66-628: Forever Family (also known as the Forever Family Fund and the FF Force ) is a grassroots anti-racism and black power organisation in the United Kingdom . The group was founded by rapper Khari McKenzie (known by the alias Raspect Fyahbingh) and Rachelle Emanuel during the 2020 George Floyd protests in the United Kingdom , which were initiated by the murder of George Floyd by police in
132-419: A Community Interest Company (CIC) on 1 June 2021, with the nature of the business described as "activities of head offices", "educational support services" and "other social work activities without accommodation". This company was similarly dissolved via compulsory strike-off on 20 December 2022. Grassroots A grassroots movement is one that uses the people in a given district, region or community as
198-425: A private limited company on 20 June 2020, with the nature of the business described as "fund management activities" and "general public administration activities". Rachelle Emanuel was listed as company secretary, and Khari McKenzie as director and a person with significant control . The company was dissolved via compulsory strike-off on 1 November 2022. Forever Family UK CIC was registered with Companies House as
264-491: A 1907 newspaper article about Ed Perry, vice-chairman of the Oklahoma state committee, the phrase was used as follows: "In regard to his political views Mr. Perry has issued the following terse platform: 'I am for a square deal, grass root representation, for keeping close to the people, against ring rule and for fair treatment. ' " A 1904 news article on a campaign for possible Theodore Roosevelt running mate Eli Torrance quotes
330-449: A CIC as a subsidiary, in which case (exceptionally) there are no restrictions on distributions to the shareholder. CICs are limited companies , either limited by shares or limited by guarantee. Thus Registered Societies and unincorporated associations cannot be CICs. When a CIC is requested, the CIC regulator considers whether the application meets the criteria to become a CIC. If satisfied,
396-535: A CIC must also provide that its assets cannot be used except for the benefit of the community. This is known as the asset lock. The "asset lock" refers to provisions in the company's articles that ensure the assets of the company are, at least mainly, applied for the benefit of the community. The precise terms are specified in legislation. Assets not applied directly for the benefit of the community may only be exchanged for full value or transferred to another "asset-locked body". The only exceptions are distributions to
462-534: A Kansas political organizer as saying: "Roosevelt and Torrance clubs will be organized in every locality. We will begin at the grass roots". Since the early 1900s, grassroots movements have been widespread both in the United States and in other countries. Major examples include parts of the American Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s, Brazil's land equity movement of the 1970s and beyond,
528-536: A clear hierarchy are far less effective and are more likely to die off. Astroturfing refers to political action that is meant to appear to be grassroots, that is spontaneous and local, but in fact comes from an outside organization, such as a corporation or think tank. It is named after AstroTurf , a brand of artificial grass . An example of astroturfing was the ExxonMobil Corporation's push to disseminate false information about climate change. ExxonMobil
594-463: A company to be registered as a CIC, the Regulator must be satisfied that that "a reasonable person might consider that its activities are being carried on for the benefit of the community", or at least a section of the community. This community interest test is met primarily by including a suitable objects clause in the articles of association. In order to meet this test, CICs cannot: The articles of
660-432: A demand also backed by London rapper Dave . Members of Forever Family are notable for their distinctive all-black and military-style dress code and use of body armour , which has been compared to that of the former Black Panther Party and the more recent NFAC in the United States. This fact has proven controversial among some of the group's critics, who have suggested that Forever Family's methods could be illegal under
726-478: A favourable tax treatment: CICs are liable to corporation tax like any other company. Those who may want to set up a CIC are expected to be philanthropic entrepreneurs who want to do good in a form other than charity. This may be because: A charity can convert to a CIC with the consent of the Charity Commission . In so doing, it will lose its charitable status, including tax advantages. A charity may own
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#1733085483060792-746: A group that would turn up at the site of gang violence incidents in stab-proof vests and call on residents to "reclaim the space". Forever Family made their first notable public appearance when on 1 August 2020 - the anniversary of the Slavery Abolition Act - members of the group joined the annual Emancipation Day march in Brixton , London to demand reparations for Britain's role in the enslavement of multiple generations of people from Africa. Forever Family often engages in forms of direct action including protest marches, but also responds to incidents of violence against Black British people by establishing
