Thousands to Rally in Washington, DC for Equality and Justice in Health Care

 Key Congressional Leader and Leading Health Care Advocates Working Together to Push Equality in Health Care Reform

Health Care Equality Advocates To Light the Night

Washington D.C. - The Healthcare Equality Project, a unique coalition of major equality and social justice advocacy groups, labor unions, community organizations, civil rights and women’s groups, doctors, nurses, health care workers, and activists will gather in Freedom Plaza in Washington D.C. on June 24^th to "Light the Night" and demand that elected leaders pass health care reform legislation that provides high quality, affordable coverage. Thousands of Americans are expected to gather to demand a health care system that truly works for everyone.  They will be joined by Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard, a champion for healthcare equality on Capitol Hill.

The event will be a forum for activists, providers, and coalition partners to speak out and demand health care equality. The evening will culminate with a candlelight vigil to symbolize the power of the health care equality movement and marshal gatherers for a joint Congressional lobby the next day. This event will mobilize and coordinate the national effort to include health care equality in health care reform.  Echo events will be happening in select cities, including “The Domino Effect of Healthcare Inequalityâ€Ã‚ event in Miami, Florida on the same night.

WHO: Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-CA); Eleanor Hinton Hoytt (CEO, National Black Women’s Health Imperative); Dennis Rivera (Chair, SEIU Healthcare) Eun-Sook Lee (Executive Director, NAKASEC)

WHAT: Lighting the Night Equality ‘09.   Food, refreshments and live entertainment will be available.

WHERE: Freedom Plaza 14^th and

WHEN: Wednesday, June 24^, 2009 at 7:00 p.m.

WHY: To call attention to health care disparities, rally activists and communities, and unite our voices in order to advocate for a reformed health care system that will truly serve everyone.

Participating coalition partners include: SEIU, Gamaliel, LULAC, ACORN, La Clínica del Pueblo, Center for Community Change, Northwest Federation of Community Organizations, Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance (APALA) - AFL-CIO, URU the Right to Be, Partnership to Fight Chronic Diseases, National Hispanic Medical Association, National Puerto Rican Coalition, Hispanic Federation, and Latinos for National Health Insurance,  Asian American Justice Center, Asian American Justice Center (AAJC) Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance - AFL-CIO (APALA),  Colorado Progressive Action  Hispanic Federation (HF)  Idaho Community Action Network , Latino Federation , Montanans for Health Care, National Council of Urban Indian Health, National Korean American Service & Education Consortium (NAKASEC), National Women’s Law Center (NWLC), Oregon Action (OA),  Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), Take Action Minnesota , The Task Force, South Dakotans for Health Care Solutions, Washington Community Action Network (WCAN).

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With 2 million members in Canada, the United States and Puerto Rico, SEIU is the fastest-growing union in the Americas. Focused on uniting workers in healthcare, public services and property services, SEIU members are winning better wages, healthcare and more secure jobs for our communities, while uniting their strength with their counterparts around the world to help ensure that workers--not just corporations and CEOs--benefit from today's global economy.