Press release provided by Joshua Henne of White Horse Strategies. I wanted to pass this along. I’ll be there. More info to come.
(Camden, NJ) Thursday, August 28th – the Camden community, along with The Communications Workers of America (CWA), students, people of faith and other union members and community leaders are holding a rally in solidarity with the protestors of Ferguson, Missouri. The rally will be staged at Camden City Hall by the park area at 1 pm.
The purpose is to demand justice for Michael Brown and to take a stand for jobs, justice and equality in communities throughout New Jersey and the America. Participants will call for an end to the police state in Ferguson and to respect the right of people to peacefully protest. The event will also demonstrate that Camden stands with Ferguson.
Thursday August 28, 2014
520 Market St
Camden, NJ 08102
1:00 PM
Photo from the Organization for Black Struggle
“The death of Michael Brown is a tragedy that impacts us all,” said Leroy Baylor, President CWA Local 1079. “Today, we stand with his family and all the residents of the Ferguson in full support of their rights to demonstrate and protest this injustice in a peaceful manner. We demand that full accountability come to those responsible for Michael’s death and that justice not be delayed. Our hearts and prayers continue to be with the Brown family in this most difficult time.”
“Equity and fairness are the solutions, not tear gas and certainly not tanks,” said Reverend Ronald Tuff, of the NJ Black Issues Convention.
“We must look to the root cause of the problem. Sadly, this was not an isolated incident, but an all-too-common symptom of a system of repression against people of color. We need jobs and justice, as these issues are intricately connected.”
“We build coalitions to fight the injustices and inequalities of every day life for all. We are here to help be a voice for those who are being silenced,” said George Jackson, President of CWA Local 1084.
“Hope that is seen is not hope but that which we do not see,” said Pastor Rosalyn Parker of Taste of Heaven Ministries. “We must wait patiently for it. We must continue to pray, stand in peace as we march in solidarity with Ferguson, keeping hope alive.”
“Our country is in the midst of a crisis,” said Phyllis Salowe-Kaye, NJ Citizen Action Executive Director. “This is not just a Ferguson or St. Louis problem. What happened to Michael Brown is an American problem that reminds us racial justice is a core issue for all who care about equality and justice. We stand with Ferguson and all American families who dream of living in a nation where no one dies because of the color of their skin.”
“This past Monday would have been Michael Brown’s first day of college, and instead it was his funeral.” Said Karl Walko, President of CWA Local 1014 “All across America, protests, vigils and rallies are being organized just like this one in Camden. Together, we stand in solidarity with the Brown family and the Ferguson community, as a whole. But we won’t stop there. We demand meaningful social and economic change that lifts up every single American community.”
Ferguson was among the American municipalities hit hardest by the foreclosure crisis. And its recent history bears a striking resemblance to the city of Camden – which suffers from a poverty rate more than double the national average and nearly triple that of Camden County.
Black residents were originally denied access to Ferguson due to restrictive housing covenants and prohibition of sales to African-Americans. When the city was integrated, white residents fled the area. Decades of deindustrialization – in which solid union jobs in manufacturing and the service industry moved overseas – were coupled with a wasteful transportation project that cut the city off and brought in underutilized industrial space left vacant. As businesses shuttered and people were forced out from an underutilized airport area, those left behind without economic resources were pushed into housing complexes such as the one where Michael Brown was shot and killed.
Over the past 30 years, as income disappeared in Ferguson and state and federal assistance dried up due to massive tax cuts for the wealthy, public services were slashed. Particularly, staffing levels were drastically reduced at the social services office where CWA Local 6355 members work near Ferguson. Moreover, the school district serving part of Ferguson has been taken over by the State and is in the process of being privatized. The State University in St. Louis County has also increased tuition and fees by nearly 300% since the Great Recession began. In 2012, unemployment in St. Louis City stood at 26% for African Americans and 6.2% for whites in 2012. Today, 47% of young black men in St. Louis can’t find employment.
Tomorrow’s rally organizers include: CWA 1079, CWA 1084, CWA 1014, CWA 1038, NAACP New Jersey State Conference, Camden County NAACP, NJ Black Issues Convention, NJ United Students, Taste of Heaven Ministries, Pastor Rosalyn Parker, NJ Citizen Action, NJ Working Families Alliance, and People Organization for Progress.
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