2013 Annual Report

2013 Annual Report
Trained 524 in grassroots organizing + Pre- vented $250,000 in homeless service cuts + Secured a $10,000 grant to launch Street- wise INK + Participated in Greenprint + Partnered in 8 community police relations forums for 335 residents + Stopped “Play to Stay” abuse in a local shelter + Cele- brated 10 years of the Gandhi- King Confer- ence + Expand- ed to provide Community Or- ganizer Training in Spanish + Prevent- ed $1.2 million in cuts to MATA funding + Coordinated People’s Day on the Hill + Collaborated to host city-wide People’s Conference on Race and Equality + Supported publi- cation of Memphis’ first street newspaper + H.O.P.E. Women’s Caucus Mem- bers trained in Self Defense 2013 Board Emily Fulmer — Chair GrowMemphis Dana Wilson — Secretary BRIDGES Federico Gomez— Treasurer La no Cultural Center of Memphis Nabil Bayakly Muslims in Memphis Janis Benson A orney Marquita Bradshaw Defense Depot of Memphis, TN Concerned Ci zens Commi ee Cris na Condori Comunidades Unidas con Una Voz Paul Crum Pax Chris Memphis Carolyn Head Southwest Tennessee Community College Onie G. Johns Caritas Village Kyle Kordsmeier Workers Interfaith Network Cody Mathis Student Organizer Tiffany Futch Women’s Ac on Coali on Staff Allison Glass—Training Director Brad Watkins—Organizing Director Brooke Sarden—Opera ons Director Giovanna Lopez—Training Coordinator Jacob Flowers—Execu ve Director Melissa Miller-Monie—Organizing Coordinator Paul Garner—Organizing Coordinator The inherent power of the individual: We know the people we work with hold the power to ini ate and advance posi ve change in their communi es, and it’s these people who must be the leaders in campaigns to improve their lives. Communi es of libera on: We work to create a world without oppression. We recognize that the roots of oppression run deep systemically and within ourselves. We implement strategies of an -oppression within every facet of our organizing and within our organiza on itself. Achieving nonviolent solu ons using nonviolent strategy: The MSPJC was founded on the nonviolent principles of Mohandas Gandhi and Mar n Luther King, Jr. We know that the most pow-‐ erful change can only be brought about using nonviolent means, and we are dedicated to prac cing and teaching nonvio-‐ lent ac on. Our Values Grassroots Organizing Con nued Greenprint: MSPJC is the staff organiza on for the Social Equity Working Group of the Mid-South Regional Greenprint Consor um. The chair of the Social Equity Working Group is Mia Madison of City of Memphis Division of Housing and Commu-‐ nity Development.  Coordinated monthly mee ngs and ac vi es of the group, which is responsible for ensuring that Greenprint outreach and engagement ac vi es reach minori-‐ es, disabled persons, elderly persons, persons with Limited English Proficien-‐ cy, and other under-represented popula ons.  Provides perspec ve on environmental jus ce and “Not in My Back-‐ yard” (NIMBY) issues.  Strategizes to increase par cipa on in the regional planning process, par cu-‐ larly with respect to engagement of low-income communi es, minority popula-‐ ons, and other communi es typically underrepresented in regional planning. Memphis United: MSPJC is a 501(c)(3) sponsor and a founding member Worked in coali on with over 20 local community and grassroots organiza ons to host the “People’s Conference on Race and Equality: a part of the Heart of Mem-‐ phis”, in response to a KKK rally downtown that same day. A racted more than 1,500 par cipants in panel discussions, workshops and other awareness-building ac vi es. Designed workshops and provided material and staff support.  Co-hosted a forum on Interna onal Workers Day about local issues related to worker jus ce. The Bridge: MSPJC is the 501(c)(3) sponsor for The Bridge, Memphis’ first street newspaper, produced and sold by vendors experiencing homelessness.  Provided technical support and assistance in outreach to people experiencing homelessness. Statewide Organizing:  Coordinated the March 12th “People’s Day on the Hill”. This effort joined grass-‐ roots and progressive organiza ons that had previously held separate lobby days, to come together for support and solidarity. Par cipants included Cha a-‐ nooga Organized for Ac on, Statewide Organizing for Community Empower-‐ ment, Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coali on, Workers Interfaith Network, Workers Dignity Project, Healthy & Free Tennessee, Tennessee Equality Project, Tennessee Transgender Poli cal Ac on Coali on, AFSCME Local 1733, Tennessee Ci zen Ac on, and Memphis Bus Riders Union.  Produced a comprehensive guide to bills of interest to grassroots communi es that was distributed to lobby day par cipants and used statewide as a resource for our community members at home.  Coordinated movement-building space in a nearby church that included lobby training, tes monial and learning space, and a central place for all groups to base their efforts on The Hill. Organizing and mobilizing people to realize social jus ce through nonviolent ac on. Annual Report  2013 Mid-South Peace and Jus ce Center 3573 Southern Ave Memphis, TN 38111 www.midsouthpeace.org 901.725.4990 Our Mission
