Ms. Viola Washington: from Dr. King to Welfare Rights & Beyond
“Rest if you must, but don’t quit,” Ms. Viola Washington says, underscoring the importance of staying in the movement. And she is living what she
Our Black History
Our movement is, and has always been, powerful and leaderful. We know that our textbooks could be filled cover to cover with the names and stories of those who contributed to the movement for racial justice in the United States. In The People’s Institute for Survival and Beyond’s more than 40 years of anti-racist organizing, we’ve been honored to grow through the wisdom and example of Black organizers in our collective. We are proud to begin sharing stories of Our Black History — including people and moments in our history that make us who we are. And we don’t stop at the end of February — we celebrate Black History and our history all year long.
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Dorothy Stone
Dorothy Thomas Stone (affectionately called Ms. Stone) was born on January 7, 1925 and transitioned on February 6, 2014. She was the proud and loving
Elias Clayton, Elmer Jackson, and Isaac McGhie
The legacy of white violence is insidious to our country, north and south. Our anti-racist organizing principles invite us to learn from history and undo racism. Learning from history requires us to unearth painful, important stories.
Rev. Dr. C.T. Vivian
While the Rev. Dr. C.T. Vivian’s life was full and prolific: he was a close advisor for Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., he provided civil rights counsel to five sitting U.S. Presidents, and founder of BASIC Diversity and C.T. Vivian Leadership Institute, Inc. — for us, he is personal, a parent of the People’s Institute.
The Free Eddie Carthan Campaign
Arnett Lewis and Shelia Collins brought the case of small town Mississippi mayor, Eddie James Carthan, Jr., to the attention of the United Methodist Voluntary
Theresa Lacey
Theresa Lacey was a highly respected antiracist organizer, advocate and credentialed counselor from New York. Theresa was a subtle but yet steadfast social justice activist for the forgotten and oppression. She received training from the People’s Institute for Survival and Beyond (PISAB) and became deeply committed to racial equity and criminal justice reform.
Tom Dent
Tom Dent was a cultural icon, poet, playwright, and civil rights journalist who impacted a generation of New Orleans activists and artists. The scion of
Nettie Coad
Nettie Coad was the first person to bring The People’s Institute for Survival and Beyond to Greensboro, NC. She invited us through her work in
Arnett Lewis
Arnett Lewis was the first board president of the newly-formed People’s Institute for Survival and Beyond, Inc., in 1980. Jim Dunn and Ron Chisom had