Rachel Herzing

Rachel Herzing

Rachel Herzing is RoadMap's Communications Coordinator. As of June 24 2019, Rachel Herzing was a "co-director" of the openly Marxist Center for Political Education (CPE) based in San Francisco.

Background

Rachel Herzing "is also a long time organizer fighting against imprisonment and policing and for self-determination and a co-founder of Critical Resistance, a national grassroots organization dedicated to abolishing the prison industrial complex. She has been a grant maker, a health educator, and a researcher working on community-based interventions to violence. Her writing has been featured in anthologies, academic journals, and magazines, and she is a frequent speaker and resource to advocates nationally and internationally on issues related to the prison industrial complex, community responses to interpersonal harm, and the impact of policing on communities of color."

'How to Abolish Prisons'

Rachel Herzing, Justin Piche, Mariame Kaba

Seed the Vote

In 2020 Rachel Herzing Center for Political Education was a supporter of Seed the Vote.

Movement for Black Lives Reparations Toolkit

Monifa Bandele FB July 27 2019 Praising Reparations Toolkit

The "primary authors" of the Movement for Black Lives Reparations toolkit were Andrea Ritchie, Deirdre Smith, Janetta Johnson, Jumoke Ifetayo, Marbre Stahly-Butts, Mariame Kaba, Montague Simmons, Nkechi Taifa, Rachel Herzing, Richard Wallace, and Taliba Obuya.

Acknowlegements:

We are also grateful for the vision, support, research, design, and feedback provided by Iman Young, Ash-Lee Henderson, Gina Clayton-Johnson, Karl Kumodzi, M. Adams, Mark Anthony Clayton-Johnson, Monifa Bandele, Thenjiwe McHarris, Mariame Kaba, Anneke Dunbar-Gronke, Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor, Ky’eisha Penn, Micah Wiedemann, Justin Hansford, Leigh Goodmark, Joy Dodge, Dominique Zenani Barron, and Emma Toju Anna Uwejoma.

On July 27, 2019, Monica Bandele posted congratulations to the Movement for Black Lives for launching a Reparations toolkit.

"In the name of #QueenMotherMoore, on her 121st BIRTHDAY, The Movement for Black Lives is launching a toolkit to provide grounding and direction to the modern-day call for #Reparations. First, we honor and take the leadership of those who have been decades long in the work like Nkechi Taifa, Ron Daniels, Kwesi Jumoke Ifetayo, and many others. BIG shout out to Montague Simmons Marbre Stahly-Butts Andrea Ritchie Dara Cooper Richard Wallace Taliba O Njeri Mariame Kaba Ash-Lee Woodard Henderson Gina Clayton-Johnson Justin Hansford Iman Young Karl Kumodzi, all of the authors and editors, and EVERYONE on the M4BL Policy Table Thenjiwe Tameika McHarris Mervyn Marcano.

UNRAVELING THE RIGHT: A Class for Organizers and Activists in the Trump Era

In June 2019, the Center for Political Education sent an invitation to sign up for organizing to fight the "far-right":

"Does the rise of white nationalism keep you awake at night? Are you troubled by the ascent to power of so many authoritarian leaders across the globe? Do you want to understand today’s right wing better and strengthen your organizing strategies to help drive it back?

"If so, join CPE this summer for this four-session class. The class will meet Thursday evenings from 7-9pm on July 18, July 25, August 1 and August 8 at 518 Valencia Street in San Francisco. The sessions will cover:

"The right’s ideas and goals, the particular forms authoritarianism takes in the U.S., the left’s conceptual and practical tool-box for understanding and defeating the far right;

"Historical lessons from past experience fighting fascism and the right;

"The international picture: contemporary fights against racist nationalist projects across the globe;

"The current U.S. landscape, strategies for building a winning anti-right coalition and the particular responsibilities of activists in the Bay Area.

"This class will be led by CPE co-director Rachel Herzing and Revolution in the Air author Max Elbaum, and will feature guest speakers with expertise on some of the issues highlighted above.

Apply Today!

"Space in Unraveling the Right will be limited. If you’re interested in participating, please take a moment to fill out this application form thoroughly by July 1, so we can get a sense of who you are and why you are interested in taking this class. While everyone should feel free to apply for this class, preference will be given to members of people of color-led organizations and working class and people of color communities."

A Vision for Black Lives

An Immediate End to the Criminalization and Dehumanization of Black Youth Across All Areas of Society Including, but Not Limited to, Our Nation’s Justice and Education Systems, Social Service Agencies, Media, and Pop Culture.