858-505: A non-profit organization dedicated to creating and supporting grassroots movements in America says that grassroots movements aim to raise money, build organizations, raise awareness, build name recognition, to win campaigns and to deepen political participation. Grassroots movements work toward these and other goals via strategies focusing on local participation in either local or national politics. Grassroots organizations derive their power from
924-554: A social purpose..., or to carry on other activities for the benefit of the community". CICs were introduced by the UK government in 2005 under Part 2 of the Companies (Audit, Investigations and Community Enterprise) Act 2004 . They enjoy the flexibility and certainty of the company form, but with statutory provisions to ensure they are working for the benefit of the community. The Regulator of Community Interest Companies provides oversight, which
990-504: A variety of strategies from fundraising and registering voters, to simply encouraging political conversation. Goals of specific movements vary and change, but the movements are consistent in their focus on increasing mass participation in politics. These political movements may begin as small and at the local level, but grassroots politics as Cornel West contends are necessary in shaping progressive politics as they bring public attention to regional political concerns. The idea of grassroots
1056-477: A visible presence in the area. In February 2023 a black teenage girl was beaten by white children while being encouraged to do so by their white parents outside Thomas Knyvett College in Ashford, Surrey . Members of Forever Family including founder Khari McKenzie (Raspect Fyahbingh) gathered outside the school demanding the resignation of Headteacher Richard Beeson for failing to protect black students from racial abuse,
1122-582: Is also a controversial example of astroturfing. Critics, notably including Former President Barack Obama and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi , dismissed the Tea Party as Astroturf. They say that the movement purports to represent large swaths of America when in reality it comes from a select few billionaires seeking policies favorable to themselves. The Tea Party has defended itself, arguing that it comes out of broad popular support and widespread anger at
1188-404: Is also credited with having conceived of the idea of the "Community Interest Company" and led much of the work on establishment of that legal company form in the UK. CICs are diverse. They include social and community enterprises, social firms, mutual organizations such as co-operatives , and large-scale organizations operating locally, regionally, nationally, or internationally. In order for
1254-469: Is an organization dedicated to upholding and advancing the principles of the American dream through highly sophisticated grassroots field operations. With a clear mission to recruit, train, lead, and retain a workforce of passionate and committed patriots, the group is focused on creating a highly skilled army of conservative, cause-driven individuals capable of executing the most effective grassroots campaigns on
1320-580: Is intended to be "light touch". CICs have proved popular, with some 10,000 registered in the first ten years of the status being available. CICs tackle a wide range of social and environmental issues and operate in all parts of the economy. By using business methods to achieve public good, it is believed that CICs have a distinct and valuable role to play in helping create a strong, sustainable and socially inclusive economy. Limited companies that do not have charitable status find it difficult to ensure that their assets are dedicated to public benefit. Before
1386-423: Is often conflated with participatory democracy . The Port Huron Statement , a manifesto seeking a more democratic society, says that to create a more equitable society, "the grass roots of American Society" need to be the basis of civil rights and economic reform movements. The terms can be distinguished in that grassroots often refers to a specific movement or organization, whereas participatory democracy refers to
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#17330854830601452-431: Is their blend of military-style leadership and AI-driven "overwatch" technology, which prevents fraud and enhances field performance, making their operations both efficient and reliable. The organization’s unique combination of advanced technology and disciplined management techniques places it at the forefront of grassroots political action, enabling them to play a key role in shaping the future of conservative movements in
