Standing in Solidarity Against SB 1070

Had the opportunity to travel to Arizona and be part of the national day of action against SB 1070...









The most common question I was asked after the trip to Arizona was "Did you succeed?"

Succeed? At what?
Did a 5-mile march from Indian Steele Park to City Hall in Phoenix end the hate against immigrants in Arizona? Did the protest change the fact that SB 1070 was signed into law?

Well...no and no.

Then why? Why the drive? Why the march? The singing? The chanting?

Here's how I see it. If the presence of 100s of thousands of people marching in solidarity against racism and hate showed even one Arizona resident that immigrants (and non-immigrants given Arizona's fancy for racial profiling) were not alone.... if it gave even one person hope, then yes, we succeeded.

Regardless of what each side argued in the papers that day, shots of the crowd gave hope to those personally fighting SB 1070 and the hate it represents.

Arizona was told that day that the world would not accept government sanctioned racial profiling. Immigrants were told that they were not alone.

Did we succeed? Sure. Long long way to go. But Id call this..... A SUCCESS