Authors & Contributors of this 2017 report included ● Whitney Maxey, Miami Public School Teacher ● Kwame Torian Easterling, MD, MPH ● Monica McLemore, PhD, MPH, RN, University of California, San Francisco ● JoHanna Thompson, MPA ● Nimaako Brown, MPH, CHES ● Thena Robinson Mock, Education Law Center ● Ruth Jeannoel, Power U Center for Social Change ● Rachel Gilmer, Dream Defenders ● Chelsea Fuller, Advancement Project ● Marbre Stahly-Butts, Center for Popular Democracy ● Rachel Herzing Soros Justice Fellow ● Mary Hooks, Southerners On New Ground ● Mark-Anthony Johnson, Dignity and Power Now ● Tanya Greene, Attorney at Law ● Daryl Atkinson, Southern Coalition for Social Justice ● Andrea Ritchie, Soros Justice Fellow ● Arielle Humphries, Center for Popular Democracy ● Carl Lipscombe, Black Alliance for Just Immigration ● Crystal Peters, Center for Popular Democracy ● Chinyere Tutashinda, The Center for Media Justice ● Malkia Cyril, The Center for Media Justice ● Pete Haviland-Eduah, Million Hoodies Movement For Justice ● Kesi Foster, Urban Youth Collaborative ● Montague Simmons, Organization for Black Struggle ● DeAngelo Bester, Workers Center for Racial Justice ● Dorian Warren, Center for Community Change ● Dara Cooper, National Black Food and Justice Alliance ● Brandon King, Cooperation Jackson ● Linda Tigani ● Anja Rudiger, National Economic and Social Rights Initiative ● Cathy Albisa, National Economic and Social Rights Initiative ● Karl Kumodzi, Black Youth Project 100, Blackbird ● Steven Pitts, National Black Workers Center ● Richard Wallace, Workers Center for Racial Justice ● Benjamin Ndugga-Kabuye, Black Alliance for Just Immigration ● Erica Smiley, Jobs with Justice ● Patrick Mason, Ph.D., Florida State University, National Economic and Social Rights Initiative ● Beatriz Beckford, National Black Food and Justice Alliance ● Rose Brewer, PhD, University of Minnesota ● Ife Kilimanjaro ● Toussaint Losier, Chicago Anti ­Eviction Campaign ● Mya Hunter, Spirit House ● M. Adams, Freedom, Inc. ● Jonathan Stith, Alliance for Educational Justice ● Lumumba Bandele ● Emmanuel Caicedo, Demos ● Viviana Bernal, Demos ● Damon L. Daniels, Demos ● Trupania Bonner, Open Democracy Project/Crescent City Media Group

RoadMap

Rachel Herzing is a consultant with RoadMap, a Freedom Road Socialist Organization affiliated consultancy group.

Palestine delegation

US Prisoner, Labor and Academic Delegation with colleagues from the Institute for Women's Studies at Birzeit University, Birzeit, Palestine, March 29, 2016

At a moment of growing resistance to state violence and injustice the world over, a delegation of nineteen anti-prison, labor and scholar-activists from the United States traveled to Palestine in March 2016. Our delegation included former US-held political prisoners and social prisoners, former Black Panther Party members, prison abolitionists, trade unionists and university professors. We are the first US delegation to Palestine to focus specifically on political imprisonment and solidarity between Palestinian and US prisoners. Our delegation also focused on recent labor struggles in Palestine for bread and dignity, and on the struggles of Palestinian intellectuals to assert the rightful claims of Indigenous Palestinians to their land, culture and history.

• Rabab Abdulhadi, author and professor, San Francisco State University*, California
• Diana Block, author and activist, California Coalition for Women Prisoners*, San Francisco, California
• Susan Chen, counselor faculty, member California Faculty Association - SFSU chapter Affirmative Action Rep, San Francisco State University*, California
• Dennis Childs, author and professor, University of California*, San Diego
• Susie Day, writer, Monthly Review Press*, New York City, New York
• Emory Douglas, Revolutionary Artist and Minister of Culture, Black Panther Party, 1967-1982
• Johanna Fernandez, author and professor, City University of New York-Baruch College*; Organizer, Campaign to Bring Mumia Home
• Diane Fujino, author and professor, University of California*, Santa Barbara
• Alborz Ghandehari, member of BDS Caucus of UAW 2865, University of California Student-Workers Union*
• Anna Henry, activist and member, California Coalition for Women Prisoners*, San Francisco
• Rachel Herzing, independent scholar and co-founder, Critical Resistance*, Oakland, California
• Hank Jones, activist, former US-Held political prisoner and member, Black Panther Party, Los Angeles, California
• Manuel la Fontaine, former US-held prisoner and member, All of Us or None*, San Francisco, California
• Claude Marks, Former US-held political prisoner, Freedom Archives*, San Francisco, California
• Nathaniel Moore, archivist, Freedom Archives*, San Francisco, California
• Isaac Ontiveros, member, Critical Resistance*, Oakland, California
• Michael Ritter, counselor faculty; member CSU Academic Senate & CFA Board of Directors, San Francisco State University*, California
• Jaime Veve, Co-Convener, Labor for Palestine*, New York City, New York
• Laura Whitehorn, Former US-held political prisoner, New York City, New York

CPE Staff

Center for Political Education, 2018 Co-Directors: Isaac Ontiveros and Rachel Herzing.

Isaac comes to the CPE with experience that spans media and communications, publishing, anti-violence, labor, and anti-prison industrial complex organizing and advocacy. He also facilitated CPE’s recent assessment process. Rachel was a CPE collective member from 2002-2007 and brings experience working in movements against the prison industrial complex, the anti-violence movement, and for youth development.

"Education for Liberation"

Education for Liberation

Public · Hosted by LeftRoots and the Center for Political Education

Wednesday, November 15 at 7 PM - 9 PM PST

The Greenlining Institute, 360 14th St, Oakland, California 94612

Education for Liberation: The Role of Political Education in the PAIGC's Struggle for Independence and the Lessons for Today.

Center for Political Education and LeftRoots are proud to host a conversation with thinker and activist Sonia Vaz Borges. Sónia, who is of Cape Verdean descent, is a leading scholar on the education programs at the core of Amilcar Cabral's national liberation struggle in Cape Verde and Guinea Bissau during the 1960s and 70s. Sónia will help us develop a useful understanding of what militant education is, how it worked in the international struggle against colonialism in Africa, and its lessons for movement building today.

Steve Williams of LeftRoots and Rachel Herzing of the Center for Political Education will join Sónia to highlight some of the challenges and opportunities for theory, strategy, and unity facing our movements in the Bay Area and beyond.