MSPJC’s training and educa on program, Grass-‐ roots Organizer Training for Power (G.O.T. Pow-‐ er) is commi ed to building our community's capacity through: building skills in grassroots organizing, providing support to people doing community work, and offering support and de-‐ velopment workshops in an -oppression and libera on educa on. G.O.T. Power u lizes the training modality of direct educa on, in which par cipants learn skills and theory through hands -on experience and by learning from the wisdom of the group. G.O.T. Power engages the commu-‐ nity by offering trainings to public, as well as serving groups with specific training requests. It is an open resource to the community, offering all trainings and workshops on a deeply dis-‐ counted sliding scale, with no one turned away. Community Organizer Training Our flagship organizing skills weekend-long intensive consis ng of six-‐ teen hours of direct-educa on based training in founda onal skills need-‐ ed to be effec ve organizers. Offered in English and Spanish (G.O.T. Poder). Skill base includes: Intro to Organizing, Campaign Planning, Facil-‐ ita on, Media, Transforming Conflict, Nonviolent Direct Ac on Organizer Skills Workshops 8 addi onal short-form organizing skills workshops offered:  Intro to Nonviolent Direct Ac on  Founding and Funding Your Grassroots Group  Media 201  Facilita on Skills  Intro to Community Organizing for Middle School Students  Facilita ng Mee ngs  Lobbying our Representa ves  Training for Social Ac on Trainers (Training for Change) An -Oppression & Development Workshops  Empowerment for Women  Reflexology  Emo onal Support for Men  Nonviolent Communica on  Paren ng from the Heart: Nonviolent Communica on for Parents  Emo onal Support for Ac vists  Race First  LGBTQ Rights for Students There were 524 total G.O.T. Power training and workshop par cipants in 2013:  62 from outside of Memphis  340 middle and high school students  54 engaged in training of trainers opportuni es  27 trainings requested by specific groups Local and regional community groups engaged include:  Bridges USA  Co-Mo on  Community-Police Rela ons Project  Comunidades Unidas en Una Voz (Communi es United in One Voice),  Friends For Life,  Greater Birmingham Ministers  Grow Memphis  Hispanic Interest Coali on Alabama (HICA),  Homeless Organizing for Power and Equality (H.O.P.E.)  Memphis Bus Riders Union (MBRU)  NAACP  Peace and Jus ce Center of Nashville  Sierra Club  Tennessee Immigrant & Refugees Rights Coali on (TIRRC  Workers Interfaith Network Homeless Organizing for Power & Equality (H.O.P.E.) is a grassroots organiza-‐ on made up of exclusively of people who have formerly or are currently experiencing homeless-‐ ness, advoca ng on behalf of themselves and the homeless community.  Prevented $250,000 in cuts to funding for vital housing programs and suppor ve services secured by H.O.P.E. for the 2012 Shelby Coun-‐ ty budget.  Recruited over 30 H.O.P.E. members and al-‐ lies, and coordinated street-outreach for the Community Alliance for the Homeless’ “100 Homes Campaign”, for which H.O.P.E. had secured crucial funding. 100 Homes aims to priori ze individuals for housing based on their vulnerability to street homelessness.  Recruited over 60 volunteers and hosted vol-‐ unteer training for the city of Memphis' “Point in Time” annual count of the homeless.  Recruited over 100 volunteers and assisted with “Project Homeless Connect”, a massive bi -annual outreach and service event to break down barriers that make it difficult to leave homelessness.  Updated, published and distributed 6,500 copies of the “Homeless Survival Guide”, Memphis' first user-friendly directory of all homeless services.  Served as a member organiza on with the Memphis/Shelby County Homelessness Con-‐ sor um, and the Memphis United Coali on In 2013 H.O.P.E. has developed four dis nct pro-‐ jects to address diverse aspects of homelessness and poverty.  Developed a coopera ve business model for “Street-Wise INK”, a member-owned, t-shirt prin ng business.  Secured a $10,000 Spark Plug Founda on grant to support the cost of equipment and training  Launched “Street Watch” campaign to con-‐ front instances of police harassment of people experiencing homelessness.  Hosted seven monthly “Know Your Rights Workshops” to educate the community on their rights and how to assert them. (Average 50 par cipants per workshop)  Filed official complaints with Memphis Police Department Internal Affairs in response to unjust arrests and cita ons regarding com-‐ plaints of police harassment and/or miscon-‐ duct, and documented the process for filing a complaint.  Released statement condemning harassment and the viola on of civil rights by law enforce-‐ ment and private security officers following a string of incidents where individuals using cell phones to document poten al unprofessional behavior were arrested and their phones con-‐ fiscated.  