News

Mid South Peace and Justice Center is a proud organizational sponsor of the second annual One Billion Rising Memphis. This year’s theme is Rising for Justice, and since Memphis currently has so much to Rise about, the campaign has been expanded to a week of events including a film screening and panel on rape culture, a community conversation about sexual assault and domestic violence in Memphis, the One Billion Rising rally and vigil, and a Day of Support for Survivors. Read on to get more details and to help spread the word.

Starting February 9, 2014, and continuing for one week, Memphis will join with activists around the world for ONE BILLION RISING FOR JUSTICE. The campaign will build upon the energy and momentum that was created on February 14, 2013 when one billion activists in 207 countries and territories came together to rise, strike, and dance, in the biggest mass action in human history, to demand an end to violence against women and girls.

These issues span across all of our communities and affect us all. Help send a strong message that Memphis is facing these issues honestly, that we support survivors and that we are taking action to ensure that all women in our community receive the support and resources that they need. Please see below for the full schedule. All events are free and child care is available. Email onebillionrisingmemphis@gmail.com to reserve child care or with questions.

Schedule for One Billion Rising Memphis 2014:

–Sunday, 2/9 at 4-6pm

Film and Panel Discussion, “The Bro Code: How Contemporary Culture Creates Sexist Men” at First Congo.

–Tuesday, 2/11 at 6-8pm

Rising for Justice in Memphis: A Community Conversation on Rape and Domestic Violence at First Congo An open facilitated discussion on the rape kit crisis, police-survivor interaction, and justice for all Memphis women.

–Friday, 2/14

5-6:30pm One Billion Rising Rally and Vigil at Poplar & Highland. Join us and women around the world as we rally to bring awareness and honor the survivors and ourselves in a candlelight vigil

7:30-9:00 pm Ecstatic Dance with DJ Mary Jane Adams at Co-Motion Studio, 416 N. Cleveland St. A celebration through movement in a safe space. No dance experience required!

–Sunday, 2/16- A Day of Support for Survivors at Co-Motion Studio, 416 N. Cleveland St.

12:30-1:30 Yoga for Healing and Renewing with Meredith Melvin

2:00-3:30-Healing Circle for survivors; therapists Jennifer Albright and Sharon Cash to facilitate.

4:00-5:30-Sacred Dance with Karen Snow

H.O.P.E. is a Mid-South Peace and Justice Center-sponsored organization whose members are exclusively people have formerly  or are currently experiencing homelessness. Over the past several months, members have been working diligently to develop the structure and process of our organization in order to better address the issues that face our communities. HOPE has also developed different projects to address and deconstruct specific dimensions of what is a dynamic problem that continues to affect so many in the Mid-South and beyond.
For meeting times & dates: 901-300-0006.

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Street Wise INK

Over a year ago, H.O.P.E. members embarked upon a project to start a worker-owned and operated t-shirt printing business to help provide income opportunities for people experiencing homelessness. Dubbed “Street Wise INK”, members spent months developing bylaws and a business plan, and were awarded a grant from the Spark Plug Foundation to aid with the cost of  training, supplies, and equipment. The group has been printing H.O.P.E. t-shirts and has taken on a few small orders, but one thing we have been missing is a permanent space to begin operating in a professional capacity.

Members of Street Wise INK and H.O.P.E. are thrilled to announce that this project has finally found a home at First Congregational Church, and will be moving in and preparing the space throughout this month. We would like to thank Julia Hicks, Director of Missions, and the Mission Development Committee at First Congo. Our members are no strangers to the church, which supports a number of diverse community projects and organizations. We are excited about being part of the First Congo community and  know that this will be a great fit for the development of this project!

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Point in Time Count

H.O.P.E. would like to thank all of our members, supporters and friends who volunteered for the the annual Point in Time Count last month. The Count is an annual survey of people experiencing homelessness on one given day of the year. This is required by the Department of Housing and Urban Development to retain federal funding for important programs that address homelessness.

