Ferguson October Draws a Rainbow of Solidarity
In the Old Courthouse in downtown St. Louis, Missouri, the case of Dred Scott was first heard in 1847. Dred Scott and his family sued for freedom from their slave owner on the grounds that they had been removed from a “slave state” and brought to U.S. territories in which slavery was illegal.
The case ultimately went to the U.S. Supreme Court, which in 1857 ruled that Scott had no standing to sue for rights under U.S. law since no black person – free or slave – was a citizen of the United States.
Fast forward to this past weekend: October 11-12, 2014. Three thousand protesters from throughout the country gathered in the literal and figurative shadow of the Old Courthouse to call for justice in the police killing of Michael Brown two months earlier in nearby Ferguson, Missouri.
The Ferguson October weekend of action and resistance is four days of protest, forums, discussion, prayer, and reflection aimed at putting a spotlight on Mike Brown’s killing and the broader issues of police brutality and accountability nationwide.
One of the most striking things about the event is its breadth and diversity.
Saturday’s march, titled “Justice for All” had a large local contingent, but also drew students from colleges such as Grinnell University, Howard University, University of Cincinnati and many others.
Carpools arrived from as far away as California, Florida, Maine and Washington state. Large groups of young African Americans came heeding the call “Black Lives Matter!” – but so did Latino, Arab, Asian and white marchers. Signs were in Korean, Spanish, Arabic and English. Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, all faiths, and Atheists, were represented.
Activists from the environmental justice movement, Palestine solidarity movement, immigrant rights movement and the civil rights movement, both new and old were here in solidarity. Labor unions, community organizations, student groups and churches marched behind their banners.
All ages participated, from babes in arms to 90-year-old human rights activist and Holocaust survivor Hedy Epstein. The mood was somehow both mournful and exuberant.
One of the greatest accomplishments of the movement in Ferguson and the greater St. Louis area in the past two months is the development of a dynamic group of young people who have been peacefully marching, protesting and calling for Darren Wilson, the officer who shot Michael Brown to be indicted. The grand jury had its deadline extended into 2015, a delay that leaves the family and the community waiting for answers.
These young people – many of them sleeping in tents in and around Ferguson for weeks – have been harassed, arrested, tear gassed and vilified by authorities ever since the police turned peaceful protests into an uprising eight weeks ago. Rev. Renita Lamkin from St. Charles, Missouri has spent weeks working with local youth and mediating with police during almost nightly confrontations. She was hit with rubber bullets fired by police recently while working to keep the peace.
Speaking to the assembled crowd Saturday, Rev. Osagyefo Sekou said he believes a national movement against police brutality has begun in Ferguson.
“The blood of Mike Brown has seeded a great revolution in this country,” said Rev. Sekou
Meetings throughout the weekend discussed taking the movement outward both to keep attention on the unresolved situation in Ferguson, but also to address the everyday experience of racist policing across the country. Whether this moment in history can become a historic movement is up to the organizers and activists heading home after this weekend. But many here believe there is a unique and rare opportunity to make headway on these issues right now.
The system of racism that subjects black people in particular, and people of color generally, to all sorts of indignity, suffering and death may not seem that different that the one that enslaved Dred Scott one hundred and fifty years ago. But one thing that has changed is the rainbow of support and solidarity that was represented here this weekend. It reminds us all that Michael Brown was a human being deserving of rights and life, and that black lives matter. To all of us.
Ebola Should Remind Us of Our Values and Priorities
After months of being ignored by much of the mainstream media and U.S. government, the ebola epidemic in West Africa has become headline news. The reason is that a traveler from Liberia—one of the West African countries most severely impacted by the outbreak of the disease—came to Dallas, TX infected with ebola.
The deaths of over 3000 men, women and children in West Africa and the potential for disease to affect upwards of one million more if not stopped, did not catch our attention, but a single case here has put many on edge.
The White House and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) have since announced new measures to respond the possibility of new ebola cases in the U.S., but some media outlets and commentators have sounded the alarm with the typical stereotyping, bias, and anti-scientific speculation. Some politicians have called for banning all travel from West Africa or extreme measures in airports and at the borders. Absurd talk linking ebola to the ISIS terrorist group and attempts to link ebola fears to immigrant scapegoating surfaced over the weekend.
