Archives for September 2014

This week Memphis United will help kick off the International Day of Peace by supporting the Campaign Nonviolence “Enough is Enough” march and rally against all violence on September 19th.  This march was called by Barry Blackstone organizer with Universal Center Corp. to call attention to the neighborhood plight for peace after the neighborhood pastor’s home was riddled with bullets. Although the community tried to report the crime to local law enforcement, authorities never came out to take a report or investigate. Mr. Blackstone reached out to partner with Memphis United because he believes in police accountability and wants more community policing in Smokey City.  Memphis United volunteers will continue efforts to increase police accountability by canvassing with Mr. Blackstone on Oct.1 to educate community members about how to utilize the newly reinstated Civilian Law Enforcement Review Board.

Join Us:
Friday, Sept. 19th at 5pm
768 Pearce St.
Memphis, TN 38107

For more information about Memphis United, contact Organizing Coordinator Marquita Bradshaw at marquita@midsouthpeace.org.

THIS THURSDAY:  Founding & Funding your Grassroots Group
Sept. 11, 6pm – 8pm – Please, be on time.
Click here to register!

Location: 450 Mulberry St Memphis TN 38103 – Links Education Center, National Civil Rights Museum.
Wheelchair accessible

Learn the process, skills and actions you can use to establish and financially sustain your grassroots organization.

A workshop led by Jacob Flowers

This session starts with an in-depth look at the mission, vision and values that you are organizing from and ends with concrete actions that you can take to fund your work sustainably over the long term.
Limited to the first 25 people who register.
Cost: $20-$45 Sliding scale.

Registration online or by phone is required to attend.

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Privilege and Oppression Awareness Workshop
Thursday, Sept. 18, 6pm – 8:30pm
Click here to register!
Location: 450 Mulberry St Memphis TN 38103  Links Education Center, National Civil Rights Museum. Wheelchair accessible

In this workshop participants will have the opportunity for recognizing privilege and oppression in themselves, in a safe space, as a first step to combat them.   *Limited to the first 8 people who register.

Cost: $20-$45 Sliding scale.

Registration online or by phone is required to attend.

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Labor Liberation Workshop
Tuesday, Sept. 30, 6pm – 8pm, Please be on time!
Click here to register!
Location: 450 Mulberry St Memphis TN 38103  Links Education Center, National Civil Rights Museum. Wheelchair accessible

In this workshop we’ll explore the complexities of the labor movement in intersection with people’s diverse identities as workers and how they identify their personal histories and lives with the history of labor movement.

Who can attend this workshop? Workers, students, union members, and anyone who wants to learn about the labor movement! It’s for Everyone who would like to learn about their identity as a worker and how they can identify as a part of the labor movement.
*Minimum 12, maximum 20 participants who register.

Cost: $20-$45 Sliding scale.

For all of our workshops, registration online or by phone is required to attend.
Some scholarships may be available. Please request a scholarship application by email or phone.
Donations for workshop scholarships gratefully accepted!

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G.O.T. Power started September collaborating with the local movement of fast food workers,Memph15. We had the honor to provide training for the participants of the local strike on Sept. 4th.
We supported the Memph15 with two trainings: Third Party Nonviolent Intervention for a group of 12 people committed to keep the peace of the action, and a Nonviolent Direct Action training for the brave group of fast food workers doing civil disobedience.
It is our hope to continue collaborating with the local and state movements that are working and taking action for change.

For more information on anything happening with G.O.T. Power, MSPJC Training Department, please contact Training Director Gio López at gio@midsouthpeace.org or call the Mid-South Peace and Justice Center at 725-4990.

G.O.T. Power, Mid-South Peace and Justice Center’s training program, is committed to building our community’s capacity building skills in grassroots organizing, providing support to people doing community work and offering oppression awareness and liberation education.

Memphis Bus Riders Union (MBRU) members and other MATA riders are seeing some practical improvements at MATA’s Hudson Transit Center, but there are still concerns about excessive force from private security companies.

When MBRU met with MATA board members for a tour of the terminal, riders had a laundry list of ideas for the 20 year old transit hub. MATA has since installed a charging station for electronic devices, ADA compliant soap and paper towel dispensers, and a large full system map.

We still have a long way to go, but these new features are already in heavy use.

Meanwhile, rider complaints against the newly contracted security company Ambassador Worldwide Protection Agency are on the rise. A few weeks ago, a woman transferring between buses with her 11yr old and 3yr old children was sprayed with mace by one of the guards, after a verbal argument over jaywalking. The rider’s children were exposed to the mace. Several witnesses say the children appeared to be in a great deal of pain. MBRU members have continued to observe a pattern of bad judgment and reckless use of force by the security guards. Last week a guard was attempting to remove a rider from the terminal for selling soap. According to witnesses the rider threw his bag at her and ran off the property. The guard drew her gun and chased the man 6 blocks, leaving her post, and eventually macing the man after he had already been apprehended. The guard has since been fired, but Ambassador remains.

MBRU organizers believe incidents like this will continue unless there are real measures in place that improve the quality of security services and create accountability to the public.  Evaluative data and reporting on any use of force by private security, more security cameras, and sensitivity training for guards is needed, and the MATA Board will be addressing these needs through policy at an upcoming meeting.  Oversight of these reports is needed to observe patterns of violence, and compare them with customer complaints against guards.

As Shelia Williams stated in an interview with Fox13 “We want security to protect and serve the riders… that are commuting back and forth and not come at us like we are some criminals. Let’s build the trust factor and start on a new path,”

For more information, or to give your input on improvements to the Hudson Transit Center, join us at one of our monthly meetings, held on the second Saturday of each month, 12pm to 2pm, at the Memphis Center for Independent Living (1633 Madison Ave).

To contact MBRU, call or text 901-205-9737 or email MemphisBRU@gmail.com.

Support this work and Become an MSPJC Member today!

Bornatty Hairstyles by Kingdom Kreations Salon with Gil Carter Present a special event to help raise awareness and funds for organizations working to end homelessness with a wine tasting hosted by Flava of Da Caribbean, a fashion show, and musical guest, Brandon Cortez.  It’s all happening at DejaVu, home of Memphis’ finest Creole soul & vegetarian cuisine!

September 21, 2014
7pm – 11pm
DeJaVu, 51 S Main Street, Memphis, TN 38103

VIP Tickets: $25
Advance Tickets:  $15
General Admission: $15

For More Information, Call: Martone Evans (919) 271-0497 or Gil Carter (901) 830-1622

Purchase your tickets here!