The Hampton Institute
The Hampton Institute (HI) is a "working-class think tank" that was founded in 2013. In CONTRAST to traditional think tanks, the HI is a virtual organization that does not have a physical location and does not seek to provide specific policy analysis for political parties. For organizational purposes, its official location is in Albany, NY with a main address located in Clifton Park, NY, a suburb of Albany. Current chairpersons are located throughout the United States (including New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Indiana, Ohio, Arkansas, Colorado, and California), as well as Canada (Montreal), and Iceland (Hafnarfjorður). The HI was founded by Colin Jenkins, a libertarian socialist, with the purpose of giving a platform to everyday, working-class people to theorize, comment, analyze and discuss matters that exist outside the confines of their daily lives, yet greatly impact them on a daily basis. The organization was named after former Black Panther Fred Hampton and also cites inspiration from Italian Marxist theorist Antonio Gramsci and educator and philosopher Paulo Freire. In order to remain consistent with their working-class billing, the HI claims to seek organic intellectuals as opposed to traditional intellectuals and scholars. In an interview from 2013, Jenkins even went as far as saying that "credentials are products of privilege" and "essentially mean nothing." Despite this, some members of the Hampton Team possess post-secondary degrees, and some of their contributors are listed as having PhDs.
Organizational Makeup and Approach
The organization consists of fifteen departments, each with corresponding chairpersons, as well as a sub-department listed under "Current Projects" which includes a Director of Projects, Actions, and Activism. The fifteen departments are: Criminal Justice, Ecology & Sustainability, Education, Geopolitics, Indigenous Rights, Labor Issues, LGBTQ Rights, Race & Ethnicity, Social Economics, Social Movement Studies, Society & Culture, Spirituality & Religion, Urban Issues, and Women's Issues. Most of the current team, including Jason Williams (Criminal Justice), Andrew Gavin Marshall (Geopolitics), Derek Ide (Social Movement Studies), Syard Evans (Society & Culture), Cherise Charleswell (Women's Issues), Sean Posey (Urban Issues), Devon Douglas-Bowers (Politics & Government), Jonathan Mathias Lassiter (LGBTQ Rights), Jeriah Bowser (Ecology & Sustainability), and Eyad Alkurabi (Director of Projects, Action, and Activism) are founding members. The HI operates a publishing wing (Hampton Institute Press), a blog (The HI blog), and a bi-monthly podcast (A Different Lens) which is run by the Politics & Government department chairperson, Devon Douglas-Bowers. The organization also maintains a presence on social media, including Facebook (The Hampton Institute) and Twitter (@HamptonThink).
Its operational structure is run as a collective, cooperative, and Non-hierarchical Organization. It is also strictly independent and without ties to special interests. Jenkins commented on the organization's approach:
"In terms of approach, the HI attempts to begin to fill the historical void of which Gramsci once termed, “Organic Intellectualism” – the collective politicization and critical analysis of and from the working class itself. The HI is indifferent to traditional structures dominated by the pedigreed and privileged intelligentsia. Our members are passionate and probing members of the common... [we believe] intelligent analysis exists throughout the socioeconomic spectrum, and the only thing that separates those who own a public voice and those who do not is varying degrees of privilege. “Credentials” essentially mean nothing because they are typically nothing more than products of privilege; and for that reason alone, perspectives and analyses coming from those credentials/privilege are often presented in a way that opposes the public-at-large (the working class). The HI seeks to challenge this embedded, highly-controlled and top-down mode of inquiry by offering an alternative, organic and bottom-up viewpoint."
Departments with Corresponding Chairpersons
- Criminal Justice: Jason Williams
- Ecology & Sustainability: Jeriah Bowser
- Education: Vacant (as of 10/14/14)
- Geopolitics: Andrew Gavin Marshall
- Indigenous Rights: Julisa Garcia
- Labor Issues: Nicholas Partyka
- LGBTQ Rights: Jonathan Mathias Lassiter
- Politics & Government: Devon Douglas-Bowers
- Race & Ethnicity: Sonasha Braxton
- Social Economics: Colin Jenkins
- Social Movement Studies: Derek Ide
- Society & Culture: Syard Evans
- Spirituality & Religion: Jose M. Tirado
- Urban Issues: Sean Posey
- Women's Issues: Cherise Charleswell
Political Orientation
The organization does not claim an official political or ideological orientation other than "working class." Some of the members, including Marshall, Jenkins and Bowser, have openly identified with anarchist philosophy. Jenkins has also cited Marxism as a personal influence, and is a member of the Industrial Workers of the World, which is an anarcho-syndicalist organization and labor union. Derek Ide identifies as a socialist, stating, "I am a socialist, and I'm deeply rooted in that intellectual and political tradition broadly speaking. However, I do not identify with any of the particular subsets of Marxist schools of thought, but my view of history and the world is largely materialist." Sean Posey describes himself as anti-war and "situated on the Left, politically."
Jonathan Mathias Lassiter states, "My work is inherently political as it focuses on principles and opinions. However, I am not aligned with any political party nor am I am against any particular political party. I am not interested in political parties or politics in the common sense of the word but am more concerned with pursuing love and justice for the whole of humanity with a specific focus on marginalized populations." Syard Evans has said, "Despite my disgust for politics and traditional political systems, working in the non-profit human services realm for the past 15 years requires that I am an active advocate for individuals I support in every way possible, including politically." Regarding the political system in the United States, Jenkins said, "I view both parties (Democrats and Republicans) as (like Noam Chomsky once put it) “two wings of the same (corporate) business party.” Both represent moneyed interests, and not the interests of the large majority."
