Sadly, many of our neighborhood are grappling with serious and long-standing problems, such as blight, fires, home foreclosure, unemployment and a lack of affordable housing opportunities. To properly address these issues in all our neighborhoods, we as one community must organize and collaborate around common interests.
People First is a Mid-South Peace and Justice Center supported partnership with residents and activists working in the Binghampton community to raise voter turn out during elections and assist in long term resident-driven grassroots community organizing after the elections end.
On December 17th, the three month anniversary of the occupation movement, Memphians will join together and Occupy 4 Memphis.
At noon, rallies and vigils will be held at three locations, coordinated by ally groups. Participants should choose one location to converge on at noon.
People First is a Mid-South Peace and Justice Center supported partnership with residents and activists working in the Binghampton community to raise voter turn out during elections and assist in long term resident-driven grassroots community organizing after the elections end.
For the past four months our team of activists and Binghampton residents have been canvassing door to door, talking with ...residents and neighbors about the issues that they care about. Moving forward People First seeks to engage and organize residents from all races and religions across the Binghampton community to collectively address the needs of the neighborhood as well as ensure all redevelopment efforts in the area have real front end resident and community input. We have already hosted a candidate forum, a neighborhood BBQ and have just finished our second monthly meeting with area residents, talking about issues of the community and planning long term organizing for positive action....but..it's not all about meetings...it's about building community.
Today marks one month since members of the 99% began the occupation of Memphis. We at the Mid-South Peace and Justice Center have stood in solidarity with this movement and have offered resources, training and our personal support to this inspiring movement. Unfortunately as those occupying Civic Center Plaza prepared to celebrate the 1% in New York began evicting thousands at Occupy Wall Street. In response, the 99% will rally today at 5pm at Civic Center Plaza (map) and march at 6pm.
You are us, we are you, we are the 99%! Join us as we raise our voices and voice our discontent with the systems that allow 1% of Americans to have undue control over the rest of us.
What follows is an official statement from Occupy Memphis:
We are Occupy Memphis. We stand with the Occupy Wall Street Movement and all other nonviolent democratic uprisings around the world.
We are here to denounce the control of our government by the 1%. We the People have a right to govern ourselves; that right has been usurped by corporations, big banks, Wall Street, the Federal Reserve, and the wealthiest 1% of our population. These elites put profit over people, self-interest over justice, and oppression over equality.
They say we have a budget crisis, but what we have is a priority crisis. They say we have a fiscal deficit, but what we have is a deficit of democracy. They have taken our silence for consent, but no more.
We know that you are working hard to ensure that your neighborhoods are healthy, thriving communities, but you don't have to do it alone.
Join the Neighborhood Alliance to work with others who are advocating, organizing and promoting legislation and policies to improve the quality of life in all our neighborhoods. Working as a team, we can make a difference!
All alliance meetings are on the last two Mondays of each month. The planning and agenda-setting meeting is meant to build the Alliance and decide what form the Alliance will take and what issues will be its focus. Our second meeting is an open-to-the-public workshop on building the skills needed to help your organization grow and thrive.
We know that you are working hard to ensure that your neighborhoods are healthy, thriving communities, but you don't have to do it alone.
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