Hashim Benford
Hashim Benford is a Durham North Carolina activist. He is married to Tiffany Tya Benford. Hashim Benford is a father, spouse, and revolutionary with over a decade of experience in organizing and activism. He currently works as a Program Officer with the Funders' Collaborative on Youth Organizing where he is heading an initiative to help youth organizations make breakthroughs in their approaches to power building. Prior to that he served as the Executive Director of Power U Center for Social Change, a grassroots organization that develops the leadership of Black and Latino youth and Black women as part of the struggle to liberate all oppressed people. Hashim got his initiation into organizing in 2008 at the Miami Workers Center, where he started as a tenant organizer fighting back against slumlords. Hashim is a graduate of Florida International University, having earned his BA in Sociology & Anthropology and an undergraduate certificate in Women’s Studies. He is on the board of Durham for All.[1]
Education
- Studied Sociology/Anthropology at Florida International University
- Studied Marketing Communication at Emerson College
- Went to Pius XI
"The need to fight the Right"
Convergence Magazine. March 9, 2023.
How do our organizations navigate the dual tasks of building power to make long-term gains for our communities and working in a broad front to defeat MAGA in 2024 and beyond? Our panelists will dig into their deep and varied experience to suggest ways we can build real-world coordination among Left and progressive groups—and how we might work productively with more centrist forces who may only agree with us on one thing: the need to fight the Right.
Panelists:
- Sendolo Diaminah, Carolina Federation
- Alexa Horwart, ISAIAH MN
- Maurice Mitchell, Working Families Party
- Brendan Walsh, Worker Power AZ
Co-Hosts:
Carolina Federation sponsoring committee
Carolina Federation sponsoring committee, November 2019.
- Cesar Leyva - Communications Workers of America
- Brigid Flaherty - Down Home North Carolina
- Hashim Benford - Durham for All
- Khalilah Karim - Durham for All
- Magan Gonzales-Smith - Durham People's Alliance
- John Davis - Durham People's Alliance[2]
Durham for All leaders
Durham For All February 23 2020·
Shout out to the amazing folks who came out to our first leadership training of the year!
Sign up to join the team that will be knocking doors, hosting meetings and building the power we need in Durham to defeat Trump and take the Senate at: bit.ly/d4aaction
This year, Durham voters have the power to play a critical role in defeating Trump and his allies in North Carolina. But in order to win, we have to fight back against centuries of racist voter suppression and depression used to silence our communities. That’s why we’ve set the bold goal of reaching 17,000 voters of color who did not vote in 2016. If you’re ready to take action - whether that means canvassing our neighborhoods or entering data in our office - click the link above and join the movement to take back our government! — with Shanise Renee, Stephena Digsby Jones, Hashim Benford, Bennett D. Carpenter and Ociele Hawkins.
Durham For All
Durham For All October 3 2019 ·
My name is Hashim Benford. I moved to Durham with my family from Miami, and I've discovered a home and a community here where I’m proud to be raising my kids. I joined Durham For All because I believe our communities deserve a city where our voices are heard.
Miami Workers Center
Former Organizer at Miami Workers Center
Eviction protest
March 2012, 84-year-old Adline Pierre held her granddaughter, fighting tears. A young man is bent down next to her trying to comfort her. “We are here to make sure you don’t end up in the street,” Hashim Benford told her.
Pierre has no idea who he is or the other dozen people standing in front of her are. They amassed here as news spread her family was about to be evicted for their home.
Benford is one of a handful of activists from the Miami Workers Center who began an email blitz upon learning about the eviction set for 5 p.m.
Whitney Maxey hadn’t met the family until Wednesday.
“No one needs to be kicked out of their home and that’s all we need to know.” Maxey told CBS4’s David Sutta.
The bank is foreclosing on Pierre’s home of 20 years, because her daughter Dean Senecharles could no longer pay the mortgage.
“It’s not that easy when you lose your job and you are already paycheck to paycheck trying to survive,” Senecharles explained. “It’s not that easy for you to judge me.”
Tuesday night they received an eviction notice to be out by five. And so strangers took up their yard planning to form a human blockade.
“We literally put people in front of the front door, where the sheriff is trying to walk in to evict the family. And we just block their way,” said Maxey. “You have people who are on the front row who are OK with being arrested.”
This tactic, tested on Angie Samuels home in January, sent the cops and the eviction away for now.
“I’m still in my home. Still fighting. Still fighting until the end,” Samuels said.
She said she is fighting mortgage fraud but is willing to stand with any homeowner facing eviction. This group of activist has learned the only way to get something done these days is to stand in the way of what’s happening.
Emma Latson was in the crowd forming the blockade, because the issue hits close to home, literally.[3]
Miami Workers Center supporters
Miami Workers Center - Tomorrow is #GiveMiamiDay! Now more than ever we need your contribution so we can keep working in 2017 to demand local policies that protect Miami's women, girls and femmes.
We need you! Starting tonight at midnight, please consider giving to the Miami Workers Center here: — with Nilu Choudhury, Tomas Kennedy, Cindy Wiesner, Julia Dawson, Serena Perez, Luisana Perez-Fernandez, Karla De Anda, Julia Daniel, Kathy Bird Carvajal, Gihan Perera, Hashim Benford, Marcia Olivo, Sarai Portillo, Camilo Mejia, Maria Rodriguez, Andrea Mercado, Daniela Saczek, Carla Hansack, Maria Asuncion Bilbao, Commissioner Daniella Levine Cava, Trenise Bryant, Natalia Jaramillo, Viviana Ivalo, Miami Girls Foundation and Move to End Violence.
