17-1 Liberating Our Systems and Ourselves: A Perspective from African Communities Together

Interview with Sosseh Prom 

Tell us a little about yourself and how you got involved in the housing justice movement? 

The nonprofit I work for, African Communities Together (ACT), is a member-based organization that empowers African immigrants to fight for the issues that matter to them, and we got involved in the housing justice movement back in 2020 at the request of some of our members in Alexandria, Virginia. A private equity company had bought their apartment complex during the pandemic and shortly thereafter, our members noticed a significant uptick in eviction filings and reduction in property maintenance. More of their neighbors were being forced to leave and their community was being fractured, so something needed to be done. The tenants called on us, and we got to work organizing them and doing research on the landlord so we could identify who they were and how to engage with them. Through that research and conversations with other organizations and tenant movements, we gained a deeper understanding of housing instability as a systemic issue, and how the immigrant community had been left out of housing justice conversations. Things took off from there and since then, we’ve made it part of our mission to center the lived experiences of African immigrants in the housing justice movement.  

What do you think about when you hear this issue’s title, “Collective Strength Through Adversity”? 

I think about the communities across the nation taking a stand against ICE and this administration’s attacks on the immigrant community. I think about all the families we work with who are joining tenant associations and actively fighting against their landlord while also living paycheck to paycheck. I think of the members we work with who live in shelters and are working together for policy changes that would transition them, and others, out of the shelter and into stable housing. These are the people who come to mind because the common denominator is their immense strength to carry on and keep fighting, even when things are bleak. Perhaps more than anything, I also think about a world where my community doesn’t have to build strength through extreme hardship. We deserve softness too. We deserve safety. We deserve to live in community with each other without having to constantly prepare ourselves for violence or displacement. 

How can being involved in your community play a role in collective liberation and healing? 

The systems and people in power we’re fighting against are relying on us to be divided because they know that once we’re unified, they lose power. By getting involved in your community, you take a step toward building collective power, and over time you also start to recognize the ways that we can free ourselves from the systems designed to keep us impoverished. I believe it all boils down to human connection. When you get involved with your community, you build relationships that humanize people, and those relationships are what drive you to take care of each other, to fight together against injustices, to protect each other, to heal together, to build together. Take the Black Panthers’ “survival programs” for example. They had free breakfast programs, health clinics, and educational initiatives to provide resources that Black communities were prevented from accessing. This was all rooted in collective liberation that stemmed from human connection. Africans also have similar mutual aid systems. “Sou Sou,” for instance, is an informal savings account of sorts where a small group of people contribute money into a fund, and then each person gets the lump sum on a rotating basis. It’s a system based on trust and can help people during stressful times (like paying back rent to avoid eviction). These are the kinds of community systems that liberate us and help us heal, but they’re only possible if we get involved in our communities. 

What are some lessons you learned organizing/advocating in your community that you would like to share with other communities across the country? 

I honestly don’t even know where to begin because there are so many. The biggest lesson I learned early on in organizing was to meet people where they are because there is never just “one kind of tenant” when you’re organizing. Each tenant has a unique story that doesn’t necessarily work with a “one-size-fits-all” approach, so it’s vital to meet people where they are so they can actively participate in the movement. Take the immigrant community for example. There are some tenants in our campaigns who are ready to take their landlord to court. But there are also immigrant tenants who have legitimate concerns about going to government buildings or triggering court actions that could bring more attention to them during a time when immigration enforcement is terrorizing these tenants and their families. We cannot keep going without our most vulnerable and expect them to catch up to the housing justice movement when the movement isn’t catered to them and their needs. So, we take the time to be intentional and work with immigrant tenants to find other ways to bring about landlord accountability that doesn’t put them in danger.  

Do you have any words of advice for the readers who are organizing on the frontlines? 

You don’t need to aim for perfection, but you do need to aim for consistency. Organizing has to begin with building trust, and a big part of building trust means consistently showing up for your community. It takes a lot of work, but it’s so worth it. 

Also, don’t shy away from conflict. Sure, no one likes disagreeing or finding themselves in a confrontational situation. But don’t isolate yourself because a disagreement happened. Work to identify why the disagreement happened, do your best to fix it with empathy and understanding, and be comfortable knowing that there might not be a perfect resolution. I’ve found that often times if the solution isn’t perfect, people are willing to write it off. But that’s such an unrealistic way to approach life and community. None of us are perfect, so why are we pushing for perfection in our strategies and relationships? There are lessons to be learned in imperfection, and I tend to bond more with people who are making the same mistakes I am, because there’s power in learning together. 

Lastly, take care of yourselves. Being on the frontlines can be invigorating, but it is also emotionally, mentally, and physically draining. I would be lying if I said there was never a day when I thought about giving up, but we can only sustain the movement if we’re also sustaining ourselves. That’s why collective power is so important. It allows each individual time to rest, knowing that the work will carry on because there are so many of us moving together toward a common goal.