So I know all my lovely readers know everything there is to know about the Allied Media Conference–right?

About how it is held in Detroit, Michigan every year in July, and about how the organizers are committed community based activists and bleed media justice? About how every year, the AMC sets new goals based on feedback from participants, and actually follows through on those goals?

I also know that you know that I am an organizer with the Allied Media Conference–and after making the point that I couldn’t come to a lot of the meetings because I have two kids–money was set aside in the budget to get childcare for me (and other moms/parents) to attend the meetings?

And did you also know that my kids have attended the last two AMC’s because kids are welcome at the conference and childcare is provided? And that as a result of the conference, my oldest now regularly writes letters to ‘big people’ who have pissed her off (namely George Bush, hee)?

Oh, and I know I’ve mentioned that the AMC values collaboration between marginalized communities, and has set up spaces where groups like Incite! women of color against violence can have extended 6 hour conversations with radical women of color media makers, and disabled women of color can organize?

And I absolutely have mentioned that for every theoretical “this is a problem” critique-y sort of panel there are tons of workshops that do everything from show youths how to create their own radios to helping women of color develop their own blogs, to encouraging all people to share their own media justice strategies?

I know I’ve mentioned all that, right?

Well, these wonderful amazing necessary transformative organizers have just released their latest vision statement–and updated their website–and are looking for people to become investors in the AMC.

I love that people who donate to the AMC are called investors–because this is the one conference where you truly are investing–when you give money, you are supporting an organization that does everything I mentioned above, all while centralizing the needs of the community of Detroit. Check out this awesome Wire Tap article on how the AMC is leading grassroots organizing to rebuild Detroit by centralizing a media based economy.

That is what you’re investing in when you donate to the AMC. An organization, a group of people, a community, that says we are you. You don’t need to ‘teach’ us how to be more diverse. You don’t need to worry that you will always be the group that can’t be accommodated (because conferences can’t be everything to everybody, right?), you don’t need to worry that your money is going to pay for expensive advertising rather than day care services, you don’t need to worry that we won’t have your back.

Allied Media Conference is not the perfect conference–but as conference organizer Adrienne Marie Brown notes, the AMC is unique:

“It’s not a perfect conference, it’s a learning conference. It’s amazing for beginning and intermediate organizers who recognize the need for media to enhance their impact. We’re still figuring out how to support and evolve the work of advanced media organizers; and also on getting folks to understand that popular education is a political process, not just an interactive workshop.

“The process we use to develop the Allied Media Conference is really exciting, because we engage deeply with communities and organizations who have come before, and groups, individuals and networks who we want to engage in the future. These groups have something to offer to the folks already there, and/or something to learn from the folks already there. The types of folks who come tend to be folks who are doing long-term work as a community and need ways to communicate with each other, and are hampered from communicating by economics, environment, or socialization.”

So why haven’t you made your investment! Come on out to Detroit. We’ve always got a place for you!