Moral Revival Draws a Crowd in Atlanta

Over the last month a quick coalition formed to organize a classic revival with a pretty big twist with Rev William Barber founder of the Moral Monday movement in North Carolina. There was no money offerings taken, no one was cured of physical ailments, no one was asked to repent or be save, anointed cloths were not for sale, this was a different kind of revival. Instead the revival was interfaith with a strong emphasis on social justice. The only pledge folks were asked to give was one to get involved in local efforts to push for policies that increase the minimum wage, make healthcare accessible to those that can’t afford it, protect the LGBTQ community, reform the criminal justice system, protect and expand affordable housing, protect immigrant rights, and more.

Over 400 people showed up the the Revival, which was held at St Mark Methodist Church and over 300 viewed via live stream!

This was an opportunity to lean back into the work we began years ago and acknowledge that we need a mass movement in Georgia that’s bigger than any one organization. This was an opportunity to celebrate and lift up the dynamic work that is happening now as groups press forward on a number of important issues. This was an opportunity to be inspired by each other, to sing together, to smile at one another, to recommit to building the state regular every day Georgians deserve.

To see the whole event on video click on this link!

To sign and share the Moral Agenda groundswell petitionclick here!

Our Mission of the revival: The nation needs the next Great (Re) Awakening in order to build and secure the Third Reconstruction. Based on fusion multi-racial coalitions, the goal is to mobilize faith communities and people of conscience to give moral voice to the call for an anti-racist, anti-poverty, pro-justice agenda to invest in impoverished communities. Leadership will come from faith and moral leaders with deliberate outreach to African-American, Latino, Native American, Asian and white clergy of diverse backgrounds and religious affiliations, along with other leaders with moral authority in an effort to build an enduring base, power and infrastructure that can affect change not only in the current election cycle but also well into the future.

Revival Goals:

1. Build state based power rooted in moral analysis, articulation and activism that can drive persistent movement on policy agendas at the level of state legislatures and governors.

2. Reframe the national conversation from the state up and from the bottom up around moral issues of race, poverty and gender.

3. Create a movement that directly combats the southern strategy that divided African Americans, Latinos and whites who share economic interests, remembering that the southern strategy is used across the country now.

4. Lift up and empower progressive moral voices in the national conversation, including members of the most marginalized sectors of society.

5. Provide a moral framework for policy discourse and provoke robust solution-oriented agendas on poverty and the persistent racial inequalities that plague our nation. Utilize 2016 election as megaphone for the issues.

6. Develop a moral, progressive fusion movement based on the North Carolina Moral Monday model that successfully brings together demographics across race, religion, gender, class, sexual orientation/identity, political party, immigration status, ability and national origin.

American Friends Service Committee is proud to be a part of this effort and we ask that you stay tuned as next steps are rolled out!

AFSC Atlanta is Hiring!

 Big changes are happening at AFSC! We are both sad and excited to see Jackie Rodriguez transitioning from her position working with Moral Monday to project coordinator for Occupy Our Homes Atlanta. While we are excited to see OOHA growing and changing, it leaves us in need of help to keep Moral Monday running smoothly! 

The AFSC Moral Monday intern to the Atlanta Economic Justice program position is now available for applicants. Ideal applicants for the position will have; a strong passion for coalition building and social justice, strong organizational skills and the ability to multi-task, as well as a flexible attitude to accommodate a fast paced schedule. In order to facilitate communication between; active participants, steering committee members, interested parties, and coalition organizations, strong communication skills are required.

After a whirlwind tour around the state and an amazing Moral March on the Capital, Moral Monday is on it's way to truly becoming a state wide coalition. The time has come to bring Moral Monday far and wide, into every neighborhood and community in Georgia, together we will move this state forward! The position of the AFSC intern to Moral Monday will play an integral role in making that a reality. 

For a full job description, and to apply, contact us here with "Intern" in the subject line!

Jailed for Justice Tour: Day 16, Marietta

 What an amazing stop to end the Jailed for Justice Tour! Emerson UU and Cobb County NAACP rolled out the red carpet for our amazing panel and we were able to end this incredible tour on a high note. One of our larger panels, on our last night of the tour we heard from 5 people who were arrested, including UU Minister, Karen Reagle. Two of our panelist, Bob Goodman and Sara Gregory, were telling their stories for the first time and were terrific!

