There are many groups and individuals in our midst that are simply invisible to alot of white progressives. I talked to many of my non white friends who were just not attracted to the idea of what they suspected would be a white perspective gathering and of those willing to expose themselves to the experience there were simply more important things to do. I talked afterward with one of the most expert people in our county on Cuba who had not been invited and there were many similiar omissions too numerous to mention. No one in that community even knew of this gathering until I told them and by then it was too late as they were already involved in putting on an event of their own, celebrating the fact that the issue of medicinal marijuana will finally get to be decided by the voters. Here is an environmental, industrial, medicinal and economic solution that is still being ignored by serious activists working in those fields.
All approaches are necessary.
Then we won't need those mediators anymore.