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Month: January 2022

Power Coalition: Redistricting Must Ensure Maps That Look Like the State

Posted on

For Immediate Release

Jan. 31, 2022

BATON ROUGE, La. – The Power Coalition for Equity & Justice is continuing efforts to ensure an equitable and fair redistricting process. Today, it called on elected leaders to ensure new maps that are representative of Louisiana. With the redistricting process in Louisiana set to begin on Feb. 1, the organization has announced a series of events to engage voters and legislators alike.

After hosting a multicity roadshow in fall 2021, where organizational leaders engaged voters around redistricting, the Power Coalition held a series of group texting events. Titled Texting Tuesdays Power Hour, the weekly sessions enable voters to engage one another and elected leaders about redistricting. The virtual sessions, which began in mid-January, are held on Tuesdays at 6:00 p.m. CST. To date, advocates have contacted 7,000 people through the Texting Tuesdays Power Hour events.

Additionally, the Power Coalition will convene voters at the state capitol on Feb. 1 and 2 to urge legislators to create two minority-majority seats and ensure that the new maps are more representative of the 40% people of color in the state. At the conclusion of the Feb. 1 convening, where 200 people are registered to attend, there will be a 4:00 p.m. CST press conference at the Louisiana State Capitol, 900 North Third Street in Baton Rouge. Reporters must register here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/power-mobilization-redistricting-advocacy-day-tickets-243380847667.

“Our intention is to help legislators understand and appreciate the desires of voters,” said Ashley K. Shelton, executive director of the Power Coalition for Equity & Justice. “We need elected leaders to ensure all voters have every opportunity to be heard. Legislators must ensure new maps are representative of the demographics of the state. Elected officials cannot ignore communities of interest that are strongly influenced by communities of color.”

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The Power Coalition for Equity & Justice works to build power and voice in traditionally disenfranchised communities across Louisiana. It is a coalition of groups united around a shared mission of organizing in impacted communities, educating, and turning out voters, and fighting for policies that create a more equitable and just system in our state.

Rabbi Charlie Cytron-Walker’s Publicist Issues Statement on Limited Media Availability

Posted on

For Immediate Release

Jan. 18, 2022

COLLEYVILLE, Texas – Following the horrific hostage situation at Congregation Beth Israel and the ensuing media interest, Jennifer R. Farmer of Spotlight PR, the congregation’s media firm, issued the following statement:

“Thank you for your interest in Rabbi Charlie Cytron-Walker and each individual held hostage on Saturday, Jan. 15. During this difficult time, my priority is to support the emotional well-being of Rabbi Charlie and Congregation Beth Israel. To that end, I am unable to honor most media requests for Rabbi Charlie and the individuals’ held hostage. My goal is to balance the media’s need to know with these individuals’ need to heal. Thank you in advance for respecting Rabbi Charlie and the congregation’s privacy during this time. Please do not go to the homes of persons held hostage. This is not just a news story, but a tragedy impacting real people.”

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Contact: Sydney Bagley, sydney@spotlightpr.org

 

Rabbi Charlie Cytron-Walker: We Are Resilient, and We Will Recover

Posted on

For Immediate Release

Jan. 16, 2022

COLLEYVILLE, Texas – Following a harrowing ordeal, where Rabbi Charlie Cytron-Walker and three congregants were held hostage at Congregation Beth Israel, Cytron-Walker and Michael Finfer, president of Congregation Beth Israel, issued the following statement:

“Over the years, my congregation and I have participated in multiple security courses from the Colleyville Police Department, the FBI, the Anti-Defamation League, and Secure Community Network,” Cytron-Walker said. “We are alive today because of that education. I encourage all Jewish congregations, religious groups, schools, and others to participate in active-shooter and security courses.”

“In the last hour of our hostage crisis, the gunman became increasingly belligerent and threatening,” Cytron-Walker added. “Without the instruction we received, we would not have been prepared to act and flee when the situation presented itself.”