Results from the count also provide an accurate reflection of homelessness in Memphis, helping The Community Alliance for the Homeless better connect those in need to services and programs that can break the cycle of homelessness. It can be eye opening experience for many. Learning more about what others in our city experience on a daily basis helps tear down barriers to understanding and solidarity. Thanks especially to folks who were hitting the streets, clipboards in hand, at five in the morning! Results from the Count should be in soon. Watch this space for updates.

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Women’s Caucus

The Women’s Caucus, co-sponsored by theCenter for Research on Women was formed to address the  distinct experiences of our members who identify as women, confronting issues of domestic violence, Sexual assault, and the lack of adequate shelter and housing assistance for women experiencing homelessness.

The group meets regularly for “Dinner and Discussion,” out of which a core group of organizers emerged to focus on the unique challenges they face. One initiative discussed by the group is preparing care packages to conduct outreach specifically to women experiencing homelessness. These packages would be small, but would contain essential sanitary items that can be hard to come by for many women who are without shelter. If you would like to donate to support this initiative, you can make a donation to HOPE Women’s Caucus HERE. Any amount is sincerely appreciated. Stay tuned for more updates!

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Street Watch

Last year, HOPE launched Street Watch, a campaign to confront and address numerous instances of police harassment of people experiencing homelessness and began hosting monthly ‘Know Your Rights’ workshops to educate the community on their rights and how to assert them. In October, we filed official complaints with internal affairs in response to the unjust arrests of  Ashley Moore and Paul Garner, who were handcuffed while filming police who were attempting to unlawfully enter the Manna House, a local hospitality house for people experiencing homelessness. Their phones were confiscated and held as evidence, although all charges were later dismissed.  Among other numerous complaints of harassment we have received from the unsheltered, are allegations that licensed vendors of The Bridge: the Memphis Street Paper, have been harassed while trying to sell papers, with one vendor being arrested.

Street Watch arranged a meeting between representatives of H.O.P.E., The Bridge, Manna House, Memphis Center for Independent Living and law enforcement officials at the Crump precinct to open a dialog with Memphis Police Department about these issues and suggest positive solutions that could prevent situations like this in the future, such as sensitivity training for officers, and the reinvigoration of a Civilian Law Enforcement Review Board (CLERB) that could provide better accountability and transparency to the community in the complaint process.

Street Watch is now working in conjunction with Memphis United Coalition around a broader spectrum of issues of racial discrimination, police harassment, and misconduct. Representatives will be meeting with elected officials about the need for an Civilian Law Enforcement Review Board. We met with staff members of Mayor A C Wharton’s office and will be working with them to set up a meeting with a delegation from our coalition to meet with the Mayor to find real solutions to these issues.

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Feeding the Movement

H.O.P.E would like to once again thank Memphis Center for Independent Living for providing us with space for our meetings while we seek a permanent location.We would also like to thank Just for Lunch & Trolley Stop Market for providing some delicious food for our meetings. There are lots of ways to feed the movement, and we would like to thank all of our allies for their continued support. For more information about how you can support H.O.P.E. or our different project areas, please contact Paul Garner (901) 725.4990, or paul@midsouthpeace.org. Like H.O.P.E. on Facebook!

Dear MBRU Members & Supporters,

Since our founding meeting in the winter of 2012, the transit dependent-led, grassroots organization Memphis Bus Rider’s Union (MBRU) has been at the helm of many efforts to bring attention to the need for improved public transportation in our city. Last year we fought against budget cuts and won over $1 million back into the city budget for MATA.

MBRU continues to fight for funding for public transportation as well as dignity and respect for bus riders. City budget season is on the horizon again. Although Mayor A C Wharton makes many promises to improve MATA, we understand that without an organized movement there will be no change.

It is through your continued support of our work that we may gain the tools to remove the barriers to equality and economic opportunity that so many residents of Memphis face in their daily lives. Together we WILL rebuild our bus system!

Join us as we celebrate 2 years of organizing!

Saturday, February 8th, 12pm to 3pm

Memphis Center For Independent Living 1633 Madison Ave.

