Archives for February 2012

WHAT: Memphis Bus Rider’s Union Kickoff
WHEN: Saturday, Feb. 18th
LOCATION: AFSCME Union Hall, 485 Beale St.
TIME: 1pm-3pm-Meeting  3pm-Press Conference

MATA riders tired of high fares, overcrowded buses, and the lack of  bus service at night in some neighborhoods are invited to join the Memphis Bus Riders Union, which will hold its founding meeting on Saturday from 1-3 p.m. at the AFSCME Union Hall, 485 Beale St.

Following a well-attended town hall and several weeks of outreach to Memphis Area Transit Authority (MATA) customers, Transportation Task Force, a grassroots coalition dedicated to transportation issues announced plans for the creation of the Memphis Bus Riders Union (MBRU). The Union will be made up of MATA customers and will be dedicated to raising the level of service and dignity provided by the public transit system as well as to ensuring greater public accountability and public input over MATA policies and practices.

“Public transportation is a civil rights issue,” said Transportation Task Force member Laura Sullivan. “Bus routes still reflect Jim Crow laws when buses took domestic workers out east on routes running west to east.”

Starting on Saturday, February 18th, city bus riders can join the MBRU and stand together to pressure city officials and MATA to improve transit service so that it accurately reflects the realities of Memphis. When 40 percent of Memphians need access to public transit and nearly 25 percent of Memphians live under the poverty line, it is unconscionable to combine fare increases with reduced routes and times.

The Memphis Bus Riders Union is the next step to improving Memphis’ public transit system. TTF members cite imminent employee pension shortfalls, which combined with long standing route problems, increasing fares, and poor customer service, reveal the deep need for  grassroots public organization and direct action. Through this movement, Memphians can pressure city and MATA officials to address these most urgent issues and ensure that rider concerns are the chief priority of MATA.

Interested MATA customers who seek to join in the formation of the BUS RIDERS UNION are invited to attend their kickoff meeting at the AFSCME Union Hall, 485 Beale St., from 1-3 pm on Saturday, February 18th.

Following the meeting, at 3pm press conference will be held to announce future actions by the Bus Riders Union, where representatives will be available for comment. For more information, contact the Task Force at TTFMemphis@gmail.com.

On January 14, 2012 more than 800 people joyfully crammed into the sanctuary at First Congregational Church to celebrate thirty years of work at the Mid-South Peace and Justice Center. It was by far our largest gathering yet, which can mainly be attributed to our amazing keynote speaker, Prof. Noam Chomsky. As Prof. Chomsky sad to a reporter from the Commercial Appeal, the Mid-South Peace and Justice Center is “carrying out King’s actual work and actual concerns.”

We cannot think of a more appropriate quote to synopsize our work today. We were after all founded on the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in order to carry forward the work that he and his peers and forerunners began before us. Indeed, we do stand on the shoulders of so many past heroes that have come before us.

One of those heroes, Mary Ruth Robinson, was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award at the event.  In addition to recognizing our past heroes we were able to honor our current ones. Josephine Alexander, who recently stepped down as the coordinator for the GrowMemphis program, received the first annual Golden Pitchfork Award for her work not only to till the soil for justice, but to raise hell when necessary as well.

The evening was also enriched with dance performances by the Performance Arts Network and Bridging Souls Productions, a photo exhibit by Mary Ruth Robinson, the Global Goods pop-up store,  a delicious meal provided by Just for Lunch and much, much more.

We cannot thank our amazing community, the volunteers that made the evening possible, and most of all our members for making this work possible. We especially want to thank our sponsors for the evening United Healthcare, Rhodes College, First Congregational Church, St. Patrick Catholic Church, Marriott Hotels, Bartlett Art and Printing, Bridging Souls Productions, Christian Brothers University, Performance Art Network, David and Carol Ciscel, TN Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition, Janice Vanderhaar and Ed Wallin, Underground Art, Memphis Flyer, Bluff City Backsliders, Just for Lunch and Interfluency Translation+Culture. 

If you are not already, please take a moment to consider becoming a member of the Mid-South Peace and Justice Center. We are only able to do this work because of the generosity of time and resources of people like you! 

You can view all the photos from this evening on our Flickr stream here. Please also take a moment to enjoy Prof. Chomsky’s talk:

We are happy to announce two job openings at the Mid-South Peace and Justice Center. We are hiring a full-time Organizing Coordinator and a part-time Operations Director. The job descriptions and instructions for applying can be found by following these links:

Organizing Coordinator Announcement
Operations Director Announcement

Deadline for application is Feb. 28, 2012. Any questions should be referred to our Executive Director, Jacob Flowers at 901.725.4990 or jacob@midsouthpeace.org.

Our training program, G.O.T. Power, has had a very exciting month. Jacob and Allison facilitated our first weekend-long Core Organizer Training January 20-22. Twenty-five participants from across the city participated in this weekend of learning the foundational skills of grassroots community organizing. Participants joined us from organizations such as Youth for Youth, Memphis Center for Independent Living, ADAPT, Workers Interfaith Network, Obama for America, Grow Memphis, and Landmark Training. We all learned so much together in this intensive weekend, and we look forward to offering the training in this format again soon.

Speaking of the next Core Organizer Training, we are thrilled to announce that our next training will be offered in Spanish this spring for the rapidly and powerfully growing Latino community of organizers in the Mid-South. Details to be announced soon. Contact allison@midsouthpeace.org to be placed on the wit-list for this training. 

A Support and Development training is was offered this Sunday by Laura Sullivan, Emotional Support for Activists. This workshop offered support, release and rejuvenation to those working for world change. MSPJC got a big shout out from national anti-racist activist and author Victor Lee Lewis when he wrote, “This is super awesome. We cannot win the struggle for social justice and create the health and happiness we need to enjoy it, except for work like this. Thank you, MSPJC, for supporting this empowered vision.” This workshop will be offered again in the near future, so email allison@midsouthpeace.org to be put on the wait list.

And finally we wanted to report on the statewide training work we’re engaged in as a part of supporting the Tennessee Statewide Movement Circle. This two day convening will bring together leaders and organizers of grassroots organizations from across TN to have conversations and take action to build collective power that is based and controlled by grassroots communities. G.O.T. Power has the unique opportunity through this statewide initiative to be developing the training alongside national organizations, Center for Community Change and Green for All. What an amazing opportunity for the MSPJC and for our community!