Chris Brooks

Chris Brooks

Template:TOCnestleft Chris Brooks is a former Chattanooga Tennessee activist. He is a graduate of the Union Leadership and Activism program at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and works for Labor Notes in New York City.

Career

Former Union organizer at Tennessee Education Association.

Education

Studied Labor Studies at University of Massachusetts Amherst.

"Flattening the Curve"

Moderator Chris Brooks, News Guild of New York.

• Jia Lee United Federation of Teachers

• Jackson Potter

Fundraiser for VW workers

On April 18, 2014, Chattanooga for Workers hosted a potluck fundraiser to help send some Volkswagen workers to Washington DC for a national speak out on the truth about working at Volkswagen, their experiences at the plant and the situations that lead up to their injuries. Also their experiences in the UAW organizing drive, and where they are now --unemployed because of their injuries. The fundraiser was held at St. Marks United Methodist Church, in North Chattanooga.

SEIU local 205 organizer Kate Sheets opened up for the event, and introduced the speakers. Guest speakers included two former employees who were fired after both men were injured on the job, labor journalist Mike Elk, Brian Merrit of Mercy Junction, Jared Story of Concerned Citizens for Justice and United Campus Workers, and Michael Gilliland of Chattanooga Organized for Action.

As part of this event, attendees broke out into groups to brainstorm on ways to advance their communities and work forces. After everyone got back together, Chris Brooks of Chattanooga for Workers and a Tennessee Education Association organizer collected and put into shape the ideas for further discussion and action.

A.J. Sorenson reported the event for the People's World.

Insure Tennessee protest

Chris Brooks February 11, 2015 ·

With Kate Sheets Hodge, Damien Crisp, Michael Gilliland, Todd Gardenhire and Tara Rose.

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 Chris Brooks.

Chattanooga For Workers

Brian Merritt March 1, 2014, Nashville Labor organizers with Chattanooga For Workers. — with Katie Cowley, Julio Fernandez, Chris Brooks, Sher Leon Marquis Foster, Michael Gilliland, Shannon Garth-Rhodes, Brenda Perez and Jack Willey.

YDS leaders

Young Democratic Socialists - Leaders is a closed Facebook group for leaders of their Young Democratic Socialists chapters.

As of September 30, 2017, members included Chris Brooks.

Memphis Solidarity Brigade

The Memphis district of Freedom Road brought together cadre from around the nation to support a local organizing effort, Memphis For All, to apply our line and strategy to local elections. The Path to Power Memphis for all Solidarity Brigade took place in mid-July 2018 to culminate with an early voting canvassing effort.

Thomas Wayne Walker May 29 2018:

yo!!! i'm excited to invite y'all to sign up for a program focused on learning, on-the-ground, about building political power as leftists, revolutionaries and radicals in working class communities of color that are left out & shut out of politics. the path to power memphis solidarity brigade will combine training & actual field work in support of justice organizations engaging in electoral work to build power, like memphis for all, labor unions, and more. you can sign up at this link https://goo.gl/forms/wemUNfG4SxbusyHo1

it's listed as wednesday 7/18-sunday 7/22, but the real programming is focused on thursday 7/19-saturday 7/21. housing and food are supported, and other support is available. i'm hoping especially to get folks from tennessee to do it, so we can start really thinking about building a #tennesseeforall. hit me up if you're interested, apply now to get in on this.

Thomas Wayne Walker, Jyoti Gupta, Lindsey Glenn Krinks, Whitney Washington, Briana Perry, Anna Carella, Ramon J. Ryan, David Alex Hayes, Elizabeth Stanfield, Dana Smith, Anne Barnett Josh Adams, Ashley Caldwell, Erica Renee, Deja Foster Justin A. Davis Justin Jones, Sj Payne, Salma Mirza, Jasmine Wallace, Nancy Dung Nguyen, Chris Brooks, Haley Greenwell, Odessa Kelly. Aaron Gamal, Cazembe Jackson, Eliott Geary. Frank W. Johnson, John Emery, Allie Cohn, Calvin Cheung-Miaw.

Troublemakers School

On Saturday April 13 2019 100 union members, labor activists, and allies met on the Wayne State campus for a Troublemakers School sponsored by the national publication Labor Notes: a day of skill-sharing and strategizing about workplace organizing. Detroit DSA-ers helped with the planning for the day, which drew participants from as far as Kalamazoo and Lansing. Sixteen DSA members were in the mix.

Though it was gray and drizzling outside, the energy at Troublemakers School was strong all day, closing out with a call from Rashida Tlaib to continue fighting alongside her. Detroit DSA co-chair Natasha Fernandez-Silber spoke about how the Green New Deal could be enacted in the Rust Belt: “We need light rail, we need electric buses, we need electric vehicles. Let’s do it here.”

Green New Deal panelists and Labor Notes workshop leaders pose with Rashida Tlaib. Left to right: Natasha Fernandez-Silber, Joe Demanuelle-Hall, Jane Slaughter, Sean Crawford, Bianca Cunningham, Chris Brooks, Rashida Tlaib, Rebecca Keetch.

References

Template:Reflist