We ask that you bring an item from the following wish list to keep us going. ouY can also donate directly to us here.

Items to donate:

•  Yellow poster board and or foam core
• Wausau Astrobrights “Solar Yellow” Printer Paper
• postage stamps
• scotch tape
• staples/clips
• pens/black markers/black or yellow paint/sponge brushes
• clipboards or 3 ring binders
• clear packing tape
• yellow t-shirts in any size
• black or yellow Speedball silk screen ink

If you cannot attend February 8th, call us at 901-205-9737 and speak to a volunteer, or leave a detailed message and we will let you know how you can support the ongoing work of MBRU.

This event is free and open to the public so please bring friends and family!

Sincerely,

MBRU, Executive Committee

H.O.P.E. NEEDS YOU!

Wednesday, 22 Jan 2014 5:00 AM – 7:00 PM

The Point in Time Count is an annual count of people experiencing street homelessness on one given day of the year, which is required by the Department of Housing and Urban Development to retain federal funding for homeless programs. It is also important that the results from the count provide an accurate reflection of homelessness in Memphis.  Volunteers will be talking one-on-one with any unsheltered individual willing to be interviewed. The Community Alliance for the Homeless then use this data to move forward with securing housing and other services for some of our most vulnerable brothers and sisters. Groups of five will go to certain precincts throughout the city in order to visit soup kitchens, crisis centers, shelters, and other offices where homeless Memphians congregate during the day. H.O.P.E. members, many of whom are themselves currently on the street will be assisting in this years count but we need your help too!  The annual Point in Time Count will be Wednesday, 22 Jan 2014 5:00 AM – 7:00 PM. you can register here! There are multiple shifts that you can volunteer for based on your availability.

Volunteers will report to the MIFA Life Skills Center located at 910 Vance Ave Memphis, TN 38126 at the beginning of each shift.

First-time volunteers must attend one of the following training sessions which will both be held at MIFA (910 Vance Ave):
-Wednesday, January 15 at 12:00 pm
-Friday, January 17 3:00 pm

-Tuesday, January 21 4:00 pm at MCIL (1633 Madison)

Please contact the Community Alliance for the Homeless for more details via their website, Facebook event page, or by phone: (901) 527-1302

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H.O.P.E. is the name of a Mid-South Peace and Justice Center-sponsored organization whose members are exclusively people currently, or have formerly experienced homelessness. H.O.P.E. has been working hard to develop several project areas that address the issues that are a priority to the homeless community.

For more information about how you can support HOPE or our different project areas, Please contact Paul Garner (901) 725.4990, or paul@midsouthpeace.org. Like H.O.P.E. on Facebook!

A grassroots gala and banquet benefiting the Mid-South Peace & Justice Center.

An evening of local music, local food, and local people building local movements.

Featuring former MSPJC Executive Director Hubert Van Tol & an engaging program featuring the best of local food, music, arts and movement.

Saturday :: January 18, 2014
First Congregational Church (map)
Reserve your tickets NOW

Pathstone Enterprise Center in Rochester, NY.

Tickets:

6:00pm – Seated Banquet :: $30/ticket
$225/table of eight
Banquet tickets include reception and full meal with Cash Bar.

7:00pm – General Admission :: $10/ticket
suggested donation with no one turned away

*all tickets include full program*

Free childcare available, must register when you purchase tickets or by calling 901.725.4990

Be sure to stay tuned to www.midsouthpeace.org as we continue to release details of the program and other entertainment for the big event!

You can also support the important work of the Mid-South Peace and Justice Center by becoming a member. We are a member-led, community-run organization. Please take a moment to help us build a movement for positive change in our community. Become a Member today!

