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By Attica Woodson Scott, on July 9th, 2010 On Wednesday, July 7th, as a prelude to our first big action following the US Social Forum (which will be on September 15th), Kentucky JwJ stood in solidarity with millions who have lost their jobs and face a desperate future.
Although this was a last minute call to action, at least 50 protesters showed up to march outside of the office of Senator Mitch McConnell in Louisville. Our demand was an immediate extension of unemployment benefits and protection of Social Security and Medicare — our precious social safety net programs won by generations of struggle.
Several individuals on unemployment spoke, including longtime Kentucky Jobs with Justice activist Gail Helinger. She has been laid off for over a year now, and her unemployment compensation will end soon unless Congress acts quickly!
Gail and several other unemployed workers marched into Senator McConnell’s office to speak with him about this issue but, of course, he was unavailable. They were able to speak to an aide who informed them that the Senator will vote for extension of unemployment benefits that is fiscally responsible.
We then marched several blocks to the unemployment office to distribute leaflets with the following call to action:
Are you unemployed? Are
Continue reading Kentuckians Demand Unemployment Benefits Extension
By Ashley Phillips, on July 8th, 2010 The main purpose of social media is to make it easier for people to stay connected with family and friends around the world. Websites such as Facebook, Twitter, and Youtube have created a space where people can share pictures, videos, and generally keep in touch. In recent years, organizations have been finding new ways to utilize these social mediums to spread their message and reach more people.
At the US Social Forum, the workshop “Social Networking for Social Justice”, facilitated by Attica Scott of Kentucky JwJ and Shameka Parrish-Wright of Kentuckians for the Commonwealth, illustrated some of the ways that social media can aid in the fight for social justice.
For social justice organizations, one of the main advantages of using social networking to spread a message or further a movement is that it’s FREE. Social media is like free advertising – you can say all that you need to say and reach so many people without having to pay a dime. Another advantage to using social media is that you can present your message in a fun interactive way, and in ways that will attract new comers and keep the interest of already loyal followers.
Using social media can also help breathe
Continue reading Social Networking for Social Justice at the US Social Forum
By Toma Lynn Smith, on June 11th, 2010 100 Activists from Kentucky to attend national gathering in Detroit, Michigan June 22 to 26
Kentucky Jobs with Justice will be joining more than 10 other social justice organizations on two charter buses to Detroit to take part in the US Social Forum. Here is a snippet from the USSF Web site:
The US Social Forum (USSF) is a movement building process. It is not a conference but it is a space to come up with the peoples’ solutions to the economic and ecological crisis. The USSF is the next most important step in our struggle to build a powerful multi-racial, multi-sector, inter-generational, diverse, inclusive, internationalist movement that transforms this country and changes history.
The USSF provides spaces to learn from each other’s experiences and struggles, share our analysis of the problems our communities face, build relationships, and align with our international brothers and sisters to strategize how to reclaim our world.
The first US Social Forum was held in Atlanta in 2007 with KY JwJ taking over 40 delegates. KY JwJ hosted the first Kentucky Social Forum in 2009 at Berea College, which drew over 400 participants. These Forums were and are inspired by the
Continue reading Kentucky Jobs with Justice is Taking 100 Activists to the USSF in Detroit!
By Attica Woodson Scott, on November 3rd, 2009  After a rally supported by the Kentucky AFL-CIO, Ironworkers, Kentucky Jobs with Justice, Kentucky Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, Nurses Professional Organization, Kentuckians for Single Payer and more on Thursday, October 29th, more than a dozen activists took over the lobby of Humana headquarters in downtown Louisville to show their support for universal health care. After being locked in the Humana building overnight and awakened at 5AM by local news media, the 24-hour take-over ended on Friday, October 30th as eight powerful people exited the Humana building and were greeted by a welcoming crowd of folks gathered for a closing rally.
By jwjnational, on August 18th, 2009 Re-posted from Berea College. By Monica Leslie.
 Berea College and the Kentucky Social Forum (KSF) are making strides toward “growing the movement” that may help shape Kentucky’s future.
View the photo gallery.
The Kentucky Social Forum, held at Berea College the weekend of July 31 to August 2, is the first statewide social forum to be held in the United States. The purpose of the forum was to build strong relationships among those who work to serve the diverse needs of Kentuckians within the state. The forum, organized by Attica Scott, the Coordinator of Kentucky Jobs with Justice in Louisville, marked the first time in United States history a initiative of this nature has been made to collaboratively create a statewide agenda that will urge human rights to become a priority in future national and State legislation. The forum addressed a variety of issues that affect the Commonwealth, including health care costs and energy.
Because Kentucky is one of the poorest states in the nation, the organizers of the event felt that it was necessary to organize the KSF to create an opportunity for organizers around the state to coordinate with other activists
Continue reading Berea & the KY Social Forum Help Shape Kentucky’s Future
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