Meanwhile, the CDC and the World Health Organization have been trying for weeks to reverse the unilateral grounding of flights to and from Liberia and Sierra Leone. Public health officials, including CDC Director Tom Frieden, MD, MPH, say:
“When countries are isolated, it is harder to get medical supplies and personnel deployed to stop the spread of Ebola. And even when governments restrict travel and trade, people in affected countries still find a way to move and it is even harder to track them systematically”
Despite the attempt by some to cynically spread misinformation and promote myths about ebola, the majority of people in the U.S. understand that ebola is a danger – but not a reason to panic. Only 11 percent are “very worried” about being exposed to ebola. Most people, it seems, understand the difference between healthy concern and panic.
So what should be done? First, the U.S. has to be a better global partner. The United Nations asked for financial and human assistance months ago and the U.S. and others were slow to respond. Now the price tag and the task has ballooned. President Obama has order more than 3,000 U.S. troops to go to Liberia for “command a control” and to build 17 ebola clinics. But reports are that the clinics may not be in place for 60-90 days. All the global and regional officials seem to agree that more help is needed, and much faster than it’s currently coming.
One of the biggest problems is the lack of trained medical professionals in the area. While there are certainly logistical and civil engineering needs, doctors, and nurses are key. The U.S. and Europe have not done much on this count so far. The Washington Post reports that the small island nation of Cuba has sent more doctor’s to the ebola-affected areas than any single country – with over 500 doctors either on the ground or on the way.
And there are key lessons from the ebola crisis. We know that medical infrastructure and scientific education are the key to stemming disease outbreaks, not isolation. It also follows that helping the poorest countries in the world develop their own resources helps us all in the long run. We also need to really rethink a government system that can easily mobilize for wars, but not for other pressing emergencies.
In the end, not only is addressing the ebola crisis in the countries most affected the humane thing to do, it is, according to medical experts, the only way to stop the spread of the disease and prevent a regional nightmare from becoming a global disaster.
King County Council Approves One of Toughest Living Wage Ordinances in the Country
SEATTLE — The King County Council yesterday approved a living wage ordinance, which, when signed by County Executive Dow Constantine, would be among the stronger county-level ordinances in the country.
The Alliance for a Just Society and Washington Community Action Network have supported the legislation, which includes language citing Alliance living wage research. The legislation sets a wage floor for King County employees and service contractors for contracts worth $100,000 or more.Continue reading “King County Council Approves One of Toughest Living Wage Ordinances in the Country”
If Germany Can be Tuition Free, Why Not Us?
There was some very exciting news coming out of Germany this week, when the country announced that it is scrapping tuition and fees for its universities. Organizing is widely credited with building the public will and political momentum for free college. In fact, Dorothee Stapelfeldt, of the Hamburg Parliament, told reporters this week, “Tuition fees are socially unjust.”
Free or low-cost higher education is typical in most of Europe.
In Germany, tuition is a mere fraction of what American students pay. But with Germany, which has been taking heat for pushing austerity measures that have unnecessarily constrained the economy, leading on this important issue it, brings hope that we can keep building the momentum in the U.S.
And it’s beginning. In Connecticut, Gov. Dannel Malloy has unveiled a plan that will help folks who are already burdened with student debt. His plan calls for state tax breaks for interest on student loans, but more importantly, it would create an authority in the state that would allow students to refinance their debt at market interest rates. Additionally, he’s working to create the Connecticut Financial Aid Pledge, which would offer assistance to help qualifying Connecticut students graduate without debt.
This is a step in the right direction, but the U.S. is still miles away from the free college tuition. Students, teachers unions, and communities have been working for nearly ten years in Germany to win free schooling. Here in the states it’s just recently risen to be part of the national conversation.
Nascent coalitions like the Higher Ed Not Debt that the Alliance works alongside, will continue to push for fully funded education, and to ensure that our young people don’t enter the workforce carrying student debt. We need other states to step up to the table to match and beat this proposal.
Because, as the Minister for Science and Culture in Lower Saxony said this week, “We got rid of tuition because we don’t want higher education which depends on the wealth of the parents.”
High Student Debt and Low Wages Don’t Mix
Students and graduates throughout the country continue to bear the burden of the high cost of education by taking out student loans. For those in states with high average student debt and lower median incomes, the weight of student loans combined with low incomes can mean a lifetime of debt.
The Alliance for a Just Society has released two new “A Mountain of Debt” reports, one last Thursday in Maine, and another today in Montana. The state-specific reports highlight the difficulty of paying for school and paying off loans after graduation in states with predominantly lower wages. When comparing student debt to median household income, Maine has the 11th highest student debt-to-median income ratio in the country. Montanans fare even worse with the 6th highest ratio.
With half or fewer job openings paying a living wage for a single adult, average student loan debts after college graduation of over $27,000 in Montana and over $29,000 in Maine leave graduates without the means to pay off their loans in a timely matter – if they can afford to make payments at all.