Memphis United Conference on Police Misconduct
Tuesday, December 17th, 11:30 am – 4:00 pm

Community Forum and Know Your Rights Workshop
Time: Noon – 2:00 pm. Sign in and snacks at 11:30am
Location: St Patrick’s Church, 277 S. Fourth St, Memphis, TN 38126
Co-Moderators: Earle Fisher and Gee Joyner

March on Civic Center Plaza and Cypher
Time: 2:00 pm. – 4:00 pm.
Starting Point:  St Patrick’s Church, 277 S. Fourth St, Memphis, TN 38126

Memphis United Music Show and After-Party
Time: Doors open at 7:00 pm. Show starts at 7:30 pm.
Location: K’PreSha Boutique,  323 South Main St, Memphis, TN 38126
Line-up of artists performing:

• Lurrell Low
• Red Planet
• YR Generation
• Girls of the Gravitron
• Knowledge Nick

Join Memphis United this Tuesday, December 17th. Our goal is to begin a grassroots campaign to end systemic police harassment and misconduct, and to promote positive reforms to our local criminal justice system for all Memphians. The event begins at noon with a community forum at St Patrick’s Catholic Church.  (Sign-in and refreshments at 11:30am.) This forum, co-moderated by Earle Fisher and Gee Joyner, will allow the community to air their opinions and share their experiences in a space of safety and plan for future action. This forum will also include a “Know Your Rights” workshop put on by H.O.P.E. (Homeless Organizing For Power and Equality). and the Law Offices of the Shelby County Public Defender.

At 2:00 pm we will gather outside St Patrick’s Catholic Church to host a nonviolent march down Beale Street to South Main to Civic Center Plaza, right outside of City Hall where local hip hop artists will host a cypher, a hip hop freestyle circle. Hip-hop is not the enemy nor are people experiencing homelessness.

We want you to be there to join us in this event and in this campaign for justice on our streets. This is not simply about “bad cops” or a few “bad apples” but rather it is about a total lack of citizen-led accountability and a system that creates these behaviors and allows them to continue and that system must change. Changes like a real Civilian Law Enforcement Review Board with real power,changes like improved MPD cooperation on the filing of U-Visas for undocumented victims of domestic violence,changes like homelessness and disability sensitivity training for patrol officers,changes like proper accountability in the processing of Rape kits. These are all but a few of the issues that people are bringing to the table and we want to invite you to be a part of this discussion and building a movement to make this happen.

To be anti-harassment and pro-justice does not make one anti-cop. We hope to see you there.

Memphis United is a grassroots coalition made up of H.O.P.E. (Homeless Organizing For Power and Equality),The South Main Cypher Trolley Series, Manna House Memphis, K’PreSha Boutique,Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition-TIRRC, Memphis Center For Independent Living, Adapt TN, Memphis Bus Riders Union,The Bridge Street Newspaper, Pro-Memphis Project, Subliminal Thought and many concerned citizens.

Hey, y’all! It’s holiday time, and your favorite social justice organizations want to celebrate with you!

On Thursday, December 19th from 6:00 to 8:00 pm, Mid-South Peace and Justice Center, Grow Memphis, Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition, Memphis Bus Riders Union/Sindicato de Pasajeros, and H.O.P.E. (Homeless Organizing for Power and Equality) are all converging at our offices at 3573 Southern Ave. to bring out the December cheer!

Mark your calendars for this night, because there’s gonna be food, music, dancing, Jacob’s famous homemade “Triple Threat Axis of Evil” EGGNOG, and some eccentric holiday décor including MISTLETOE. woooooo.

Put on your red and green outfits (turtlenecks are cool!) and celebrate another year of great work with these organizations and the folks that make them possible—that’s you!  Feel free to bring partners, friends, family members, and children, because the more… the merrier!

H.O.P.E. is the name of a Mid-South Peace and Justice Center-sponsored organization whose members are exclusively people currently, or have formerly experienced homelessness. H.O.P.E. has been working hard to develop several project areas that address the issues that are a priority to the homeless community. For meeting times and dates, call 901-300-0006.

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Welcome Aboard, Toni Whitfield!

