UPDATES
Forward Together Wisconsin: A Moral Monday Movement
Saturday, June 14, 2014--Milwaukee WI. Diverse organizations came together at the Milwaukee Area Labor Council for a Training and Brainstorming session led by Rev. William J. Barber.
Saturday, June 14, 2014--Milwaukee WI. Diverse organizations came together at the Milwaukee Area Labor Council for a Training and Brainstorming session led by Rev. William J. Barber.
Moral Dissent is the Pathway to Higher Ground
Rev. William Barber visits Madison's Bethel Lutheran Church - March 13, 2014
Madison, WI—March 13, 2014. Close to 700 Worker, Labor and
Civil Rights activists filed into Bethel Lutheran Church in Madison, WI on Thursday evening to hear an address by Rev. Dr. William Barber II, President of the North Carolina NAACP and co-leader of the Moral Monday Movement. In the racially diverse audience of progressive activists were a number of members and officers of the NAACP of Wisconsin Conference of Branches, including Wisconsin Conference President, Lillie Wilson and 1st Vice President, Wendell Harris. As co-leader of the multiracial, multi-issue social justice movement, Rev. Barber had been invited to share his insights and experiences gained through his involvement with the Moral Monday Movement with the people of Wisconsin. Rev. Barber’s appearance in Madison was at the request of Patrick Barrett of the Labor & Working Class Studies Project (LWCSP), who along with Madison labor attorney, Jonathan Rosenblum, led the effort to bring Barber to Madison. Welcoming Rev. Barber to Madison were, Professor Will Jones, of the University of Wisconsin; Kevin Gundlach, President, South Central Federation of Labor and Gwen Jones, Chair of the NAACP of Dane County Organizing Committee. The program began with an enthusiastic group “sing along,” led by Madison’s Solidarity Singers, and joined by the powerful voice of singer, Yara Allen, who is often referred to as the ”Voice of Moral Monday.” Rev. Barber’s address, “The People’s Moral Agenda: Anti-Racism, Anti-Poverty, Pro-Labor,” electrified the crowd while simultaneously creating the feel of a church revival as he delineated what is moral, by positioning biblical tenets, against the social justice failures being faced by citizens throughout the nation. Issues such as voting, health care, environment and education “are moral issues, faith issues,” Barber said. Placing much of his presentation in the context of U.S. History, three distinct periods of“Reconstruction” were identified. First, 1868 immediately following the Civil War; the second 1954-1968, following Brown vs. the Board of Education and the third 2008, we are currently in the midst of, was marked by the successful candidacy and election of President Barack Obama. As he elaborated on each period, Rev. Barber pointed out that the success of each was due to a political “fusion” coalition of diverse groups with differing interests coming together, each ultimately seeking justice, and their common goal made progress possible. Rev. Barber further stated that “wherever there is moral reconstruction, there will be immoral deconstruction.” He went on to state how historically, the “deconstructionists” attack voting rights, educational opportunity, labor rights, fair tax revenue and often assassinate white and black progressive leaders. As he expanded on creating a “fusion coalition”, Rev. Barber cautioned the audience to “stop seeing yourself thru the eyes of our adversary. “ He explained that successful relationships must be transformative, not transactional, and that all participants must believe in the rights of all. |
|