“We know that a situation of this magnitude could increase the concern many of us live with on a day-to-day basis due to antisemitism,” Finfer said. “It is important to note that this was a random act of violence. Indeed, there was a one in a million chance that the gunman picked our congregation. Further, the FBI is confirming that the attacker appeared to be working alone.”

“There is no question that this was a traumatic experience.” Cytron-Walker said. “We appreciate all the love, prayers and support from our local community and throughout the world. We are grateful for the outcome. We are resilient and we will recover.”

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Contact: Jennifer R. Farmer, jenniferr@spotlightpr.org

 

 

 

 

Black Southern Women’s Collective to Sen. Schumer: All Eyes on You

Posted on

For Immediate Release

Jan. 7. 2022

WASHINGTON – Ahead of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the Black Southern Women’s Collective (BSWC) today advised Democratic leaders that all eyes are on them, a play of the late rapper Tupac Shakur’s 1996 album, “All Eyes on Me.” The group, which consists of Faith in Florida, Faith in Texas, the Power Coalition for Equity & Justice, Memphis Artists for Change, and the New Georgia Project, issued the following statement:

“On the eve of honoring the life of a man who fought for the freedoms and rights of all, Democratic leaders should surely fortify the ideals on which this country claims to be based and pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Act,” said Tameka Greer, executive director of Memphis Artists for Change.

The BSWC’s message comes days before President Biden is set to deliver a speech on voting rights in Georgia on Jan. 11 and before Sen. Schumer vowed to hold a vote on the filibuster on Jan. 17. The group is calling women of faith to a national fast which will consist of sacrificing something of value and refraining from shopping other than in support of Black businesses.

“Elected leaders must refrain from giving lip service to Dr. King’s legacy if they are not prepared to eliminate the filibuster and pass substantive reforms, especially around voting,” said the Rev. Rhonda Thomas, executive director of Faith in Florida.

“During the campaign trail, Black women made a demand,” said Ashley Shelton, executive director of the Power Coalition for Equity & Justice. “This administration must understand that Black women will not be pacified by speeches filled with flowery language meant to substitute for inaction. Echoing the sentiment of famed civil rights hero Fannie Lou Hamer, ‘we are sick and tired of being sick and tired.’”

“We elected this administration to move the nation forward,” said Phyllis Hill, executive director of the Black Southern Women’s Collective. “If the administration refuses to push the line, it will be telling Black voters that they do not matter. The administration will, in effect, be telling the nation that Democrats support the reinstatement of Jim Crow.”

“Now more than ever, the defining question of our time is whether we will go backwards,” Shelton added. “Are we going to be the 1964 or 1965 America, or will our elected leaders enact reforms that will allow us to move forward? Our nation appears to be backsliding, and what we cannot understand is why the people who begged for our votes are surrendering victories won by our ancestors. Dr. King gave his life, yet all these years later, elected leaders, particularly those who beg for the votes of poor people and Black people, are questioning whether they live into Dr. King’s legacy.”

“This Martin Luther King Jr. Day, I hope elected officials appreciate that Black voters are exhausted, and we feel duped,” Greer added. “Although, Black voters continue to show up, typically voting for the Democratic Party, we have yet to get what we need to have fruitful lives. Our families are coping with housing insecurity, financial instability, educational inequities, criminalization, and other challenges. We should not have to convince the elected officials who begged for our votes to work on our behalf.”

“We are tired of speeches,” Hill added. “We are tired of Dr. King’s dream being commercialized for corporate greed. The time for sincere action is now. And this burden does not fall to Black people and certainly not Black women. Black women are on the frontlines organizing to save our democracy and its time for the party in charge to join us.”

“Sen. Schumer, President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris must know that all eyes are on them. We are watching because we will not allow Dr. King’s dream to become a nightmare,” Rev. Thomas concluded. “This administration must be more mindful and attentive to what ordinary Americans are going through.”

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Contact: Sydney Bagley, sydney@spotlightpr.org

New Year, Same Ask: UndocuBlack Network Urges Congress to Include Green Card Language in Build Back Better

Posted on

For Immediate Release

Jan. 6, 2021

 

NEW YORK – The UndocuBlack Network and several partners today sent a memo to Congress urging them to include Green Card language in the Build Back Better Act (BBB). In addition to UndocuBlack, the memo was signed by the National Korean American Service & Education Consortium (NAKASEC), the National Immigration Law Center, and the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles (CHIRLA).