1518-466: Is typically designed by outsiders who can only perceive a community’s need and so community needs are often only marginally addressed or not addressed at all. By contrast, bottom-up processing is defined as "observing or monitoring efforts defined and undertaken at the local scale and brought forward to higher-level bodies, often with a focus on supporting outcomes desired by a local community." Bottom-up processing has "local residents and [POC] co-facilitate
1584-631: Is used to organize is through the use of hashtags to group together postings from across the network under a unifying message. Some hashtags that stirred up larger media coverage include the #MeToo movement , started in 2017 in response to sexual assault allegations against prominent figures in the American entertainment industry. Grassroots movements also use hashtags to organize on a large scale on social media. Some examples include: The junior senator from Arizona and standard-bearer of conservative Republicans, Barry Goldwater announced his candidacy on January 3, 1964. Goldwater focused on goals such as reducing
1650-534: The Public Order Act 1936 which prohibits both the use of political uniforms , and organising for the purpose of "usurping the functions of the police". Former MEP Nigel Farage described Forever Family as "a paramilitary -style force" in reference to their presence at the 2020 Emancipation Day march in Brixton, which Farage also labelled "terrifying" and "divisive". The Forever Family Fund's website states that
1716-637: The United States . The protests were led by activists from the Black Lives Matter movement and resulted in the toppling of statues across the UK of people associated with the transatlantic slave trade . McKenzie first became politically active in 2011 after the Killing of Mark Duggan by police in Tottenham Hale , London , which sparked the 2011 England riots . He was previously a member of G.A.N.G ,
1782-500: The 1960s. Such discontent gained traction, particularly after Brazil became a democracy in 1985. The movement focused especially on occupying land that was considered unproductive, thus showing that it was seeking overall social benefit. In the 1990s the influence of the MST grew tremendously following two mass killings of protestors. Successful protests were those in which the families of those occupying properties receiving plots of land. Although
1848-527: The 1980s, the movement became far bigger. In 1981, 800 organizations pushed the government to reduce the military size. The push culminated in a protest by 300,000 people in the German capital Bonn. The movement was successful in producing a grassroots organization, the Coordination Committee, which directed the efforts of the peace movements in the following years. The committee ultimately failed to decrease
1914-417: The CIC regime was introduced there was no simple, clear way of locking the support of such a company to a public benefit purpose, other than applying for charitable status. The community interest company emerged from many sources, often citing the absence in the UK of a company form for not-for-profit social enterprises similar to those in other countries. A first significant proposal for a new company form in
1980-525: The Chinese rural democracy movement of the 1980s and the German peace movement of the 1980s. A particular instantiation of grassroots politics in the American Civil Rights Movement was the 1951 case of William Van Til working on the integration of the Nashville Public Schools. Van Til worked to create a grassroots movement focused on discussing race relations at the local level. To that end, he founded
2046-508: The Democratic Party and disenchantment with the GOP. Defenders of the Tea Party cite polls that find substantial support, indicating that the movement has some basis in grassroots politics. Critics point to the corporate influence on the Tea Party, which they believe indicates that the movement is more top-down than the grassroots rhetoric would suggest. The Tea Party can be considered grassroots to
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2112-608: The Form IN01 and memorandum and articles of association together with a Form CIC36 signed by all their directors, explaining their community credentials, to the Registrar of Companies for England and Wales, or the Registrar for Scotland, with a fee of £35. Since 11 March 2019, CICs can be registered online for a reduced fee of £27. Existing companies can convert to a CIC by passing resolutions which make changes to their name and their memorandum and articles of association and by delivering to
2178-566: The Nashville Community Relations Conference, which brought together leaders from various communities in Nashville to discuss the possibility of integration. In response to his attempts to network with leadership in the black community, residents of Nashville responded with violence and scare tactics. However, Van Til was still able to bring blacks and whites together to discuss the potential for changing race relations, and he