It was amazing to see the relationship that was created around the Jailed for Justice Tour. The UU congregation and the Cobb Co. NAACP joined together to cohost the event and built a new working relationship in process that will help MMGA grow in Marietta. As we heard from the Cobb Co. NAACP President from the pulpit of the Emerson UU Sanctuary, I knew that a new coalition had been formed, Moral Monday Marietta! This will only strengthen the Moral Monday Ga coalition and it added to the power of our last tour stop.

The mood was festive as people crowded into the beautiful Emerson Sanctuary, it was a great multi-generational crowd, who were on their feet after hearing from our panel. After hearing the personal stories of our arresttee's for the past 15 days I thought it might become repetitive but I was pleasantly surprised! I was still enthralled and inspired by each one of our panelist day after day. Even for the people who had spoken before, I learned something new every time.

As I heard each person's story I was reminded of the real beauty of Moral Monday. This movement is about each one of us. Individual people standing up and saying they aren't going to take it anymore. When we demand a better life and better world it is obtainable, if we work together. Moral Monday has given us that opportunity. It has given organizations a place to come together and create a space to work together. It has given us a call to action, a rallying cry for us to mobilize around. I cannot wait to see what Moral Monday will look like in Marietta and in each location we stopped on during the Jailed for Justice Tour.



As I look forward to the Moral March on Georgia on August 23rd I know that the people we met today in Marietta will help us raise our voices and demand change in Georgia. We will demand a better state and we will get it, because united we stand strong.



Jackie Rodriguez, Guest Blogger, AFSC Community Organizing Intern

Jailed for Justice: Day 13, Rochelle

If one word could sum up our Rochelle stop it would be passion. Everywhere we have gone, all of the people we have met, have shared the belief that together we can and will make change. Rochelle was no exception. It was so inspiring to see person after person flooding into the church to take part in stop 13 of the Jailed for Justice Tour. Here is this tiny little town, we saw one of the biggest turn outs of the entire tour and the crowd was ready. 

The citizens of Rochelle gathered because they were ready for something new, they were ready for change, they were ready to ban together and make change a reality for their town and it was an honor for us to be a part of that. The President of the local NAACP delivered a particularly rousing speech in support of change. “We cannot rely on these people in Atlanta to make change, we need to make change right here for ourselves.”

During the community discussion portion of the program we were troubled to learn that despite the fact that a large portion of the population of Rochelle is black there are no black bank employees, no black law enforcement, and there may not be any black school teachers. Segregation is alive and well in Rochelle Georgia, and folks are ready for a Moral Movement aimed at shaking a status quo that isn't working.

Rochelle is no stranger to movement, in fact just last year Rochelle made international news when one high school student decided to organize the cities first integrated prom. It’s hard for some to imagine but the civil rights movement simply didn't fully take root in parts of the deep south. We were truly honored that the young bold organizer, Mareshia Rucker, that lit that spark was among the attendees last night! It was truly an honor to get to know her!

We are excited for the future of Moral Monday in Rochelle, during our community conversation there were even talks of having a march at the county courthouse. We look forward to that day when we can stand beside our brothers and sisters in Rochelle.  

Jailed For Justice Tour: Day 11, Waycross

Waycross Georgia was the 11th stop of the Moral Monday Jailed for Justice Tour on August 7, and the excitement across the state continues to build. We were hosted at the Gaines Chapel AME Church, which we learned was the oldest Church chartered in Ware County. The audience and program included many community leaders all concerned about the problems that affect Ware County citizens. 

During our community conversation it was revealed that the county currently has an unemployment rate 2 percent higher than the national average.  The citizens also cited concerns about citizens being victimized by the prison industrial complex; one of the most immoral trends happening in the country as a whole. Quality education is another primary concern in the area. 

The Mayor of Waycross honored us with a Proclamation making August 7, Moral Monday Jailed for Justice Day in the city.  Such was the welcome we received and it continued throughout the program. After the Mayor, City and County commissioners, and leadership of the NAACP from both Ware and a neighboring county addressed their constituents and memberships; the of the Moral Monday arrestees spoke to the crowd about what prompted us to take an arrest to draw attention to important issues facing our state. I was one of those speakers. 

As I told the story of my activism and my arrest in protest of the SYG laws in Georgia, I could feel the enthusiasm of the people for such citizen activism. I heard many an AMEN! when I expressed my concern about the travesty of the school to prison pipeline which is enslaving so many of our young black men, often for minor non violent crimes. I could see the pain in the faces of black parents when I talked about the murders of young men of color, and the perpetrators walking free. When I called this what it is, Modern Day Lynchings, the citizens applauded in agreement.

