Rights Groups Unite For Jobs, Justice, Education
Highland Park NJ – Heeding a call to Put America Back to Work and Pull America Back Together in response to the floundering economy, new assaults on civil and human rights, and declining public school systems, tens of thousands of Americans from all backgrounds and states are expected to rally at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. on October 2 in support of the One Nation Working Together movement. One Nation Working Together is a coalition of more than 170 human and civil rights organizations, labor unions, and environmental, ethnic, peace, youth and student, and faith-based organizations who have come together to refocus our national priorities on greater investments in the wellbeing of all Americans.
“Every person in this country deserves to live the American Dream: a secure job that will support a family, a safe home and quality education. We can no longer be diverted by skewed priorities like unnecessary military spending or bailing out large, but failing, financial institutions,” Said Ev Liebman, Director of Organizing & Advocacy for New Jersey Citizen Action. She added. “We are sending a clear signal: at least one million new jobs now expand civil rights protection such as that afforded by the Voting Rights Act and the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, and ensure that an excellent public education is accessible to every child.”
“We know that when Americans of all ages, sex, sexual orientation, gender identify, place of birth, race, color, beliefs or abilities work together we are victorious as we were with the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, groundbreaking legislation protecting the rights of women in the workplace, or with the monumental healthcare reform law signed earlier this year. Both happened in no small part due to the hard work of a diverse coalition of organizations and individuals committed to investing in the American people.” Explains CWA Area Director Hetty Rosenstein “With nearly 10% of U.S. Workers unemployed and an economic recession that drags on, the time for Americans to stand up for us is now. We will get all the changes we were promised.”
“One Nation Working Together happens at a historic moment in this country,” says Ben Jealous, president of the NAACP. “We have sparked a coalition that is truly representative and united – conservatives and progressives, immigrants and native born people, college students and senior citizens, veterans and peace activists, believers and non-believers, unemployed and CEOs. Our commonality is our love for this country and the conviction that we must replace divisive politics and hate with a shared vision for our children and grandchildren’s futures. “
“We are serving notice to all elected officials,” he adds. “We will march on October 2 and we will march again on November 2 into the voting booths. The true majority in this country is people like us and we cannot be ignored.”
NJ Citizen Action is the State’s largest, independent citizen watchdog coalition representing over 60,000 family members and over 100 affiliated organizations across the State. NJCA works to protect and expand the rights of individuals and families and to ensure that government officials respond to the needs of people
