Fair Food Austin: Movement for Justice in El Barrio

March 11, 2008

Movement for Justice in El Barrio

Thursday, March 20th, 7pm
The University of Texas at Austin
Calhoun 100

Movement for Justice in El Barrio (MJB) is a grassroots organization from New York City comprised primarily of Mexican immigrants. For the past three years, this 400-member tenant rights organization has successfully staved off the gentrification of East Harlem in New York City. MJB is coming to Austin, Texas to share their successes and discuss their organizing strategies including the new International Campaign in Defense of El Barrio (which SFA recently endorsed). To learn more about MJB, check out this profile for the May/June issue of Left Turn Magazine, "Urban Zapatismo in NYC."

This event is sponsored by the Chicana/o Latina /o Graduate Student Association, Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano/a de Aztlan en Austin (MEChA), Student/Farmworker Alliance - ATX and others.

Who We Are

Since 2001, Fair Food Austin has organized with the Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW) for fair wages and dignified working conditions in the U.S. agricultural industry. The CIW is a farmworker organization headquartered in Immokalee, Florida with over 4,000 members. The CIW has aided in the prosecution by the Department of Justice of six slavery operations and the liberation of well over 1,000 workers.

We use creative methods to educate consumers about the human rights crisis farmworkers face and to promote the Campaign for Fair Food. The campaign requires large food corporations -- from Taco Bell to Whole Foods -- to demand more humane labor standards from their Florida tomato suppliers, to pay a premium price for more fairly produced tomatoes, and to buy only from growers who meet those higher standards.

Brutal conditions in Florida's fields may seem distant to consumers deep in the heart of Texas, but many of the restaurant and supermarket chains that have helped create this crisis are present in our community and buy Florida tomatoes at some point during the year. Human rights are universal, and by working together, farmworkers and consumers can create a better world.