Two of my fellow arrestees also spoke, and were received in the same warm, accepting manner. There was discussion of next steps to create Moral Monday Waycross, and of what that might look like.  We got a commitment from these enthusiastic leaders to bring 2 bus loads of people to Atlanta on the 23rd of August for the big planned Moral March on the Capitol in response to our appeal to join us as a part of a southern solidarity call to action by Reverend William Barber, the founder of the Moral Monday Movement. 

As the enthusiasm continues to grow, the Tour moves on to Historic Macon, Georgia on August 8. We look forward to seeing our new friends from Waycross in Atlanta in a couple of weeks on the 23RD of August.

Peggy Marx, Guest Blogger, Moral Monday GA arrestee

Jailed for Justice Tour: Day 10, Brunswick

Brunswick is fired up! Probably the best community conversation we have had, Brunswick was a lively crowd that wasn't afraid to share their hopes for a better neighborhood. Brunswick is affected by a myriad of issues; in fact, they are a microcosm of the all of the issues affecting the entire state. Lack of jobs, affordable housing, poverty, and increasing victimization by the for-profit prison system, and environmental violence are not just systemic issues we face as an entire state and nation, these are the issues that the people of Brunswick live with every day.       

It was encouraging to hear the Mayor of Brunswick address the crown on stop #10 of the Jailed for Justice Tour. He spoke about addressing the concerns of the citizens and banning together to make improvements in the city. During our community conversation attendees pledged to work closely with the Mayor to get their issues addressed, such as getting the roads fixed and addressing safety concerns. This is the type of head on problem solving that we will need in order to build and live in the types of communities that we strive for. Being part of that process and seeing it unfold in front of you really gives me a sense of hope that this can spread all over the state, to every town in Georgia.

I could see this feeling spreading throughout Brunswick because despite facing these challenges the people of Brunswick still turned out fired up for Moral Monday. They were fired up for a chance to try anything that provided hope for something a better.  A stronger path to justice will be built by working hand in hand with our progressive partners within our own communities and Brunswick is ready to make that happen!  During our community conversation there were so many great comments but one in particular stood out to me. In response to another participants comments the man said, “These people [Moral Monday] have brought some hope to Brunswick. They have brought the hope that if we work together we can make something bigger happen, something bigger for justice that we wouldn't have been able to do alone.” I would consider it a huge win if just a few people left with that

feeling from each of our stops.

Looking back at stop #10 in Brunswick, it was yet another example of the power of the people. When we unite for change we are unstoppable. Going stop to stop and seeing the excitement of my fellow Georgians to make change happen has only cemented this to be true for me. I look forward to seeing the continued work and positive changes that Brunswick is making happen. We are building our future, and a better state, TOGETHER.   

Jackie Rodriguez, Guest Blogger, AFSC Community Organizing Intern

Jailed for Justice Tour: Day 8, Statesboro

On Stop 8 of the Jailed for Justice Tour we visited Statesboro and were greeted with a warm welcome! Located in the hometown of NAACP President, Dr. Johnson, for stop 8 of our tour the people of Statesboro turned out to hear from a diverse group of speakers discussing their experience being jailed for justice. We spoke about Medicaid expansion, we spoke about the need to repeal stand your ground, but most importantly we spoke about the need to ban together and fight injustice.

As we gathered on the front steps of the Bulloch County Courthouse it was a fitting place to gather to speak about fighting injustice.  We were standing mere feet away from the location of the last lynching in Georgia. Carried out in the court yard this atrocity did not occur in the 20s, 30s, or 40s, no this was carried out in Georgia in the 1960s. I have to admit that when I heard that my mouth dropped open. I had expected to hear that this had occurred long ago, but the truth is our past is more recent then we might like to think.

So we gathered in this place of great injustice to speak about seeking out the justice we know every Georgian deserves. We speak often of our diverse coalition and that was clearly evident in Statesboro. We met an amazing group of young people with the NAACP who have been working in their communities to make Georgia a place of justice. We heard from many people, old and young, black and white, but we all shared the same message. We will not, cannot, and should not stand for the racist, extremist policies that are spreading around our nation. We demand to live in a place where all of our citizens are respected and can live with dignity. Today, we met the people of Statesboro who will make this a reality.

