MISSION: To create a national organ that weaves together the most politically-advanced organizers in the movement against mass incarceration, through which we can explore and unite our strategies, tactics, and histories.

​***Unfortunately due to a lack of funding this project is on hold after 2 pilot episodes.***

WORKING PRINCIPLES

This project is initiated…
  1. Because the movement against mass incarceration does not look the same everywhere but we fight in common struggle;
  2. Because we need to debate and then unify around the best ideas and strategies for building our movement and ultimately transforming society;
  3. Because we must know the histories of oppression and social movements in order to advance our struggle;
  4. Because we must identify and argue against ideas that would divide or weaken our movement;
  5. Because we must have a longterm strategy of building a mass multiracial, working class and poor people's movement in order to build society anew, to eradicate racism, poverty, and crime (and defeat those who truly benefit from society's current structure);
  6. ​Because we understand that reforms can be stepping stones to revolutionary change, giving us opportunities to organize and learn together and to impact the lives of millions, but reforms alone are not enough;
  7. Because everyday new people seek to join the movement after participating in study groups of The New Jim Crow, Broken On All Sides, and related materials, yet often don’t know how to get involved and/or lack organizational structure;
  8. Because to further expand and strengthen the movement, the most politically advanced organizers and leaders must work together to influence the movement;
  9. Because there exists no current means to bring together in political organization the most advanced organizers across the country from various backgrounds and across identities and regions;
  10. Because the revolution will not be funded (by foundations), and we need a network of revolutionaries working across various platforms, organizations, and nonprofits who are not tied to specific funding agendas.
  11. Because, after great work has been done to educate and agitate (successfully raising public consciousness over the last 5 years), we must now prioritize organization over agitation to be most effective in furthering the struggle.
  12. Because there must be a means to seriously engage and debate advanced questions and ideas in the movement to end mass incarceration— across regions, and beyond sporadic non-democratic conferences— in order to have stronger organization.

For these reasons, and based on this working set of principles, we begin The Thread organizing podcast series. We encourage others to start study groups around these monthly podcasts if you agree with the general principles stated above.

Read about the study group model.