There will never be an "easier" time to make change. There will never be a time when it is "more comfortable" to engage in the process. It is not an act of convenience. You will always have a choice, a hard choice, between missing an event, a night out, a day at work, a class or sleep; and working to make change. Change won't fit neatly into your schedule between your eleven O'clock class and your two O'clock part time. It won't wait for you to finish studying. It wont suddenly appear when you have a white picket fence, two point five kids, and a dog named Bo. If that's what you're looking for, you may be on the wrong website. Change may come slow...

Change may not come at all. But we work for it as if we expect it with the rising of the sun. And for all our successes or failures, ours will be a beautiful struggle. A struggle with earnest, tenacity, and love.

"There is never time in the future in which we will work out our salvation. The challenge is in the moment; the time is always now." - James Baldwin

Next meeting Wednesday October 21st, 6:30pm 114th & 8th Ave. at Society Cafe.

The official vote of our Wing organizations, 5-1. A better Education in NYC will be our Destination or campaign. Now before we get to the question, “how?”, we get to the question, "What specifically?

What specifically do we wish to change about education and why?

Transform America Wings have come up with the following 5 issues to address. By 6:00pm, Tuesday August 12th, our Wings will vote for the top 3 issues they would like to vote on. Then we will begin the work of developing collaborative action plans to deal with these issues. Weigh in.

* Academic Alternatives[1]
* Political Education[2]
* Purpose Development for Dept. of Education[3]
* College Affordability[4]
* Increasing Counselors and Mentors for Students[5]

[1] To create alternatives to college for students who don't make it academically such as vocational training and giving students the proper skills to begin working after graduating high school and teaching students about self-employment opportunities. Some examples of jobs that do not require a college degree include being an entrepreneur, electrician, web master. etc. Also maybe trying to expand apprenticeship programs.

[2] Teaching students about the social justice issues affecting them such as healthcare and the economy as well as encouraging people to vote smart and be knowledgeable about the candidates and the political process. Getting high school students and young people involved in local elections, encouraging their candidacy in local politics such as the city council, and encouraging activism so that they themselves can create the type of change they wish to see in their communities.

[3] The New York City Dept. of Education does not have a purpose or mission statement. We want to create a purpose and rally the students and teachers and parents around this purpose while at the same time increasing the demand side of education and getting kids to really want to learn and invest their time and energy into education. This mission should include aspects of community control of education and human rights.

[4] To make college more affordable for prospective and current students as well as ensuring that students are aware of scholarship and grant opportunities.

[5] Bringing professionals and college students to the classroom to be counselors and mentors to high school and middle school kids so that students have someone to talk to about their futures and what an education can provide for them. This will also affect the demand side of education by increasing it because kids will see how valuable an education is.

Do not let "the how" determine what you think should change. Think freely. Which of these 3 issues do you think should should be addressed first and why?

I'm starting to realize Process Power. Process Power is the growth and transformation that occurs within the people and in society while they attempt to achieve big societal change. It's amazing and divine. Take Flight Schools for example. I thought they were to be aimed at changing our city and our nation; tearing down the walls of discrimination and greed; exposing the underside of individualism; and learning how to organize and create plans that will change different social conditions.  read more »

Where are our institutions of change? Our institutions of justice, our institutions against war and those against poverty? Where are our institutions for freedom and human dignity? Where are our institutions of caring and love?  read more »

What happened to college activists? What happened to cats shutting down student union buildings, taking over classes, teaching their own classes, leading movements and campaigns that spanned the country? Did we give up freedom rides, takeovers, and sit-ins for blogs, emails, and websites created in the safety and comfort of our dorms, apartments and homes? I think we must make room for both. In this new age of technology and institutional oppression Transform America is long overdue.

Come to the Transform America Launch, September 19th, at NYU's Puck Building second floor at the corner of Houston and Lafeyette starting at 6pm. Officially 295 Lafeyette St.

It's Time