The joint memo is available here, and  outlines the procedural steps to secure a pathway to citizenship in BBB. It includes guidance on how to sidestep the parliamentarian’s misguided and nonbinding advice in the Senate.

“The strategy is informed by Senate rules, but it also relies upon all Democrats in Congress working in unison to deliver justice to our communities,” said Patrice Lawrence, executive director of UndocuBlack Network. “The Democratic party has the power to organize the Democratic Caucus and make this happen. It now needs to show political will and embrace this strategy.”

The UndocuBlack Network emphasized its demand for registry, noting that this approach was morally sound and just. The group is unwavering that green cards through registry – outside of immigrants being issued citizenship – is the only way to tangibly change the lives of 11 million undocumented people. The Congressional Budget Office has preliminarily scored the registry language and the registry abides by the funding limits currently imposed. In fact, the House Judiciary Committee’s summary of the registry language noted it is “billions of dollars cheaper” than amending Section 245B of the Immigration and Nationality Act.

“It is critical that the voices of impacted people and advocates be afforded respect,” said Yoliswa Khumalo Hadebe, director of narrative and media and a Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals recipient. “Grassroots organizers kept immigration relevant in the BBB by not giving into the parole agenda or the stagnation of temporary fixes from the last three decades on the immigration progress.”

“We are done with those in positions of power claiming to fight for us but instead taking up space and treading over the voices and demands of impacted people and grassroots advocates,” continued Hadebe. “This work is not a political chess game to us. The lives of 11 million people are hanging in the decision of the BBB Act. Whether we were born within the borders of the United States or not, we are still people.”

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The Black Southern Women’s Collective Weighs in on Jan. 6 Anniversary

Posted on

For Immediate Release

Jan. 4, 2022

The Black Southern Women’s Collective Weighs in on Jan. 6 Anniversary

ATLANTA – The Black Southern Women’s Collective today remembered the one-year anniversary of the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. The group of Black women leaders in the South issued the following statement:

“The Jan. 6 insurrection was a vivid reminder of the danger of peddling lies and stoking the flames of hatred,” said Tameka Greer, executive director of Memphis Artists for Change. “For Black people involved in liberation work, it was particularly painful to watch white supremacists being handled with velvet gloves after storming one of the nation’s most sacred institutions.”

“The scene at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 was like a shot from a horror movie,” said Pastor Rhonda Thomas, executive director of Faith in Florida. “Legislators horridly ran for cover while their workplace was held hostage by extremists. Juxtaposed to the treatment of Black people and their allies who are regularly beaten, criminalized, and surveilled for protesting fatal police shootings, one can fully see the depth of sickness racism has caused.

“Jan. 6 was a physical manifestation of the violence that many Black and Brown people feared when then President Trump embraced and brought to public view white supremacists and extremists,” said Ashley Shelton, executive director of the Power Coalition for Equity & Justice.

“Americans will never forget the violence and sheer pandemonium of Jan. 6,” said Phyllis Hill, founder of the Black Southern Women’s Collective. “It is imperative that policymakers hold all who were responsible accountable.”

Contact: Sydney Bagley, sydney@spotlightpr.org

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UndocuBlack Network Speaks on Dismantling White Supremacy on Anniversary of Jan. 6

Posted on

For Immediate Release

Jan. 6, 2022

NEW YORK – The UndocuBlack Network today remembered the one-year anniversary of the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. The group’s executive director, Patrice Lawrence, and its director of media and narratives, Yoliswa Cele-Khumalo Hadebe, issued the following qualite sildenafil citrate avec expedition statement:

“Jan. 6 was a stark reminder of the lengths white supremacists will go to maintain power and control. It was also a warning for elected leaders that regardless of political party, they must advance truth and justice, rather than peddling in lies and misinformation,” said Lawrence. “The occupation of the U.S. Capitol was a low point in American democracy. All elected leaders must come together to ensure accountability for persons who entered the Capitol, bringing mayhem and fear with them.”

