Do you want to get involved?
Are you a person of faith, or simply a person of conscience, who wishes to work for justice this election season -- and do so in a non-partisan manner? If your answer is yes, then I have two invitations for you.
"Waking the Sleeping Giant"
In 1967, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference called for “the beginning of a new co-operation, understanding, and a determination by poor people of all colors and backgrounds to assert and win their right to a decent life and respect for their culture and dignity.” [SCLC, 1967] This was the origin of the Poor People's Campaign, a movement re-ignited by Bishop William Barber and Rev. Liz Theoharis in 2017. The goal of the campaign is to "wake the sleeping giant" of the 140 million poor and low-wage workers across America to advocate for policies to abolish poverty, expand voting rights, ensure healthcare for all, environmental justice and more.
To support this work for justice, Interwoven Congregations partnered with the Georgia Poor People's Campaign to help organize two busloads of 93 marchers to participate in the June 29th Moral March on Washington. There, we gathered with Bishop Barber, Rev. Theoharis and thousands from around the nation to advocate not for any one candidate or party, but for the Poor People's Campaign agenda for justice. You can experience that epic weekend in 11 minutes as you're inspired by Ambassador Andrew Young; join the marchers on the bus to the nation's capital; take part in the march and hear the call from Bishop Barber; make a moving visit to the MLK Memorial; and then experience extraordinary hospitality from faith communities up and down our route along I-85 and I-95.
Now the work continues in earnest as the Poor People's Campaign mobilizes people across the country to share the agenda for justice and prepare to vote their values in November. You can sign up to join in textbanking, canvassing and other voter outreach efforts -- no matter where you live. As Bishop Barber has declared to the poor and low-wage people of America: "We are the swing vote!"
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Reclaim our Vote
A second impactful non-partisan election movement for justice is led by The Center for Common Ground. The Center for Common Ground organizes outreach to minority voters in largely southern swing states to ensure that these voters, who have been targets of voter suppression over the years, have up-to-date information about voting, identification requirements, assistance that's available to help people get to the polls, and more. Two ways people can get involved with their faith communities (or on their own) include participating in postcard campaigns and phonebanking. These links connect you to step-by-step instructions on how you can be involved!
I'm sharing in postcarding and am taking part in the weekly national phonebank with the Center for Common Ground that takes place each Tuesday evening from 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. EST. There are other phonebanking time slots available, but if you're free on a Tuesday evening, join me!
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The Way Forward
Back on Saturday, June 29th, our two buses full of marchers from the Georgia Poor People's Campaign left Washington D.C. for the long trek back to Georgia. After an an amazing dinner in Richmond, VA, we got back on the road and rode through the night. A rich-paletted sunrise greeted us as we crossed the South Carolina border -- reminding us that we all are working for a new day. What part do you want to play in ushering in this new day of justice for all?
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