2244-504: The Registrar of Companies copies of these documents, together with a fee of £35, and a form CIC37 (which is similar to a CIC36, but asks for confirmation that the company is not a charity or that permission has been obtained from the Charity Commission to convert from a charity to a CIC). The Registrar will conduct the normal checks for registration and pass the papers to the Regulator of Community Interest Companies, to determine whether
2310-499: The Republican nomination. He sparked a grassroots movement among young conservatives by presenting himself as honest, committed and a genuine politician. The majority of his campaign donations were made by individual supporters; and only one-third of donations were greater than $ 500. The junior United States senator and former Representative from Vermont, Bernie Sanders, formally announced his 2016 presidential campaign on May 26, 2015, on
2376-422: The U.S. There is an ongoing debate as to whether a bottom-up or top-down approach is better suited to address the problems facing communities. Top-down processing involves large-scale programs or high-level frameworks, often driven by governmental or international action. Top-down processing is great for tracking large scale causal relationships in environmental systems and it has better funding. Top-down processing
2442-658: The UK was advanced in 2001 in "The case for the Public Interest Company", by Paul Corrigan, Jane Steele and Greg Parston of the Public Management Foundation. This proposal was based on research funded by the Gulbenkian Foundation , Gordon Roddick, and the Office for Public Management, and was influenced by the example of the American public benefit corporation . Stephen Lloyd of Bates Wells Braithwaite
2508-578: The basis for a political or continent movement. Grassroots movements and organizations use collective action from the local level to implement change at the local, regional, national, or international levels. Grassroots movements are associated with bottom-up, rather than top-down decision-making, and are sometimes considered more natural or spontaneous than more traditional power structures. Grassroots movements, using self-organization , encourage community members to contribute by taking responsibility and action for their community. Grassroots movements utilize
2574-468: The campaign to challenge the Democratic front-runner, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton , before ultimately losing. Sanders used his grassroots campaign to receive more than 7 million individual contributions averaging $ 27, effectively breaking Barack Obama's previous individual contribution record in 2008. In 2015 the refugee crisis became front-page news across the world. Affected by images of
2640-546: The company satisfies the community interest test. The 2004 act created the officer known as the Regulator of Community Interest Companies, who is appointed for a term of up to five years by the relevant Secretary of State – from 2016 to 2023 the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy , since 2023 the Secretary of State for Business and Trade . Louise Smyth was appointed as Regulator in September 2020; she
2706-401: The company's members for the purpose of returning paid-up capital, or paying dividends and interest (which are subject to caps). A CIC is ipso facto not a charity, even if in all other respects it meets the requirements of charitable status. They are more lightly regulated than charities, which can be advantageous. On the other hand they do not have the benefit of charitable status, such as
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2772-471: The electorate at large. Critics of Obama have argued that some of these methods are in fact astroturfing because they believe that Obama faked the grassroots support. For example, the Reason Foundation has accused Obama of planting astroturf supporters in town hall meetings. Many movements and organizations must be placed on a continuum between grassroots and astroturf instead of labeled entirely as one or
2838-551: The express purpose of bringing democracy to the local level of government. Reforms took the form of self-governing village committees that were elected in a competitive, democratic process. Xu Wang from Princeton University called the Congress mutually empowering for the state and the peasantry in that the state was given a renewed level of legitimacy by the democratic reforms and the peasantry was given far more political power. This manifested itself in increased voting rate, particularly for
2904-517: The extent that it comes from the people, but it is considered astroturfing to the extent that it is shaped by corporations and particularly wealthy individuals. The term "grassroots" is used by a number of sporting organizational bodies to reference the lowest, most elementary form of the game that anyone can play. Focusing on the grassroots of a sporting code can lead to greater participation numbers, greater support of professional teams/athletes and ultimately provide performance and financial benefits to
2970-573: The focus from moving problematic waste to changing the system that produced such waste. The movement is considered grassroots because it utilized strategies that derived their power from the affected communities. For example, in North Carolina, African American communities lay down in front of dump trucks to protest their environmental impact. The success of these movements largely remains to be seen. Grassroots movements use tactics that build power from local and community movements. Grassroots Campaigns,
