The Occupy Movement's bold and inventive methods of confronting the one percent are how the movement got its name: by "occupying" spaces that challenge the moral accountability of the powers that be. This movement has swept the world and can easily be argued to have roots outside U.S. borders.  Within the United States, the movement's 1970 antecedents, more frequently referred to as "take-overs," have frequently been overlooked. The most contemporary Occupy expressions have been embodied in the Take Back the Land movement (TBL), which has been able to make concrete differences in the lives of those most acutely affected by the indiscretions of the one percent.

On January 26th, the Institute for Policy Studies invites you to a cutting edge and interactive forum featuring one TBL leader, Max Rameau.

Accompanied by a video presentation, Mr. Rameau will lead a discussion about the historical context of this movement; an analysis of how the Occupy movement relates to TBL; and the differences, similarities, and synergies between the Occupy movement and TBL. An integral part of the discussion will be about race, class, and international issues.

Max Rameau is a Haitian-born, Pan-African theorist, campaign strategist, organizer, and author. After moving to Miami, Florida, in 1991, Mr. Rameau began organizing around a broad range of issues impacting low-income Black communities, including immigrant rights (particularly those of Haitian immigrants), economic justice, LGBTQ rights, and voting rights (particularly for ex-felons and police abuse).

As the housing "boom" took off, giving way to the devastating impacts of gentrification, Mr. Rameau shifted his attention to housing. In thesummer of 2006 he helped found the organization which eventually became known as Take Back the Land, to address "land" issues in the Black community. Mr. Rameau relocated to Washington, DC, in 2011, where he lives with his family and is the director of Movement Catalyst, a movement strategy and support organization.

The Occupy to Liberate and Take Back the Land meeting will be held on January 26th, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., at the Festival Center, 1640 Columbia Road, NW.

For this meeting, there is a suggested donation of $5 to help cover the cost of the event; however, no one will be turned away for lack of funds.