Archives for April 2012

For the past 5 months organizers with the Mid-South Peace and Justice Center have been working with the real experts on the issue of homelessness, those persons who have directly lived and experienced it for themselves.

Homeless Organizing for Power and Equality (H.O.P.E.) is the name of a Mid-South Peace and Justice Center sponsored organization who’s members are exclusively people who are currently or have formerly experienced homelessness. Members of this organization will receive training and support as they direct and lead street campaigns around the host of issues,challenges and injustices suffered by our brothers and sisters who live on the streets of our community. These campaigns are all centered around H.O.P.E.‘s four principle values of DIGNITY, SELF DETERMINATION, SOLIDARITY and MUTUAL EMOTIONAL SUPPORT. Currently H.O.P.E. has weekly membership meetings on Thursday nights at the MANNA HOUSE, with an open discussion group meeting on Thursday mornings.

Currently the group is in the planning stages of joining the MAY 1st DAY OF ACTION  in conjunction with various labor, immigrant rights and social justice organization. Each of the groups involved are working towards May 1st actions around various issues of injustice with H.O.P.E. leading the charge on SB2508. This grossly unconstitutional law was recently passed by the Tennessee Legislature and shamefully signed into law by Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam. SB2508  makes it a Class A Misdemeanor to sleep on public property owned by the state. This new law will effectively make homelessness a crime with a penalty of a jail sentence up to 11 months and 29 days and/or a $2500 fine. The members of H.O.P.E. see this for what it is a further continuation of the criminalization of poverty in our state and our community.

The group is currently in the planning stages of a protest centering on SB2508 and the rampant civil rights and police harassment violations within our local criminal justice system at 201 POPLAR. At this event on MAY 1st. members of H.O.P.E will stage host a press conference about the inhumanity of SB2508 and representative of the group will present a official letter and list of grievances to Shelby County District Attorney General Amy Weirich and Memphis Police Director Toney Armstrong. H.O.P.E. asserts that District Attorney Amy Weirich and MPD Director Armstrong should come forward and publicly state that neither the DA nor MPD will make arrest or prosecute offenders under this unconstitutional law.

If you or your congregation or organization would like to help H.O.P.E.’s day of action please contact Organizing Director Brad Watkins at 901-725-4990 or by email at brad@midsouthpeace.org

H.O.P.E. is also pursuing the creation of a Worker’s Co’op to facilitate a part time income sources for it’s members. One such venture would involve the creation of a member owned and operated organic cleaning and janitorial service for area churches, businesses and union halls. The other venture, led by H.O.P.E. organizer Paul Garner would involve members of H.O.P.E. being trained in silk screen printing for the creation of t-shirts for organizations, church youth organizations, political campaigns and grassroots organizing groups.

Both of these services will be fully owned and operated by the members themselves.

If you have a background in business or are a business student who is interested in aiding our members in how to write a business plan,bylaws and the basics of operating a business please contact Organizing Director Brad Watkins at 901-725-4990 or by email at brad@midsouthpeace.org.

Homeless Organizing for Power and Equality (H.O.P.E.) is the name of a Mid-South Peace and Justice Center sponsored organization who’s members are exclusively people who are currently or have formerly experienced homelessness. Over the past few months our members have been hard at work not only planning, mobilizing and organizing a movement for justice on our streets but also building community through mutual emotional support within the group itself.

Memphis Bus Riders Union Issues Warning To Community About “Scam Artists”

The Memphis Bus Rider Union (MBRU) is a grassroots effort to advocate and organize for badly needed reforms of our public transit system in the Memphis area. This week it has come to our attention that there have been reports of individuals who are using the name of the MBRU to solicit donations at bus stops and at terminals.

This is untrue and those who are soliciting donations are not in anyway connected with the Memphis Bus Rider Union. The MBRU at this time has not and currently is not asking for financial donations and urges the public and the media to spread the word not give money to these individuals as they are performing a scam. The MBRU will continue to outreach efforts at bus stops and at terminals but only for the purpose of distributing flyers and surveys.

“It is deeply troubling and sad that anytime the community comes together on a issue for positive change that there will always be opportunists and users.  The MBRU will not allow the actions of unethical people to distract this organization from it’s goals and work, which is ensuring that transit dependent riders needs and desires are the first and foremost priorities of MATA,” says MBRU member and MATA customer Brad Watkins.

The next meeting of the Memphis Bus Riders Union will be held Saturday, April 14^th at the Memphis Center for Independent Living- 1633 Madison ave, from 12 noon until 2pm.

For more information please contact the Memphis BusRiders Union at our website at MBRU.org by email at ttfmemphis@gmail.com or by phone at 901-205-9737  

Worldwide LGBT Civil Rights March, Millington, TN.  Saturday April 21st

Quickinformation:

Unite Against the War on Women Rally

What:  Unite Against the War on Women Rally

Where:  Tennessee State Capitol Building – Nashville, TN

• Women across the United States will march in all 50 state capitols in support of women’s rights and equality.
• Buses are being arranged from Memphis.
• TN Facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/WeAreWomenMarchTN/
• National Website http://www.unitewomen.org

“Help defend women’s rights and pursuit of equality. Join Americans all across the United States on April 28th, 2012, as we come together as one to tell members of Congress in Washington DC and legislators in all 50 states, “Enough is enough!”

Unite Women strongly supports diversity and welcomes women and men of all ages without regard to their race, color, creed, political affiliation, disability, religious or spiritual beliefs, sexual orientation, education or income level, marital status, employment status or immigrant status. 

Everyone is invited to join, plan, and rally as we unite to demand that every person be granted equal opportunities, equal rights, and equal representation.

This is what grassroots democracy looks like!”

Melissa is a native Memphian who is a product of Memphis City Schools and attended Treadwell High located in the Highland Heights area. Melissa attended college at State Technical Institute and Christian Brothers University studying paralegal through the National Academy of Paralegal studies. Melissa’s work skills were in Legal and Executive Administration until June 4, 1994. Her life changed and has lead her to work strongly in the community with grassroots organizations which also inspired her to start her own non profit outreach organization known as S.O.L.I.D.s Inc. (Scope Of Life Illuminates Destiny), a ministry working with the people, for the people of our communities.