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Not Your Traditional Lobbyists
Last week, 10 grassroots organizers and leaders from across the country traveled to Washington, DC to lobby on behalf of our communities. As part of the Center's 100 Days Grassroots Lobbying Strategy, these leaders and activists will take our community values message directly to our legislators. Check out last week's action and stories here.
Alonzo Barron from the Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition (CIRC), Brooke Mead from the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition (MIRA) and Kate Van Winkle with the Center for Communiy Change (CCC) prepare for their legislative visits
Democracy in action!
Last week, 10 organizers from Oregon to Massachusetts arranged 29 meetings with legislators - 8 Senators and 21 Representatives - and arranged a special meeting with a staffer from the Budget Committee.
- Matt Garron, Young Workers United
- Norma Rodriguez, JOB
- Gary Cobb, Oregon Action
- Alonzo Barron, Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition
- Shyria Coleman, 9 to 5 Atlanta
- Karen Waters, Virginia Organizing Project
- Brooke Mead, Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition
- Mike Vigo, Make the Road NY
- Cristina Farcia, Illinois Coalition on Immigrant & Refugee Rights
- William Wallace, Contact Center
The Message?
- Support the Employee Free Choice Act
- Send a letter to Attorney General Napolitano requesting a moratorium on the immigration raids
- Sign onto the Health Care for America Now! Pledge
Stories from Leaders
Normita Rodriquez, JOB from California: If I were being asked to sum up this last week
in Washington DC in one word, I would say: powerful. As a leader from
Justice Overcoming Boundaries in San Diego, who is dedicated to my
community, it was energizing, inspiring and powerful to connect with
other leaders from across the country within the Center For Community
Change. Read the rest here.
Will Wallace, Contact Center from Ohio: The experience I participated in was exciting, informative and very memorable. The reason I say that is because we, (meaning the ten participants), were asked to do extraordinary and challenging tasks. And I can say for me personally, I have never been in a situation that required so much attention to detail as well as thinking on your feet. Read the rest here.
Alonzo Barron, Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition: The simple appearance of these buildings for congressmen and women, senators and staff, creates this aura of invincibility and might. However, in realizing that I, someone a generation removed from 3rd World poverty, would be given an opportunity to step inside those buildings, a shift occurred in the balance of power. Suddenly, I felt invincible and strong. My word had made it inside those walls....that was in itself a victory for me and my people. Read the rest here.
Mike Vigo from Make the Road NY, Matt Garron from Young Workers United, Normita Rodriguez from Justice Overcoming Boundaries (JOB) and Marie waiting to speak with a legislator.
Important Takeaways
- A number of offices are now considering sending letters to Napolitano to request a moratorium on the immigration raids.
- Grassroots advocates should talk with members of Congress, especially those that sit on the policy committees relevant to our issues. This means speaking with representatives from the judiciary, finance, education, labor, etc. committees to weigh in on budget priorities!