FRSO friends
There's a brand new Family Dollar on this corner now...#Hope — with Marcia Olivo, Trenise Bryant, Sendolo Diaminah, Badili Ifadoyin Jones-Goodhope, Whitney Maxey, Tiffany Tya Benford, Julia Daniel, Ruth Jeannoel, Denise Perry, Jacob Coker-Dukowitz and Bryan Proffitt.
Staff of Power U
Power U staff, 2015;
- Denise Perry - Executive Director
- Hashim Benford - Director of Power U
- Jermaine Banks
- Annie Thomas - youth organizer
Power U "family reunion"
Ruth Thomas August 28, 2016 ·
- One of my favorite pictures of the Power U Family reunion — with Tyrone Brown, Hashim Benford and Umi Selah.
Supporting the Kurds
December 28, 2015, Sendolo Diaminah posted on his FaceBook page supporting the Kurds;
- The Kurdish people have been engaged in an inspiring struggle to carve out freedom and autonomy for themselves, both from the corrupt states of Turkey, Iraq, and Syria AND from ISIS. Now the Turkish government is ramping up its repression of the Kurdish freedom movement. The first step in solidarity must be educating ourselves about this powerful struggle for freedom and rallying to its defense. Anthony Maglione, Manzoor Cheema, Hiram Rivera Marcano, Bryan Proffitt, Aaron Bryant, Thomas Wayne Walker, Jadebroo KS, Hashim Benford, Melissa Norton, Sijal Nasralla, Bill Fletcher, Jr., Gary Broderick, Aiden Riley Graham, Rufus Firefly, Zaina Alsous, Laila Nur, Sabeen Shaiq, Theo Luebke, Caitlin Breedlove...
Revolutionary Strategies to Beat the Rising Right Wing
Revolutionary Strategies to Beat the Rising Right Wing, was a nationwide conference call organized by Freedom Road Socialist Organization, Sunday October 30, 2016.
- What's the nature of this right-wing threat? What has this election cycle changed about the political terrain we're fighting on? How do we need to prepare for whats coming after the election? Hear about these crucial questions from our panel of top political strategists, including Nelini Stamp, Bill Fletcher, Jr., Linda Burnham, and Sendolo Diaminah.
Those indicating they would attend, on Facebook included Hashim Benford.[4]
Now What? Defying Trump and the Left's Way Forward
Now What? Defying Trump and the Left's Way Forward was a phone in webinar organized by Freedom Road Socialist Organization in the wake of the 2016 election.
- Now what? We’re all asking ourselves that question in the wake of Trump’s victory. We’ve got urgent strategizing and work to do, together. Join Ash-Lee Woodard Henderson of the Movement for Black Lives and Freedom Road, Calvin Cheung-Miaw, Jodeen Olguin-Taylor of Mijente and WFP, Joe Schwartz of the Democratic Socialists of America, and Sendolo Diaminah of Freedom Road for a discussion of what happened, and what we should be doing to build mass defiance. And above all, how do we build the Left in this, which we know is the only solution to the crises we face?
- This event will take place Tuesday November 15, 2016 at 9pm Eastern/8pm Central/6pm Pacific.
Those invited, on Facebook included Hashim Benford.[5]
Amandla Training
Sendolo Diaminah February 1 2018
- Hey Black organizers & those who love us: BOLD has re-opened our application period for Amandla, our organizer training program. We have just a few more slots we wanted to make available, so now is your chance if you missed the deadline!
Alicia Garza, Ajamu Dillahunt, Aaron Gamal, Whitney Maxey, Hashim Benford, Ociele Hawkins, Bryan Proffitt, Bennett D. Carpenter, Courtney Sebring, Cazembe Murphy Jackson, Reece Chenault, Charlene Carruthers, Chanelle Croxton, D’atra Jackson, Dove Kent, Fresco Steez DeLaflyy, Maria C. Fernandez, Aiden Riley Graham, Kaji Reyes, Laila Nur, Theo Luebke, Maria Poblet, N’Tanya Lee, Taliba O Njeri, Orisanmi Burton, Quinton Harper, Roberto Tijerina, Mary Hooks, Serena Sebring, Adaku Utah, Vanessa Moses, Ash-Lee Woodard Henderson, Thomas Wayne Walker, Jayanni Elizabeth, Jayda Rasberry, Amber Evans, Dara Cooper, Yotam Marom.
Decrim Durham Election Forum
Sendolo Diaminah April 12 (2018).
Want to meet the candidates for sheriff and district attorney? Want to hear community folks ask them the questions we care about? Come through this saturday for our election forum co-hosted with SpiritHouse NC, All Of Us Or None NC, Southerners On New Ground and BYP100 Durham Chapter! Can't make it? Share it with your friends :)
Aiden Riley Graham, Aidil Ortiz, Nia Wilson, D’atra Jackson, Alec Greenwald, Carolina Alzuru, Carol Reiner-Yepez, Anna Duncan, Bennett D. Carpenter, Elainiel Baldwin, Bryan Proffitt, Hashim Benford, Osunfunke Omisade Burney-Scott, Mikel Barton, Courtney Sebring, Chanelle Croxton, Dove Kent, Danielle Purifoy, Raymond Eurquhart, Thaddaeus Allen Edwards, Tom Feltner, Felicia Arriaga, Gen Na, Magan Gonzales Thigpen, Holly Hardin, Kori Higgs, Jesse Huddleston, Mya Hunter, Undreya Hudson, Parker T. Hurley, Sufia Ikbal-Doucet, Jennifer Frye, Kimber Jean, Turquoise LeJeune Parker, LeAndre Demond Blakeney, Lisa McCool-Grime, Pierce Freelon, Quinton Harper, Quita Tinsley, Rodrigo Dorfman, Serena Sebring, Santos Flores, Matthew Sears, Seamus Robertson, Vernetta R. Alston.