3036-445: The foundation of reversing "obscene levels" of income and wealth inequality. Sanders stated that he would run an issue-oriented and positive campaign, focusing his efforts on getting corporate money out of politics, raising taxes on the wealthy, guaranteeing tuition-free higher education, incorporating a single-payer healthcare system, fighting against climate change and other key issues. Those inspired by Sanders were able to elevate
3102-442: The global stage. Founded on a deep sense of patriotism, Patriot Grassroots leverages cutting-edge technology to drive its operations. They specialize in a variety of campaign activities, including canvassing, signature gathering, calling and texting, and managing field teams. Additionally, they take on specialized relationship marketing projects for their clients, ensuring maximum outreach and impact. What sets Patriot Grassroots apart
3168-679: The grassroots efforts of the MST were successful in Brazil when they were tried by the South African Landless People's Movement (LPM) in 2001 they were not nearly as successful. Land occupations in South Africa were politically contentious and did not achieve the positive results seen by the MST. The National People's Congress was a grassroots democratic reform movement that came out of the existing Chinese government in 1987. It encouraged grassroots elections in villages all around China with
3234-470: The group organises a number of charitable activities such as "collection of food, clothing and essential items for those in need". It also offers contacts for "legal support", and promotes the growth and self-sufficiency of Black-owned businesses in the UK. The Forever Family newsletter also indicates that a branch of the organisation exists in Scotland. Forever Family Ltd was registered with Companies House as
3300-610: The inhabitants there. Other volunteers journeyed to support refugees across the Balkans, Macedonia and the Greek islands. Grassroots aid filled voids and saved lives by plugging gaps in the system between governments and existing charities. The Axis of Justice (AofJ) is a not-for-profit group co-founded by Tom Morello and Serj Tankian. Its intended purpose is to promote social justice by connecting musicians and music enthusiasts to progressive grassroots ideals. The group appears at music festivals;
3366-480: The larger system of governance. The earliest origins of "grass roots" as a political metaphor are obscure. In the United States, an early use of the phrase "grassroots and boots" was thought to have been coined by Senator Albert Jeremiah Beveridge of Indiana , who said of the Progressive Party in 1912, "This party has come from the grass roots. It has grown from the soil of people's hard necessities". In
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#17330854830603432-451: The last financial year. A CIC is expected, though not absolutely required, to specify an "asset-locked body" in its articles of association, to which any surplus assets will be transferred when the company is wound up . If such a body is not specified, the Regulator's approval must be obtained before any distribution can be made. Formation and registration are similar to those of any limited company. New organizations can register by filing
3498-550: The most prominent being Lollapalooza in 2003. The Axis of Justice most regularly appears whenever the bands System of a Down or Audioslave are performing. The group also has a podcast on XM Satellite radio and KPFK (90.7 FM), a Pacifica Radio station in Los Angeles, California. The AofJ's mission is to connect local music fans to organizations, local and global, aimed at effectively working on issues like peace, human rights and economic justice within communities. Patriot Grassroots
3564-533: The organization to invest into the growth and development of the sport. Some examples of this are FIFA 's Grassroots Programme and the Football Federation Australia 's "Goals for Grassroots" initiative. Community Interest Company A community interest company ( CIC , pronounced "see-eye-see", or colloquially, "kick") is a form of social enterprise in the United Kingdom intended "for people wishing to establish businesses which trade with
3630-453: The other. For example, Australia's Convoy of No Confidence, a movement seeking to force an early election in 2011, incorporated elements of grassroots infrastructure in its reliance on the anger and discontentment of the participants. It also had elements of astroturf, namely the large extent to which it relied on support from political elites in the opposition party. The Tea Party , a conservative force in American politics that began in 2009,
3696-458: The people. This focus manifested itself in the democratic institutions that focused on engaging the poor and in reform efforts that sought to make the government more responsive to the will of the people. Another instance of a historical grassroots movement was the 1980s German peace movement. The movement traces its roots to the 1950s movement opposing nuclear armament or the "Ban the Bomb" Movement. In