Hampton Institute Press
The organization operates a small publishing wing for the purpose of producing book in both print and digital form. Their lone title to date is Egypt's Past and Potential: Nationalism, Neoliberalism, and Revolution, which was written by Social Movement Studies chairperson Derek Ide. The book was published in January of 2014. The synopsis of the book reads:
Egypt's Past and Potential grapples with the complex political, economic, and social dynamics that led to Egypt's historic revolution of 2011. Utilizing a critical framework, author Derek Ide analyzes the country's development ranging from Nasser-era nationalism to the decades of neoliberal "reform" in order to situate the revolutionary uprising of 2011 in its appropriate historical context. The book also draws out the unique and often overlooked working class tradition in Egypt which both predated the January 25th revolution and, contrary to the common sense of many Western commentators, played a significant role in it. This timely book delivers a cogent analysis as events in Egypt continue to unfold, and provides a historical backdrop to help readers understand the economic pressures, dialectical conflicts, and social movements that intersect to shape Egyptian history.
A Different Lens podcast
The HI operates a podcast called "A Different Lens" for the purpose of conducting and broadcasting audio interviews with members and notable others. The podcast was initiated and is run by Politics & Government chairperson, Devon Douglas-Bowers, who also conducts the interviews. The most notable guests to date have been former Black Panther and black anarchist Lorenzo Kom'boa Ervin; political cartoonist, editorialist and activist Stephanie McMillan; geopolitical analyst Mahdi Darius Nazemroaya; independent journalist Rania Khalek; noted co-founder of Reaganomics, Paul Craig Roberts, and founder of Mint Press News, Mnar A. Muhawesh.
Current Projects
- Geopolitics chairperson Andrew Gavin Marshall operates an initiative known as The People's Book Project, which is described as:
...an independent initiative to crowd-source funding for a research and writing project, aiming to produce a series of books which take a radical look at the ideas, institutions, and individuals of power and resistance. The books aim to study power and people: what is the nature of our society, how did we get here, who brought us here, why, where are we going, when will we get there, and what can we do to change it?
- Applying Poulantzas is a research project by Colin Jenkins that:
...analyzes the work of Greek Marxist political sociologist, Nicos Poulantzas, and applies it to the unique political and economic structures found under neoliberalism and post-industrial capitalism.
- A Crossroads for Socialism: Cuba in Transition is a research project by Nicholas Partyka that:
...presents a multi-part analysis of Cuba, including dispatches and observations from his 2014 visit to the country. Partyka aims to present the most accurate insight into the reality of Cuba today, as it embarks on an unprecedented transition. With a heavy reliance on macroeconomic, geopolitical, and foreign policy analysis, this study seeks to pinpoint the nuanced economic, political, and social changes that are occurring on the island nation, and how these changes are impacting everyday Cubans.
- Ecofeminism is a research project by Cherise Charleswell that:
...analyzes the various health consequences of the global food production operations, distribution systems, preparation, and consumption, that affect women.
- Bridging the Gap: Reaching out to our Incarcerated Allies is a direct action initiative by Jeriah Bowser that seeks to:
...connect individuals currently incarcerated in America's 'Prison Industrial Complex' with their concerned brothers and sisters who are not currently incarcerated, with the intention of creating class-consciousness through relationships, education, and empowerment.
Work and Relevance
Hampton's analyses and commentaries have been picked up and republished by numerous media outlets, most notably Z Magazine, Truthout, Alternet, Common Dreams NewsCenter, Black Agenda Report, Dissident Voice, Foreign Policy Journal, and Popular Resistance. Jose Tirado (Spirituality & Religion) and Andrew Gavin Marshall are regular contributors to CounterPunch, and Marshall has been featured in ROAR Magazine and interviewed by Russia Today for his geopolitical analysis. Marshall is also a regular contributor to Sibel Edmonds' Boiling Frogs Post. Syard Evans (Society & Culture) participated in a TED talk event in April of 2014.
The HI has featured interviews with Angela Davis, Cornel West, David Graeber, and Staughton Lynd; and work from Noam Chomsky, Jessica Valenti, John Pilger, and rapper and activist Immortal Technique.
Activism and Outreach
Many of Hampton's members are involved in activism, direct action, and community outreach. Sean Posey has worked in community development at the Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corporation, where he assists with vacancy issues and urban agriculture in the inner city of Youngstown, Ohio. Derek Ide is the co-founder of and community adviser to the University of Toledo's "Students for Justice in Palestine" chapter on campus. Julisa Garcia has participated in three solidarity trips to Haiti in the wake of the Haiti 2010 earthquake. Jose Tirado is a long-time activist, working in such diverse fields as the anti-nuclear power movement, Native American literacy programs, gang prevention, and the struggle of the Guatemalan people during their recent civil war. Jeriah Bowser has participated in prisoner outreach programs. Jonathan Mathias Lassiter has served as a therapist at the Center for HIV Educational Studies and Training, where he provided clinical services for a National Institute on [...] Abuse funded clinical intervention trial. Eyad Alkurabi is a community organizer for GetEQUAL.
In June 2014, the HI sponsored a two-part book talk on Thomas Piketty's Capital in the Twenty-First Century. The presenters were Nicholas Partyka and Colin Donnaruma, and the two events took place at the Social Justice Center in Albany, NY.
In August 2014, the HI sponsored a "Freedom for Gaza" protest and march. The event took place in Albany, NY and was part of a nation-wide "Day of Rage" coordinated in hundreds of cities in response to Israel's bombing of the Gaza strip.