Another weeks of up and downs. A great crowd, some for the first time, came to the rally and march at Central Methodist Church and around the region for the MLK holiday to hear about jobs, the environment, mass incarceration, immigration, Palestine, gay rights and more. We also learned about Jorge Gracia, 39 year old father of two who has been in the US for 30 years but got deported (making national news). On Tuesday, crowds gathered to protest an increase in pollutants near s Dearborn school. On Wednesday, Central Methodist Church became a sanctuary for an Albanian family whose father, Ded Rranxburgaj, is being threatened with deportation after living here for 17 years and caring for his wife with multiple sclerosis. On Friday night the federal government shut down due to partisanship at its height. On Saturday and Sunday, a hundred thousand women rallied and marched around the nation to cross the barriers of difference and to allow women's voices to be heard loud and strong leading up to power at the polls in 2018. On Monday the government reopened for another three weeks but without a DACA settlement. Its a lot to keep track of and hard to stay focused and vocal.........BUT WE MUST!
Here are a few places to start:
Support Jorg Garcia and his family:
Support Ded Rranxburgaj:
Continue to press for a clean Dream Act (this issue will be prominent in the next 17 days):
and support local groups like MI United:
Also for the long term, build your activist skills and LEARN TO BE A BETTER ADVOCATE:
Consider coming Saturday February 10th 9 am - 3 pm Reversing Runaway Inequality training put on by the A Phillip Randolph Institute and cosponsored by SE Jobs for Justice. The training doesn't just explain where the U.S. economy went wrong; it also explains how American citizens can organize to get it back on track. There will be a limited number of spaces open so register early . (See flyer below)
If you appreciate this newsletter and find it helpful, please pass it on to others who think like you. Make those connections and collaborate with like-minded people.
A FEW TICKETS ARE STILL AVAILABLE (NOW AT HALF PRICE $10): A good way to get some inspiration, connect with activists and enjoy an afternoon out is to join MCHR for our theater friend raiser at the Detroit Repertory Theater on Sunday January 28th for the 2 pm matinee. See the flyer below. Call MCHR office to reserve the last few tickets.
To connect with an activist group, consider membership or a donation to MCHR.
