocumented person in 2011. Xanat leads OCAD’s deportation defense work, coordinates legal intakes and appointments, manages the collaboration with the ICIRR hotline, and acts as a liaison with our network of attorneys. Her input on legal strategy continuously strengthens our organizing strategy and the integration of families with deportation proceedings into OCAD’s network.THE COLLECTIVE FREEDOM PROJECTThis episode is Part One in the Collective Freedom Project four-part series with Bourbon 'n BrownTown. The Collective Freedom Project (CFP) is a movement media and resource hub that tells the stories of the local and regional efforts where people — both U.S. citizens and non U.S. citizens — are coming together to fight unique campaigns against criminalization in their communities. From Chicago to California, Atlanta to Texas, activists, organizers, and communities are rising up to fight against criminalization and violence in varied yet connected forms.--Mentioned in episode:"Gang contracts" in Cicero and Berwyn (Injustice Watch) (1, 2)Cook County Takes Steps to Erase Its Regional Gang Database (ProPublica)Reimagine Chicago Mayoral Forum 2019 (@themediaconnectiontv) - Part 1, Part 2SoapBox's #EraseTheDatabase micro-docFollow the Collective Freedom Project on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube. Follow OCAD on their site, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Linktr.ee/OCAD. Support the #EraseTheDatabase effort at EraseTheDatabase.com.--CREDITS: Intro/outro music by Genta Tamashiro with excerpts from the Chicago CFP video (1, 2); outro song Once Upon a Dream by Quinto Imperio. Audio engineered by Genta Tamashiro and Kiera Battles.This series is sponsored by the Immigrant Legal Resource Center (ILRC) and the Four Freedoms Fund (FFF).--The Collective Freedom ProjectSite | Multimedia | Campaigns | ResourcesBourbon ’n BrownTownFacebook | Twitter | Instagram | Site | Linktree | PatreonSoapBox Productions and Organizing, 501(c)3Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Site | Linktree | Support