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 5, Carrollton

I had the privilege of being a speaker in Carrollton for stop five of our Jailed for Justice Tour. I have to admit that I am generally more comfortable working behind the scene, but I knew that it was important that I step outside my normal comfort zone and share my story. If we can stand up and say, I am just like you; this was a hard choice but we were able to do it and you can too. I hope that will inspire someone else to become just a little more involved in building a movement for change. Maybe you cannot take an arrest, but there are lots of ways to support the movement. One thing that I hope sharing these personal stories does is impart to people that we have all become part of something much bigger than our arrest. We have become part of something that has raised our consciousness, raised our voices, and is building a movement.

When I looked around the room, nestled inside the West Georgia University campus, I saw the faces we need to make this movement a success. I saw all races and ages, coming together around the same issue and similar struggles. During the community conversation I saw the fire and passion that we need to make a better Georgia a reality. When we kicked off the program and I heard the local NAACP president speak of their long standing partnership with the local League of Women Voters I could not have been more thrilled. That foundation, that relationship, is what we need to build within all of our progressive organizations. That is the fundamental idea that Moral Monday was built upon and it already exists in Carrollton. Now is the time to build on that relationship and expand it within your community.

One thing we like to say about Moral Monday is that it is a call to action, a banner under which to unite for the common good, and that is what has happened over 80 times this year. We have been called to take action, with over 80 arrests, as individuals to create a powerful movement that demands we be heard, that demands we bring attention to injustice, and demands change. On August 23^rd at 10am we will rally at the capital and you will have the chance to join in this fight, to unite your voice as one with us and take a stand for what is right and moral in Georgia. CLICK HERE to join and share the Facebook event.

On August 23rd we are going to stand together, shoulder to shoulder; brothers and sisters of all different races, ages, and gender identities and demand what is rightfully ours. We have the right to a government that represents the people and their interest, not their own self-interest. We have the power to demand change in Georgia but we can only do it with your help. Please CLICK HERE to join and share the Facebook event for our march to demand change!

Jackie Rodriguez

American Friends Service Committee

Welcome Jackie Rodriguez!

As Moral Monday Georgia prepares to begin the Jailed for Justice Tour, I cannot help but reflect on what an amazing opportunity Moral Monday has been for me so far, and what is to come in the future. Moral Monday changed the way that I looked at my mission in life. You see, I never really considered myself an organizer or an activist. I never gave much thought to labelling what I have always wanted to do. I saw things that were wrong, and I knew I needed to help changed them. In that process, a key component was to excite other people to help change it with me. Joining the AFSC family has meant the platform, training, and support that I needed to pass on that message to others. AFSC is giving me the tools to turn my passion into change.

I have been all over the world but I have found a home in Georgia. This is where my heart lays, this is where my passions have been ignited, and this is where I have decided to take a stand. I will take a stand when the legislator’s attack us, when they fail to protect us, when extremists try to turn us back; I will take a stand because united we will make our home a better place.  From a very young age I have always been taught that we have the power as the people to change what is wrong in the world. If I do nothing else with my life I would be satisfied having passed that feeling and idea of power on to others. The people united will NEVER be defeated and together we will change the world. As long as we know that to be true, and put it into practice, it will be a reality.

 AFSC has made putting that into practice my reality. Joining the staff has given me the platform to bring my ideas and passion to the fight for a new Georgia. So thank you AFSC, for the opportunity to learn, grow, and share my message. Moving forward together, gives us the power to change everything.

To hear more about my story, and why I took decided to take three arrests with Moral Monday, join us on the Jailed for Justice speaking tour. Don’t miss the first stop by RSVP’ing today here.

Georgian's Surround The Governor's Mansion

 No Mr. Governor, we will not go around back. While you might think it is hard to get hundreds of people to agree instantaneously, for this question the answer was swift and unanimous. We, the people, assembled in front of the Governor's Mansion, the People’s House, would not leave the front of the mansion and deliver the wishes of 50,000 people to the back door of our house.

Instead, we stood, in the rain. Packing the street in front of the mansion we waited for the opportunity to deliver the message from 50,000 of our fellow Georgians. Expand Medicaid Now. Do it without delay and help stop 10 people from dying everyday. We stood for hours, hundreds of us, just waiting to have our voices heard. We were there to tell Governor Deal, that all lives matter; that is what we chanted as we lined the streets, Expand Medicaid Now; All Lives Matter, we chanted this because Governor Deal has put politics before the people he is sworn to protect.

We were there to deliver our message because we believe that the 650,000 people in the Medicaid gap matter. We believe that the estimated 10 people who will die every day matter. So we lined the streets and marched up to the gate to demand to be heard. Acception our  petition. Accept the voice of 50,000 people in Georgia who believe that all lives matter. In the end we were denied. We came in good faith to be received by a public servant and instead we were refused. We were turned away from the front gate and told we could deliver our petition around back. Use the back door of our house? That was not an option.So, there the gate stood. Blocking our path to the People’s House much in the same way that Governor Deal is blocking health care to 650,000 people.

Refusing to acquiesce we instead decided to converge on a different door. Before we left the mansion we placed crosses in the fench, each one representing a Georgians that has already needlessly died without Medicaid expansion. The next morning we again met. Faith and community leaders, old and young, black and white, gay and straight, we met at the Governor's office at the Capitol. We came together in front of his office door, holding hands we prayed; that Governor Deal would open his heart and stop letting Georgian’s suffer and die needlessly at his hand. Refusing to meet us in person we were instead able to deliver the messages of 50,000 people to his office staff. We are all different types of people, from all different walks of life, but our message was the same. Expand Medicaid Now. All Lives Matter.

Make your voice count. Join us at the Capital, 4pm April 21st. 

Guest Writer,

Jackie Rodriguez

Moral Monday Georgia