The Statesboro stop holds a special place for me on the tour. I had the privilege of speaking along side my fellow arrestees and spoke about my motivation for taking a stand against the racist stand your ground laws that exist. Despite the tough and serious decision I made to participate in the movement by taking an arrest my motivation was very easy to identify. No mother should raise and love a child only to have to worry every time they walk out the door they might not return because of the color of their skin. After I shared that message and the tour had concluded I was approached by a member of the audience. She said, “Thank you, thank you for standing up for me, thank you for standing up for my sons. As a mother of two African American boys I am afraid for them.”  

Hearing those kind words really touched me and cemented why I have decide to subject myself to arrest this year. No mother should have to raise her child in this nation and have to be afraid. This is bigger than you and me, it is about recognizing an injustice and taking a stand against it. That is what is so powerful about Moral Monday. It is a chance for us to unite and work together towards our common goals for justice and peace. Statesboro left quite an impression on me; I hope Moral Monday left an impression on Statesboro!

-Jackie Rodriguez, Guest Blogger, AFSC Community Organizing Intern

Moral Monday's Coming to Georgia?

Good jobs, good education, health care, affordable housing, women’s rights, an end to police brutality, LGBTQ rights, voters rights, civil rights for all, access to healthy food, our environment. These are the things people of conscious care about and want in our communities. Yet our state lawmakers continue to attempt, year after year, to pass policy that strips these things from our communities. We need a movement in Georgia. 


In 2012 North Carolina faced what some call the harshest legislative session ever.  Among some of the worst bills facing the state was a bill that restricted voter rights, serious cuts to unemployment benefits, cuts to medicare, tax breaks to the rich, a repeal to the Racial Justice Act, restrictions on abortion rights, education budget cuts, and restrictions on the right to protest.


The Moral Monday movement was a response to a historically oppressive legislative slate. Every Monday thousands of North Carolinian's gathered at the State Capitol in protest of a specific oppressive piece of legislation, they would then enter the building and many would perform acts of nonviolent civil disobedience. In all over the course of eight weeks over 1000 people were arrested and the protests grew from 1200 to over 10000 people. Many believed the movement would go away after the session was over, instead it continued to grow.



Moral Monday protests have now happened in almost every district in North Carolina, and seem to continue to be growing.


We know that we are facing a very similar legislative session here in Georgia.We can no longer afford to work within our small dedicated groups here in Georgia; we can’t afford to exclusively work under the banner of our organizations alone. North Carolina has shown us where to start and how to build a broader movement in Georgia.

Last night over 50 people showed up to a Moral Monday Georgia planning meeting! There's certainly a long hard road ahead if we are to build the bold movement we are seeing in North Carolina, but last night exciting first steps were made, and American Friends Service Committee's Atlanta Economic Justice Program is excited to walk hand in hand with the dozens of other organizations and individuals in the process.

Click here to get details on the next planning meeting.

A call For Moral Monday In Georgia

Monday evening American Friends Service Committee, Occupy Our Homes Atlanta, and other organizations are calling for Georgia's first Moral Monday to be oriented around taking back Mark Harris's home!

 

When: Monday 8/12, 7:15pm

Where: Mark Harris’s home, 1164 Dunwick Dr, Avondale Estates, 30002

The recent eviction of disabled Desert Storm veteran, Mark Harris, inspired Occupy Our Homes Atlanta to bring together a diverse coalition of concerned citizens around the struggle for housing justice in Georgia. At 8:00 am on Friday, August 9th, DeKalb County Marshals evicted Harris at gunpoint from his home of 18 years. After 10 months of negotiations with Fannie Mae, the owner of Harris’s mortgage, they made it clear they are no longer interested in finding a solution and would rather see another homeless veteran on the streets of Atlanta.

Since Friday morning, Harris, community members, and Occupy Our Homes Atlanta have mobilized to defend Harris’s home. We are deeply concerned with the immorality of the institutions responsible for the housing crisis and will not allow Fannie Mae to put another veteran on the street.

Yesterday multiple acts of civil disobedience took place at Mark Harris’s home.

Occupy Our Homes Atlanta is calling for the first Moral Monday to protest housing injustice in our state and in our nation. Defending Mark's home is a powerful way to stand up to the nationally nefarious practices of Fannie Mae. It is also a way to highlight and potentially change local and statewide policy around housing.  Groups endorsing include: AmericanFriends Service Committee, Atlanta Jobs With Justice ,Georgia Peace and Justice Coalition, South Regional Rainbow Push Coalition, Cobb Immigrants Alliance, Cobb United For Change Coalition, DeKalb SCLC, Metro Atlanta Democratic Socialists, International Socialist Organization.