SOUTHERN REGION RAINBOW PUSH COALTION
Voting Rights
In 2012, the Atlanta office of RPC convened
elected officials from the Southeast to confront the challenge of ALEC, the Tea
party and other extreme groups. The
conclave produced regional legislative priorities. RPC also organized a People’s Court trial of
the Voting Rights Act.
Civil and Criminal Justice System
Robert
Patillo, legal consultant to RPC, is planning a legal challenge to the constitutionality
of Georgia’s discriminatory Stand Your
Ground law. RPC n
commented to the United Nations Commission to Eliminate Racial Discrimination
(CERD). The comments were in response to
a report on progress toward racial justice issued in May by the U.S. Department
of State. The Southern Region urged
support for regional adoption of North Carolina’s Racial Justice Act, which
recently resulted in changing a death sentence to life without parole, due to
extensive evidence of systematic exclusion of blacks from juries. Janice Mathis traveled to Sanford, FL twice
in support of Trayvon Martin’s family. Davida Mathis traveled attended the
Supreme Court oral arguments in Shelby
v. Holder, the case that struck down portions of the VRA.
Economic Justice
Robert
Patillo led RPC’s effort to investigate claims of discrimination by Paula Deen
Enterprises, resulting in a report of the findings and recommendations for improvement. So far, Paula Deen Enterprises has failed to
respond. RPC also actively educated citizens, particularly students, about the
inequities of the lottery as a funding mechanism for public pre-school and
higher education. Lottery-funded
scholarships tend to benefit wealthier families at the expense of lower-income
frequent lottery players. RPC attended
meetings of MARTA and the Georgia Lottery to urge diversity and inclusion. It also hosted a Town Hall Meeting on the
Affordable Care Act in October at Mount Ephraim with WAOK host Lorraine Jacq White.
Trade Bureau – Business Development Director Randolyn “Tina” Jones is focusing the
Trade Bureau monthly meetings on promoting new enterprise among minority and
female-owned firms, as well as increased access to capital. TB also specializes in identifying and
connecting TB members with public and private contracting opportunities. As a
result of TB advocacy a major hotel chain has adopted energy-saving products
distributed by one TB member firm. RPC formed an Opportunity Consortium of TB members in the Advertising, Marketing
and PR space to maximize opportunity.
International Affairs - Southern Region Director Joseph Beasley continues to lead
delegations to various African nations and Haiti to investigate human rights
abuses. He is currently negotiating a
new pact with a major U.S. based firm to support NGO’s in Brazil.
Legislative Affairs – RPC protested
the government shutdown with a picket in front of Atlanta’ Centers for Disease
Control. RPC successfully fought Georgia Packing –
a pro-gun lobby that sought to lower the gun carry age from 21 to 18. RPC successfully lobbied the U.S. Department
of Justice to strengthen enforcement of Title VI of the 1964 Civil Rights Act
which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, or national origin
in programs and activities receiving Federal financial assistance. It also
supported the Obama administration’s national adoption of Georgia Works, a
training program for unemployment assistance recipients.
Coalition Partnerships –
RPC
participated in the National Association of Black Journalists Conference, the
SCLC National Convention, the National Association of Black Aviation Employees
annual legislative conference, and the Georgia Legislative Black Caucus annual
legislative caucus and the Congressional Black Caucus Annual Legislative
Conference.
The Atlanta office spearheaded a strategic
alliance among several advocacy organizations, including Georgia Black Chamber
of Commerce, Georgia Black Constructors Association, GABEO and the Georgia
Conference of Black Mayors to promote equal contracting and supplier
opportunities. It met with Home Depot
Burger in search of broader opportunity for black and minority vendors and
employees.
CITIZENSHIP EDUCATION FUND, INC.
Voter Education
CEF and RPC co-hosted
three Town Hall meetings in Washington, D.C. during the commemoration of the 50th
Anniversary of the 1963 March on Washington.
Poverty Town Hall speakers included Dr. Otis Moss, Dr. Freddie Haynes
and Judge Penny Brown Reynolds. Members
of Congress who participated in the Voting Rights Town Hall included John
Conyers, Shelia Jackson Lee, Corrine Brown and Hank Johnson. The poverty and voting sessions aired live on
C-SPAN.
VOTING
RIGHTS TOWN HALL MEETING ACTION STEPS
VOTING IS
FUNDAMENTAL
MARCHING
FOR LEGISLATION AND APPROPRIATION
- Educate family,
friends, youth and ourselves about the issues that affect the right to
vote
- Get agitated – have
a sense of urgency
- Create alliances
- Read Justice
Ginsburg’s dissent to Shelby v.
Holder
- Get inspired
- Study state and
local elections laws, rules and procedures
- Volunteer to be a
poll watcher or poll worker
- Register to vote
and encourage others to register
- Report voting changes
to the Department of Justice Civil Rights Division
- Protest
restrictions on voting
- Attend local board
of elections meetings
- Join and support
RPC, SCLC, NAACP, NAN and other civil and human rights organizations
working to protect and expand the right to vote.
The
Rainbow PUSH Coalition recommends a CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT to provide an
individualized, affirmative right to vote.
For more information on how you can get involved, call 773 373 3366 or
visit www.rainbowpush.org.
One Thousand Churches Connected
Axel Adams makes sure
this non-sectarian, non-denominational self-help alliance of nearly 2000 congregations
is at the heart of CEF. OTCC focuses on
helping congregations and individuals recover from the economic downturn by
systematically teaching Hands on Banking and other financial literacy classes
across the nation as part of its partnership with Wells Fargo and Bank of
America. Many new congregations joined
the alliance. OTCC also conducted
seminars on end of life care with VITAS and participated in numerous fairs,
seminars and other educational events.
Foreclosure Prevention
Based in Atlanta, Trina
Heathington and CEF counseled hundreds of families facing foreclosure and
escalating mortgage payments. CEF made
applications for payment forbearance, modification, principal reduction, refinance
and other foreclosure prevention measures.
Axel Adams and the CEF staff conducted financial literacy workshops in more
than 20 cities including Charlotte, Augusta, Columbia, Greensboro, N.C. and
Greenville, S.C., as well as New York, Chicago and San Francisco.
Neighborhood Stabilization
CEF formed a new partnership with Wells Fargo to
put churches in the pipeline to purchase or receive donations of REO
property. The aim of the partnership is
to stabilize neighborhoods by reducing blight, increase occupancy and steady
property values.
Parent Power
In August, CEF participated in a Back-to-School
expo at Stonecrest Mall. More than 200
families signed the parent and student pledges for excellence.
PUSH-ing for Safety
As a result of discovering that the leading cause
of teen deaths in the South is auto collisions, UPS and The Peachtree Street
Project continue their partnership with public schools to teach safe driving
techniques to approximately 10,000 Georgia youth, using UPS’ Five Seeing Eye
Habits interactive curriculum and other tools.
Dextor Clinkscale delivered the classes.
Research – The
Peachtree Street Project is currently reviewing data on bank lending to small
business owners and plans to issue a report by Spring 2014. CEF also periodically examines the extent to
which Fortune 500 corporations in the Southeast practice diversity and
inclusion.
Shareholder Activism - The Peachtree
Street Project attended annual shareholder meetings at Synovus, Equifax,
Cracker Barrel and Yum! Brands in an ongoing effort to promote diversity and
inclusion.
