My name is Dominique Scott, I am a senior at the University of Mississippi and a member of Students Against Social Injustice, USAS local 121. As part of my work as a Regional Organizer for United Students Against Sweatshops, I built student solidarity for Nissan workers organizing in the state of Mississippi and recruited for the March on Mississippi. As working class student, I understood all too well the debilitating nature of corporate greed in our communities.
Photo by Kiara K. Williams
Last April, our USAS chapter attended an action at the Nissan Plant in Canton to show solidarity with the workers organizing there. I worked alongside members of Popular Resistance to recruit students, faculty, and community members for the march throughout January and February. Our recruitment involved extensive outreach to students, faculty, community members, and organizations; social media outreach; class and organization raps, and recruitment for an on-campus teach-in with Danny Glover. The teach-in was pivotal to our recruitment effort. Over one hundred community members attended, and Danny Glover’s moving address brought the entire crowd to their feet.
As a result of our efforts, we were able to recruit over 125 students and community members from around the state to attend the March on Mississippi on March 4th. The march was intended to bring attention to Nissan’s illegal anti-union activity including worker threats and intimidation. The march gathered an estimated three thousand people from Mississippi, Louisiana, Alabama, and across the nation.
Solidarity forever,
Dominique Scott
University of Mississippi
SASI, USAS Local 121