H.O.P.E. would like to proudly congratulate organizer/activist, Toni Whitfield, one of Mid-South Peace and Justice Center‘s newly elected board members of 2014! Toni is a committed soldier in the war on homelessness & poverty, an LGBTQ advocate, and a street preacher. Toni has been deeply involved in all of H.O.P.E.’s projects and campaigns, including but not limited to; the Street Watch Initiative, Women’s Caucus, Garden Crew, and the Street Wise INK t-shirt printing Co-Op. H.O.P.E. is thrilled to have Toni’s representation on the board at MSPJC.  We know that she will continue to bring to the table an invaluable perspective on issues of poverty and passion and unending enthusiasm for building a grassroots movement in our city!

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Brain Freeze!

Earlier this week H.O.P.E. received a message from our friend, Elise, informing us that the TCBY on Union Ave near Belvedere had posted a sign on the front of the door that read “NO SOLICITING–OR HOMELESS” This kind of labeling and shaming should not be tolerated in our community! It is classist, degrading, and mean spirited. We reposted the photograph (below) and askedYOU to help us by making phone calls to management to let them know this was absolutely unacceptable. We are happy to report that the phone calls and letters paid off and just days later, we received this response from TCBY:

Thanks to your collective support, this situation was dealt with quickly and effectively. H.O.P.E. salutes you-thanks for answering the call!

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Women’s Caucus

The H.O.P.E. Women’s Caucus is a safe space for H.O.P.E. members who identify as women to work together on the issues that disproportionately affect them, including reproductive health and violence.  Co-sponsored by the Center for Research on Women at the University of Memphis, the Women’s Caucus meets regularly for “Dinner and Discussion,” from which a core group of organizers has emerged to focus on the unique challenges faced by women experiencing homelessness.

Most recently, the Women’s Caucus completed a five week self-defense course at Cat’s Ballroom. These classes met twice a week, focusing on the fundamental skills needed to handle an attack, and get out of violent situations safely. Soon, the Women’s Caucus will begin the second phase of this process. Members will participate in “train the trainer” style classes to learn the techniques of teaching self-defense strategies to other women.  This two-phase model builds upon an evidence-based Lay Health Advisor model used around the country to implement community-based healthcare programs.

If you are interested in getting involved with theH.O.P.E. Women’s Caucus in any other way, or if you have questions or suggestions for the group, please contact Project Coordinator, Ace F. Madjlesi at acemadjlesi@gmail.com.

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Baby, It’s COLD Outside!

If you haven’t already noticed, it’s getting colder. Last night, temperatures dipped below freezing and this is just the beginning. Currently in Memphis, there are NO fully-free shelters that operate throughout the week. Memphis Union Mission, opens its doors to unsheltered men without cost only on nights when it is LITERALLY freezing. This means that many of our brothers and sisters will be doing the best they can to keep warm on these cold streets. Even on nights where the thermometer doesn’t hit 32 degrees, individuals without shelter are at serious risk of becoming ill, or worse.

We are asking YOU, our allies and supporters for donations of LARGE coats, blankets,mittens/gloves, clean socks, scarves, caps, long-johns, sleeping bags, tents, blankets, etc. basically, if you think someone could use it to stay warm and needs it, they probably do.

Donation Drop-Off Locations, Dates and Times
You can drop donations of COATS off at Manna House Memphis, 1268 Jefferson Ave. Mon, Tues, & Thurs Mornings, 8:30-11:30 am. Other donations can be dropped off at the Mid-South Peace and Justice Center (3573 Southern Ave, 725-4990) Mon-Fri 9 am-5 pm

It won’t end homelessness, but it could save someone’s life this winter.

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Feeding the Movement

H.O.P.E would like to once again thank Memphis Center for Independent Living for providing us with space for our meetings while we seek a permanent location.We would also like to thank Just for Lunch & Trolley Stop Market for providing some delicious food for our meetings. There are lots of ways to feed the movement, and we would like to thank all of our allies for their continued support. For more information about how you can support HOPE or our different project areas, Please contact Paul Garner (901) 725.4990, or paul@midsouthpeace.org. Like H.O.P.E. on Facebook!