As a single mother with significant student loan debt, Kimberly Hammill of Levant, Maine finds that her loans keep her from financial stability.
“Not only did I go to school to better myself and enter a rewarding career, but I also wanted to improve both my daughter’s and my quality of life. My student loans funded my education, but today they keep me in the same state of economic dependence I was experiencing before school. I still have to rely on social services to get by,” said Hammill.
Adam Bland of Presque Isle, Maine says his student loans keep him from saving for the future and living the life he wants today.
“My loan payments take up a little more than 20 percent of my monthly take home pay,” Bland said. “If I didn’t have to make these payments, I would be investing in a 401K, setting money aside for emergencies, and definitely doing a little bit of traveling, but the high interest payments mean I can’t.”
Jan Siemers of Helena, Montana doesn’t have student debt of her own, but she has seen her grown children struggle with their student debt.
“We want our children to be successful and are often told that a college education is the best path, but today I am witnessing firsthand how the resulting student debt is destroying economic opportunities for young people,” Siemers said.
Graduates like Clementine Lindley in Billings, Montana wonder whether student loans are worth it.
“My experience in college has meant so much to me, and has shaped who I am today,” she said. “Sadly though, I am not sure I would make the same decision if given the chance to go back and do it again. While the experiences were invaluable, the $90,000 price tag has been extremely difficult to handle.”
States need to reinvest in higher education, explore innovative solutions to address rising tuition and fees, allow students and graduates to refinance their loans, and increase wages so that graduates can actually afford to pay off their loans. Students and graduates in Maine and Montana deserve to have their hard work pay off, without seeing their dreams crushed by student debt.
A Mountain of Debt – Maine
A Mountain of Debt – Montana
Report: America’s Families Are Out of Balance
Media Advisory
Alliance for a Just Society
September 29, 2014
Contact: Kathy Mulady
kathy@allianceforajustsociety.org
(206) 992-8787
America’s Families Are Out of Balance
“The basic bargain of America is that no matter who you are, where you come from or what you look like, if you work hard & play by the rules, you can make it.” – U.S. Department of LaborSecretary Tom Perez on the agency’s Labor Day 2014.
Millions of families in America work hard, play by the rules and are not making it. The federal minimum wage is $7.25 an hour and hasn’t been increased in five years.
A sobering report, Families Out of Balance, released this week by the Alliance for a Just Society, shows that the living wage for a single worker in Idaho or Montana is $14.40 an hour. In New York City, it’s $22.50 an hour.
For families it’s even more:
TeeJay Henry – A young man in Idaho is trying to support his wife and baby daughter on $12 an hour he earns working fulltime as a heavy truck tire technician. He’s had two raises in two years. They share a house with roommates. A family living wage in Idaho: about $25 an hour.
Carlota Ortega – She and her husband have two children and live in New York City. She earns $8.50 an hour at a bakery; he earns $10 an hour in construction. They don’t have enough to eat. Living wage in New York City for this family with two working parents: $25.14 per hour for each parent.
Nazmie Batista – A young couple in Connecticut with two children count their pennies. Her husband works full time, but to save childcare costs, she works part-time. They cut back on groceries. She doesn’t know how she will cover her student loan payment. Living wage in Connecticut for a family with two children: $24.92 an hour for each parent.
Calculations in the Families Out of Balance report are no-frills, with a small cushion of savings to cover the minor emergencies that can sink low-income families. Our budgets don’t include payments on student loan debt or medical debt that burdens many low–income families.
What our report does show is that 9 out of 10 low-income families prioritize paying their bills, even if it means skipping meals or turning off the heat in the winter.
Now it’s time for Congress and our state legislators to prioritize families. It’s time for businesses to pay real living wages, so working families can thrive – not just barely survive. Here are some recommendations to get started.
Please let me know if you would like to interview families included in the report, or the authors of the report, Ben Henry and Allyson Fredericksen.
You can find the full report at http://www.thejobgap.org
Using Our Stories to Win: Native Organizing Alliance Webinar
[av_video src=’https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5NzUUiXjgn4′ format=’16-9′ width=’16’ height=’9′]
As Native people, no one knows our issues and struggles better than we do. Storytelling, an art form that is indigenous to us, can be used to shift power dynamics and substantiate ourselves as experts on the social justice issues that we fight for. In this hour-long webinar witness Native organizers discuss ways to capture the stories that enliven our communities, how to make a case for change, and how to use stories to build and leverage power in campaigns.
Recorded September 8, 2014. Hosted by Danisha Christian.