“It is not lost on Black undocumented folks that the people who stormed the Capitol and their apologists are the same people challenging humane immigration policies. But hate should never be coddled and allowed to fester,” added Lawrence.

“On the day of the white hate insurrection, Black and Brown communities were left terrified of merely being outside in D.C.,” Cele-Khumalo Hadebe said. “UndocuBlack spent the day ensuring its members had safe rides from work and school.”

“The goal of the white hate insurrectionists, as it was when the Klan paraded in white sheets and burned churches, was to inflict terror and fear. But even in the turbulent days of Jim Crow, Black people mustered the courage to challenge hate. It is time for us to tap into the courage of our ancestors who directly faced lynching, beatings, sexual assault, enslavement and terrorist bombings of sacred gathering spots. Our ancestors fought like hell then, and we, as their descendants, will fight now and always,” said Cele-Khumalo Hadebe.

Contact: Sydney Bagley, sydney@spotlightpr.org

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United Methodist Women Awards $17,650 to Local and Regional Groups Working to End School Pushout

Posted on

For Immediate Release

Jan. 6, 2022

NEW YORK – United Methodist Women (UMW), the largest denominational organization for women, today announced the award of $17,650 to members from local UMW conferences, districts and units who are working to interrupt the school-to-prison pipeline. The grants ranged from $500 to $5,000.

“The purpose of the micro-grants is to directly support local United Methodist Women groups working to interrupt the school-to-prison pipeline,” said Emily Jones, UMW’s executive for racial justice. “These grants represent seed funding, which we hope will affirm the leadership of members and groups whom you may never see on the frontpage cover of a newspaper. United Methodist Women leaders have proposed varied and impactful projects — in many cases envisioned and planned in partnership with other local organizations.

The following groups received grant awards:

  • Indiana Conference Central District UMW (District – Indiana)
  • Resurrection UMW (Unit – Illinois)
  • Toulminville Warren Street UMW (Unit – Alabama)
  • First Grace UMW (Unit – Louisiana)
  • Community UMW (Unit – Massachusetts)
  • New Zion UMW (Unit – Kentucky)
  • Paul UMW (Unit – Texas)
  • Niagara Frontier District (District – New York)

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Contact: Yvette Moore, ymoore@unitedmethodistwomen.org

 

 

United Methodist Women Names New Director of Cherished Reading Program

Posted on

For Immediate Release

Jan. 5, 2022

NEW YORK – United Methodist Women today announced that Emily Jones, the organization’s executive for racial justice, will lead its prestigious Reading Program. Jones succeeds Andris Salter who retired in December 2021. In her new capacity, Jones will further Salter and the organization’s vision to promote diversity, inclusion, equity and antiracism.

“Many gifted authors face an uphill struggle getting their work published and disseminated,” Jones said. “Too often the work of male authors, white authors and clergy is privileged over that of women, people of color and lay people. This is not only harmful to authors, it robs the community.”

The United Methodist Women Reading Program is a cherished tradition that unites book lovers and women of faith with content that encourages spiritual growth and advocacy. The program inspires women of faith to become more engaged in society’s most pressing challenges.

“Andris has worked for United Methodist Women and the United Methodist Church for over 38 years,” said Harriett Jane Olson, general secretary and CEO. “She has faithfully served in a host of capacities most recently spearheading the Reading Program and Operations Officer. We are grateful for her service and ministry alongside women, children and youth.”

Reading Program books are divided into five categories and are available for people of all ages and reading levels. Featured books include captivating novels and heartfelt biographies as well as texts that share urgent messages about issues such as climate change and mass incarceration.

“It is a joy to support a beloved program of United Methodist Women,” Jones said. “We know the Reading Program is among the most celebrated programs of United Methodist Women, and the designated page for the reading program is one of the most-visited sections of United Methodist Women’s website.”

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Contact: Yvette Moore, ymoore@unitedmethodistwomen.org

 

 

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