Jailed For Justice Tour: Day 1

On Monday we officially kicked  of the Moral Monday Jailed for Justice Tour to a jam packed house at Historic Ebenezer Baptist Church. The whole event was totally electric. Rev Raphael kicked off the event with a truly rousing talk on the need for a moral movement in the south. Senator Vincent Fort, Minister Karen Reagle, Peggy Casey, Emilia Kaiser, and Keota Jones all shared truly powerful stories about why they made the decision to put their bodies and freedom on the line to shine a light on injustice.

Francys Johnson closed out the night with a call to action for folks to support the tour and come together on August 23rd for a massive Moral March on Georgia. The Moral March on Georgia is part of a southern wide strategy to build power against the extreme, economically insane policies that have seen our wages decreased, taken our jobs, seen our homes foreclosed and rent skyrocketed, our children’s education defunded, young black males criminalized and targeted, and our communities less safe.

 Over the course of the next 16 days we will be bringing Georgians together in 16 cities forge relationships and build the Moral movement Georgia needs.

Another Georgia is possible, a Georgia that prioritizes people of politics and profit. Moral Monday Georgia has a different set of priorities.

Our Priorities

Secure pro-labor, anti-poverty policies that ensure economic sustainability

Provide a well-funded, quality public education for all

Promote healthcare access and environmental sustainability

Address continued inequalities in the criminal justice system

Protect and expand voting rights for all

Plug into the tour across the state, see where and when we will be over the next few weeks!

Moral Monday GA Marches on the Money!

Moral Monday GA's 1st march will follow the funds to the Georgia State Capitol that originate from Georgia Pacific where the Koch Brothers operate to finance ALEC backed right-wing attacks that benefit billion dollar industry men at the expense of everyday Georgians.

Monday April 21st

4:30 PM - Rally at Washington St steps of theGA State Capitol

5:00 PM - March to GA Pacific/Koch Industries, 133 Peachtree St NE

5:30 PM - Rally at GA Pacific/Koch Industries

We will demand that all Georgia politicians withdraw their membership and support from ALEC and other Koch Brothers political initiatives that push everyday Georgian citizens out of the political system. We call on them to express their independence from these outside interests and instead represent the people of Georgia as they are required to do.

Civil rights icon John Lewis has expressed his deep support for Moral Monday GA and is joining us for this march as is Reverend Warnock of the Historic Ebenezer Baptist Church.

Rev Warnock stated, "The majority of Georgians want Medicaid expansion. The well connected billionaire Koch brothers do not. If they win, we have an oligarchy and not a democracy. So we seek not only to expand Medicaid but to expand the circle of who has influence and who has a voice. Healthcare for all, one person, one vote. That's our fight and the people's agenda."

Dozens of bills attacking everyday Georgians were passed by the GA State Legislature this year and in years past. We know that there is a concerted well-funded effort developed by the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) & Koch Industries that provides the resources to develop these attacks and works to influence politicians like Governor Deal and others in all levels of government to make sure their right-wing agenda is fulfilled.

Georgia is a breeding ground for these outside monied interest attacks on everyday working people.  Nowhere is this more obvious then the refusal to accept Medicaid expansion. Governor Deal has a choice to make; stand with the people of Georgia who want and need Medicaid expansion, or stand with the Koch and ALEC types.

 Moral Monday will continue to pressure the Governor to do the right thing and we will continue to expose the forces that stand in the doorway of 650k hardworking Georgians that deserve health care.

Georgians like Nancy Daniell who stated, " I'm too young for Medicare, I don't qualify for Medicaid since Governor Deal has chosen not to opt in for Medicaid Expansion. Since I live at below national poverty levels of income & have no health insurance, I chose to try to enroll in the Affordable Care Act's health plans;However, since the ACA's plans do not count social security income as a tax exempt status, the most "affordable" health care plan they could offer me would cost approx. 40% of my monthly gross income." Nancy will be one of several speakers negatively affected by the extreme attack on everyday Georgians.

Jackie Rodriguez, who also falls into the Medicaid gap stated, "Governor Deal and other Georgia politicians would rather take special interest money to pass harmful legislation than take federal money to help 650k fellow Georgians like me."

American Friends Service Committee is a convener of the Moral Monday Georgia movement and is excited to be a part of such a broad historic coalition with over 50 organizations and dozens of church congregations. 

Moral Monday's Big Plans For The Governor's Mansion

The 2014 legislative session in Georgia saw some of the most extreme regressive legislation seen in a generation and included attacks on the poor, women’s rights, immigrants, the working uninsured, voting rights, victims of gun violence, people of color, and public education among others. Numerous bills that will turn the clock back in Georgia are now awaiting Governor Nathan Deal's signature in order to become law.

On Monday March 31, community groups, faith leaders, American Friends Service Committee,NAACP Georgia, Atlanta Jobs With Justice, and concerned Georgians will come together under the banner of Moral Mondays to plan out their response.  A rally is being organized at the Governor's mansion on April 7, urging him to veto the immoral legislation. The group has also launched a petition calling on Governor Deal to veto HB 990 and expand Medicaid in Georgia with a goal of reaching 65,000 signatures (10% of the number of Georgians who would be eligible for healthcare under the expansion) and plan to deliver the petition to the Governor at the demonstration.

Reverend Raphael Warnock of historic Ebenezer Baptist Church will be present at the meeting on Monday and plans to give a brief welcoming. Reverend Warnock, who was recently arrested at the Capitol for protesting the Governor's refusal to expand Medicaid, was quoted as saying "It is no exaggeration to say that we are here on a matter of life and death." As many as 10 Georgians die each day from a lack of access to healthcare.

With the stakes so high, and with Georgians increasingly supporting Medicaid expansion, plans have been made across the state this week to collect signatures in churches, on campuses, at events, and door-to-door in neighborhoods in order to reach the ambitious goal of 65,000 signatures by April 7.

Ronnie Mosley, a Morehouse student who plans to collect signatures on campus this week said, "It's gonna take a lot of work, but we believe we can meet our goal. People are tired of elected officials putting politics before what is best for our state. Most Georgians want the expansion, so we're committed to getting these signatures and sending a clear message to Governor Deal that he can't ignore our voices forever."

An online version of the petition can be found by clicking here.