3762-512: The people; thus their strategies seek to engage ordinary people in political discourse to the greatest extent possible. Below is a list of strategies considered to be grassroots because of their focus on engaging the populace: Social media's prominence in political and social activism has skyrocketed in the last decade. Influencers on apps like Instagram and Twitter have all become hot spots for growing grassroots movements as platforms to inform, excite and organize. Another influential way media
3828-576: The plight of refugees arriving and travelling across Europe, the grassroots aid movement (otherwise known as the people-to-people or people solidarity movement), consisting of thousands of private individuals with no prior NGO experience, began in earnest to self-organise and form groups taking aid to areas of displaced persons. The first wave of early responders reached camps in Calais and Dunkirk in August 2015 and joined forces with existing local charities supporting
3894-419: The poor, and increased levels of political awareness according to Wang's research. One example of the increased accountability from the new institutions was a province in which villagers gave 99,000 suggestions to the local government. Ultimately, 78,000 of these were adopted indicating a high rate of governmental responsiveness. This movement is considered grassroots because it focuses on systematically empowering
3960-500: The regulator advises the Registrar in Companies House who, provided that all the documents are in order, will issue a certificate of incorporation as a CIC. CICs must file a "community interest company report" (form CIC34) as part of their annual submission to Companies House. This includes confirmation of directors' remuneration and some explanation of their social impact or evidence of the social benefit that they have provided over
4026-981: The size of the German military, but it laid the groundwork for protests of the Iraq war in the 2000s. Further, the movement started public dialogue about policy directed at peace and security. Like the Civil Rights Movement, the German Peace movement is considered grassroots because it focused on political change starting at the local level. Another example of grassroots in the 1980s was the Citizens Clearinghouse for Natural Waste, an organization that united communities and various grassroots groups in America in support of more environmentally friendly methods of dealing with natural waste. The movement focused especially on African American communities and other minorities. It sought to bring awareness to those communities and alter
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#17330854830604092-474: The size of the federal government, lowering taxes, promoting free enterprise and a strong commitment to U.S. global leadership and fighting communism, which appealed strongly to conservatives in the Republican Party. Despite vehement opposition from the leaders of his party's dominant moderate-liberal wing, such as New York governor Nelson Rockefeller and Michigan governor George Romney ; Goldwater secured
4158-423: The trainings and workshops" -- this "empowers participants." Bottom-up approaches are often not impactful beyond local settings. Grassroots organizations take on a bottom-up approach as they often allow for direct community participation. Grassroots movements are usually criticized because the recent rise in social media has resulted in leaderless and horizontal movements. Some argue that social movements without
4224-515: Was founded in the 1970s and has grown into an international organization. The MST focused on organizing young farmers and their children in fighting for a variety of rights, most notably the right to access land. The movement sought organic leaders and used strategies of direct action such as land occupations. It largely maintained autonomy from the Brazilian government. The MST traces its roots to discontent arising from large land inequalities in Brazil in
4290-402: Was largely successful both in disseminating the information through think tanks and in disguising the true nature of the think tanks. More controversial examples of astroturfing often exhibit some characteristics of a real grassroots organization, but also characteristics of astroturf. Many of President Obama's efforts, for example, have been deemed grassroots because of their focus on involving
4356-531: Was ultimately instrumental in integrating the Peabody College of Education in Nashville. Furthermore, the desegregation plan proposed by Van Til's Conference was implemented by Nashville schools in 1957. This movement is characterized as grassroots because it focused on changing a norm at the local level using local power. Van Til worked with local organizations to foster political dialogue and was ultimately successful. The Brazilian Landless Workers Movement (MST)
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