There are many social justice causes during this dark month of December that challenge people of faith to believe with our Jewish friends in the triumph of light over darkness, goodness over evil. With our Muslim friends we are called to sacrifice -- our privilege and comfort -- to stand in solidarity with oppressed people in our cities. With our Christian friends we express our waiting and longing for God's commonwealth through direct actions that disrupt the racial, class and gender injustices of the status quo. Upcoming Actions & Events: Transgender Advocacy, 12/5 New Haven Nashawn Williams Vigil, 12/6 Hartford Immigrants Rights March & Rally, 12/10, Hartford Panel Discussions on Incarceration 12/11 & 13, New Haven Unity Solidarity Gathering for Victims of Gun Violence, 12/14 Hartford Nashawn Williams Rally, 12/15 Plainfield Protest Outside Parole Office, 12/17 Waterbury |
| Experiences in CT Transgender Advocacy: A Panel Discussion Wednesday, December 5, 2007 6pm Yale Law School, Room 122 127 Wall St., New Haven *Pizza dinner will be provided at the start. Moderated by Jerimarie Liesegang, of the CT TransAdvocacy Coalition, this panel will reflect on past, present, and future work on (trans)gender rights going on in Connecticut. Panelists include: Sally Tamarkin, CTAC Rep Mike Lawlor, Co-Chair Judiciary Committee Atty Dru Levasseur, Trans-Advocate Atty Rachel Goldberg, Gender Rights Activist Co-sponsored by OutLaws, CT TransAdvocacy Coalition, and The LGBT Co-op Yale TransAwareness Week Program On International Human Rights Day, Join us in calling on the federal government to: Stop the ICE Raids in Hartford Release the Parkville Detainees March on the ICE Headquarters in Hartford Monday, December 10th, 4:30 p.m. Gather at 4:30 p.m. in South Green Park (corner of Park and Main streets) March to the ICE headquarters 450 Main St., for a rally. This will be a peaceful protest of the 21 arrests made by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in the Parkville neighborhood over the first week of November. ICE has terrorized Hartford by its actions and must be held accountable. Arrests of innocent working-people have nothing in common with a fair, humane immigration reform that recognizes the rights of immigrants to live and work in the U.S. More info: Frank, People of Faith, 841-5006 Kate, Stop The Raids Trinity College, 610-209-9264 Download Flyers: English Spanish Panel Discussions (2) on Impact of Crime and Imprisonment on New Haven: Tuesday, December 11, 2007 6:30 PM Yale Community Center Ashmun Street Thursday, December 13, 2007 6 PM Granville Academy Protest outside Waterbury Parole Office Monday, December 17, 2007 11:30 AM More details to follow. Inmates Challenge Governor's Ban on Parole Seven violent offenders currently serving time in MacDougal-Walker Correctional Institute in Suffield filed a petition in Hartford Superior Court this week alleging Gov. M. Jodi Rell's ban on parole for all violent offenders violates ex post facto laws. Read CT News Junkie Article |
Nashawn Williams Solidarity Vigil Thursday, December 6, 2007 5:30 PM Charter Oak Cultural Center 21 Charter Oak Ave, Hartford Candlelight Vigil Steps of Charter Oak Cultural Center 5:30 - 5:50 PM Discussion & Networking on Ways to Resist Racist Hate Crimes 5:50 PM - 7:00 PM Nashawn Williams, a 16-year old African-American male, was beaten, dragged and had hot coffee thrown on him by a racist gang called "K Nation" in Plainfield CT on Oct. 19. (Plainfield is near RI, pop = 15,000, 99% white.) He suffered a concussion and has been afraid to go to school since then. The police chief calls K Nation "a bunch of idiots pretending to be a gang." Nashawn's injuries are not pretend. NO arrests in 7 weeks! So far only the NAACP has publicly come out in solidarity with Nashawn and his mother. Nashawn Williams Solidarity Rally Saturday, December 15, 2007 12:30 PM Plainfield Town Hall Carpools leaving 2550 Main Street, Hartford at 11:00 AM Sponsored by Men of Color Initiative. More info: Cornell Lewis: 860-220-4051 pager Download flyer Unity Within the Community: Bringing Light into the Dark City Streets Friday, December 14, 2007 6:00 - 7:30 PM Phillips Metropolitan AME Church Corner of Main and Westland Street, Hartford Initial gathering in the church followed by a candlelight vigil to commemorate victims of violence. Purpose: To form connections and solidarity between concerned North End residents and people of faith. With unity we intend to open up the hearts of community members and residents by inviting the power of prayer and hope in each gathering site. We look forward to your presence. Bring a friend. Dress Warm. Sponsored by Mothers United Against Violence. More info: Henrietta Beckman, 655-9926 Rev. Henry Brown 538-5490 Download flyer Groundbreaking Study Examines Drug Imprisonment in 198 Counties; 97 Percent Experienced Racial Disparities A new report by the Justice Policy Institute (JPI) finds that 97 percent of the nation's large-population counties imprisoned African Americans at a higher rate than whites. The report documents racial disparities in the use of prison for drug offenses in 193 of the 198 counties that reported to government entities. Read full report. |