Join us Thursday, December 12th at 7pm, at Rhodes College in Blount Auditorium for an informal and informative discussion on criminalization in the age of mass incarceration.

We will discuss the criminalization of immigration, unjust sentencing, criminal justice reform and much more.

We are excited that the following community activists and experts on the topic will be joining us for the discussion:

• Gabriela Marquez-Benitez- Latino Union of Chicago
• Nicole D. Porter- The Sentencing Project
• Silky Shah – Detention Watch Network
• Bob Libal & Kymberlie Quong Charles – Grassroots Leadership
• Laura Markle Downton – National Religious Campaign Against Torture

Event is free and open to the public.

Location on Rhodes College Campus is Blount Auditorium inside of Buckman Hall. Campus Map: http://www.rhodes.edu/images/content/About/Rhodes_Campus_Map_Layers.pdf

The projects that all of our members have been working on this past year have continued to challenge the status quo of our communities. H.O.P.E. has empowered its members to advocate for social and systemic re-imagining of the state of homelessness in our communities.  TheMemphis Bus Riders Union has won great hard victories over this past year and continues to work toward equitable transportation for all our city’s residents. The Community-Police Relations Projecthas held six forums with hundreds of people coming out to share their experience. Our trainings and workshops have continued to create the foundation for grassroots community organizing locally and nationally. The annual meeting reawakened our enthusiasm to take these projects further into 2014!

In addition to talking about our work over this past year and getting feedback on how to continue it, we elected new board members. (more below)

We invite all of our members to get involved with the various projects that we have going on. One great way to do that is to renew your membership for this coming year and take our short survey [HERE].

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Newly Elected MSPJC Board

We are very excited to extend congratulations to all of our dedicated newly-elected board!

Officers: Federico Gomez (Chairperson); Tiffany Futch (Treasurer); Dana Wilson (Secretary); General board members: Mia Madison, Anna Mullins, Brandon Gaiter, Ace Madjlesi, Jodi Mack, Toni Whitfield, Chris Martin, Dr. Coby Smith, Jesus (Chuey) Lopez.

Meet the ten new members of our board, each elected for a three-year term.  They will join existing members to make a total of 17.

• Mia Madison – Dedicated community activist. Currently employed by HCD as a Mapping Analyst. G.O.T. Power Graduate and participant in the Community-Police Relations project.
• Anna Mullins – Long time MSPJC member. Former Board Chair and founder of the Women’s Action Coalition v 1.0. Currently Executive Director of the Cotton Museum.
• Brandon Gaiter – Community activist and leader in the Memphis United effort around the KKK rally in Memphis this year.
• Ace Madjlesi – Community activist, project coordinator in the H.O.P.E. Women’s caucus, the Women’s Action Coalition and other community causes. Works at Center for Research on Women.
• Jodi Mack – Dedicated activist and MSPJC supporter. Graduate of G.O.T. POWER and active with the Community-Police Relations project. Advocate and supporter for homelessness services.
• Toni Whitfield – Dedicated leader in H.O.P.E. and participant in the Community-Police Relations . US Army Veteran and ordained minister. Represents H.O.P.E. on the Shelby County Homelessness Consortium.
• Chris Martin – Recent graduate of the U of M law school and currently a clerk at Shelby County Public Defender’s Office. On the Board of United Mountain Defense. Active in the Occupy Memphis and Mid-South Peace and Justice Center G.O.T. Power grad.
• Anthony Sledge – Advocate for those with disabilities and staff at Memphis Center for Independent Living. Alumni of G.O.T. Power and dedicated community activist for ex-offenders.
• Dr. Coby Smith – Founding member of the Black Organizing Project and the Invaders, organizer with Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) and first African-American to attend Rhodes College.. Continues to be a dedicated community activist, including action with Memphis Bus Riders Union.
• Jesus (Chuey) Lopez – Activist with Communidades Unidas en Una Voz. Graduate of Mid-South Peace and Justice Center’s G.O.T. Poder training program.. Artist and horticulturist.