Overview
The Ally Ship was founded in October 2018 as a reparations project meant to resource 400+1’s vanguardism, destabilization, and development of alternatives to white supremacy. The organization began by hosting political education events for white allies in Austin. in 2019, the organization launched its reparations gardening program. In 2021, it largely shifted its focus to support of the vanguard’s #MartialtheBlockCampaign through fundraising and direct action. This year, The Ally Ship has been pivotal in providing additional resources to vanguard members in times of crises; pairing their monthly reparations disbursements with rapid response funding. Now, the organization will focus on its Ethical Mission Trip program, an initiative that funnels and leverages human resources to develop the infrastructure for 400+1’s L3 intentional living communities.
Updates
While, so far, The Ally Ship has been modestly successful, 400+1 has always held that its pursuit of white allyship is an experiment. We have no definite answer as to whether or not white investment in Black revolutionary struggle is realistic, viable, or sustainable. On the one hand, the federation has successfully organized over 100 white people to pay reparations, monthly, to 400+1. On the other, it’s been an immense challenge to attract or develop leadership that will commit itself to growing The Ally Ship as a resource to Black revolutionary struggle.
Moving forward, TAS will prioritize the development of active leadership, growing TAS base through canvassing, and zeroing in on its contribution to L3 development. This will look like:
a shift from mandatory reparations dues each month to mandatory monthly reparations dues and mandatory canvassing that members can choose to engage on an annual, quarterly, monthly, or bi-weekly basis.
a shift from virtual TAS orientations to in-person orientations to TAS that include a canvassing training and preliminary political education. Out of state members will be accommodated at bi-annual orientation retreats that will be scheduled based on mutual availability.
monthly, virtual political education offered by the federation’s Ministers of Cohesion
voluntary monthly work trips to 400+1’s intentional living community from April to September, each year.
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