"To be truly visionary we have to root our imagination in our concrete reality while simultaneously imagining possibilities beyond that reality." -bell hooks

Reflecting on the recent passing of bell hooks, path-making author, poet and feminist - of the many important ideas she conveyed, this quote resonated with me greatly. This year has demanded so much of our attention on the complex of systemic crises that overwhelm our communities, our families and friends. The "concrete reality" is unflinching and unrelenting. Yet we persist in seeing what is possible for a more just society and sustainable living on our planet.

I'm proud of MR's work this year to embody this idea, rooting our work in the concrete reality of tens-of-thousands of good-paying jobs going unfilled while unemployment in Black and other communities of color are unconscionably high. While urgent focus has been on immediate effects of COVID-19 and the physical violence in our communities, it is also important to remember that economic disenfranchisement is also traumatizing this reality with generationally impactful consequences.

MR's mission to advance sustainable development anchored in manufacturing can be framed in bell hook's "imagined possibilities," in that this reality need not be permanent. Instead we see a new paradigm of development with thriving communities that can make, own, restore and build our livelihoods, institutions, and futures - and nurture generations to come.

Thank you to the many partners, participants, funders, employees, board members, volunteers, CMRC members and supporters who helped us work towards this new vision of imagined possibilities. If you are not yet involved, join us in this work! Please consider an end-of-year donation to send us charging into 2022 ready to challenge the reality of what is and push it towards what is possible!

Thanks for reading and on behalf of our staff and the communities we serve, Happy Holidays and a prosperous New Year!

The CMRC continued to spotlight the growing movement for a more inclusive manufacturing sector at a Nov. 3 event that featured USDOC Deputy Secretary Don Graves. Nearly 150 attended the online event from over a dozen states, including members of community organizations and nonprofits, faith leaders, business owners and many others.

Graves confirmed the department’s commitment on this issue. “We are headed in the right direction, but we know that government can’t solve all of these problems alone. We need strong public-private partnerships with all of you.”

A dynamic panel of speakers added insight and dimension to the need for additional resources to this effort and how partnerships are leveraged towards making a more inclusive manufacturing sector. “We need herculean scaling of investment across the public and private spectrum so that we can make sure we meet the needs of companies and communities,” said Erica Staley, Executive Director of Manufacturing Renaissance. “Together, we can go farther faster. This must be an increasing priority.”

Recording of the event here.

For more than 35 years, Damron Corporation on Chicago’s West Side has manufactured and distributed tea products, sourced from the most famous tea-growing areas in the world. Companies that Damron supplies its products to include McDonald’s. In fact, Damron was the first African-American owned company to become a national supplier to McDonald’s. 

Ask Ronald Damper, Founder and President of Damron about the company, though, and he may be equally likely to talk about the need for opportunities for young people on the West Side, the company’s story as a highly successful minority-run business, and what he sees in an economy that continues to face the challenge of COVID-19.

Damper says that when the company opened, he “knew that jobs were needed on the West Side. There was an opportunity to get involved, and where jobs were appreciated. We got involved with Manufacturing Renaissance because we knew the organization would give us students we could talk to about their future.” Damper says that smaller companies like Damron often need to “use connections with organizations like Manufacturing Renaissance.”

Read more here

On December 14, the Chicagoland Manufacturing Renaissance Council (CMRC), program operated by Manufacturing Renaissance (MR), held its first in-person Ministers for Manufacturing (M4M) committee meeting since before the COVID-19 pandemic. The meeting was hosted at Matot, Inc., manufacturing company in Bellwood, IL in the western suburbs of Chicago. Jim Piper, President of Matot and CeCe Matot, 4th generation owner of Matot, welcomed 9 members of the M4M committee both in-person and through video conference to learn more about this important manufacturing company in our region. Rev. Anthony Haynes, Chairman, led the agenda to begin the nominating process to fill the co-chair positions to help build the faith community network across the West Side, South Side, suburban Chicago and statewide. Photo left to right: Ed Coleman, David Robinson, CeCe Matot, Jim Piper, Dr. Tanesha House, Rev. Anthony Haynes.

Shipping, receiving, operating machines, working in a company’s quality department. In nearly a decade of working in the manufacturing field, Marla Sanders has had many responsibilities. Sanders participated in the Manufacturing Renaissance training program at the Austin Polytechnical Academy, graduating from the program in 2012 in its second graduating class.

Sanders grew up in large family – she has nine brothers and three sisters. She and seven of her siblings grew up in Austin. Sanders says there were frequent incidents of violence in the community. “Something has to change,” she says of gang violence in the community. One of the things that changed for her, she says, is that she learned skills – soft and hard skills – needed to succeed in manufacturing. Photo of Marla Sanders, Manufacturing Connect program at Austin Polytechnical Academy graduate on Chicago's Westside in 2012, has worked the last 9 years in manufacturing.

Brence Turner, Senior Machining Instructor at Manufacturing Renaissance, grew up in a family where numerous people worked in manufacturing. “I have seen the opportunities it gave them for a solid income, insurance, a paycheck – and a career,” he says. Turner is a native of Chicago’s South Side. After high school, he attended Daley College and Chicago State University. Later, he went back to school at Wright College and enrolled in a Computer Numeric Control (CNC) program.

“There is a sense of social responsibility I felt as I got older,” he says. “There’s a stigma around Black and brown communities, but there are great people in these communities. It’s important to have an understanding that people need opportunities.” Many students, he adds, “are facing challenging circumstances that can include homelessness, food insecurity, social and emotional issues, COVID, and violence. These are still kids,” he says, “and they are smart and eager to learn. When I talk about complex manufacturing terms and how a machine works, they get excited and get it – and most get it quickly.”

Read more here

Contributing writer for MR's newsletter: Dan Baron, dan@danbaron.com

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