Working with the Center for Research on Women, launched H.O.P.E. “Women’s Cau-‐ cus” to address and confront the dis nct ex-‐ periences of people experiencing homeless-‐ ness who iden fy as women, including domes-‐ c violence, sexual assault, and inadequate shelter and housing assistance  Waged a successful direct ac on campaign that included ten weekly public protests against a local shelter/service provider for employing an individual about whom H.O.P.E. received numerous complaints of sexual har-‐ assment and unprofessional behavior from consumers and former staff persons.  Used its regular “Dinner and Discussion” mee ngs as a pla orm to organize specifically around issues of violence. Talks resulted in the launching of a fundraising campaign for a five- week intensive self-defense training which equipped members with the fundamental skills needed to handle an a ack and get out of violent situa ons quickly. Ini ated plans for a training of trainers, where members can expand training of women experiencing home-‐ lessness on self-defense on the street and in shelters.  Formed the H.O.P.E. “Garden Crew”, focused on developing community gardens to educate members on food independence, establish rela onships within the community and beau-‐ fy our neighborhoods. Community-Police Rela ons Project (CPR) creates a safe place for community and law enforcement to openly discuss barriers that prevent building a posi ve rela onship. These discussions will result in recommenda ons and a plan for ac on to create healthier community- police rela ons in Memphis and Shelby County.  Eight (8) community forums were conducted in 2013, reaching an es mated 735 communi-‐ ty members from Frayser, Hickory Hill, Orange Mound, South Memphis, and for the LGBTQ and La no communi es, as well as 400 stu-‐ dents at the 2013 Gandhi-King Conference.) A cri cal first step in a long-term reconcilia on- seeking process, community forums create an open, mediated space for civilians and law enforcement officers to share personal experi-‐ ences with another. Employ of improvisa on-‐ al theatre company Playback Memphis as unique communica on tool for the forums has allowed even the most difficult offerings to be shared in a manner where the story can be er be received without judgment.  Core group members meet monthly, par ci-‐ pate in working groups (steering commi ee, facilita on, media, and outreach) and volun-‐ teer to assist with community forums.  As a result of CPR par cipa on, the Sheriff's Office has strengthened its connec on with Tennessee Equality Project and the LGBTQ community, and has designated Detec ve Barbara Tolbert as a liaison for the LGBTQ MPD officers are volunteering as liaisons.  Insights regarding about the community's thoughts/percep ons about law enforcement gained through CPR involvement, are being reflected in official law enforcement trainings. Memphis Bus Riders Union (MBRU) works to build a sustainable grassroots organiza-‐ on made up of and represen ng transit- dependent people in the local area to organize for be er public transit.  Held 12 regular member mee ngs with the MATA bus patrons about issues of public transit.  Successfully mobilized hundreds of bus riders and allies to a end MATA Town Halls and City Council budget hearings. Completed dra ing and approval of by-laws and the elec on of new officers.  Successfully organized to restore $1.2 million in funding for MATA and prevent detrimental cuts and changes including weekend, late night, and holiday service,  Restored bus service to President’s Island and Northhaven and prevented the cu ng of the Central (U of M) and Germantown Parkway routes  Offered changes to the #2 Airport MATA bus route in the Medical District.  Par cipated in the MATA Shelter Advisory Commi ee, providing input on new/needed shelter loca ons. “I found the camaraderie fostered amongst the group invaluable. Not only did this allow me to meet, network, and begin rela onships with some truly badass organizers, but it too emphasizes the importance of strong rela onships for the efficacy of any ac on/campaign/movement.” - Community Organizer Training Par cipant Training and Engagement Organizing and Mobilizing 10th Annual Gandhi-King Community Conference More than 200 par cipants engaged in three tracks of par cipatory workshops, panel discussions and presenta ons. An addi onal 400 students engaged in the 2013 Gandhi-King Youth Conference. Plenary Speakers: Medea Benjamin of CodePink Women for Peace & Jaribu Hill of Mississippi Workers Center Track 1: Personal Nonviolence: Nonviolent Communica on, Vulnerability and Realness in Organizing, Interfaith Roundtable, De-stressing with Yoga Track 2: Nonviolence in Academia: Comple ng the Circle in King's Sociology, Teaching the Holocaust as General Educa on, Pilgrimage as Poli cal Spirituality, Gandhi's Programme - King's Jus ce Track 3: Movement-Building Nonviolence: Community Police Rela ons, Public Transit Reform, Nonviolence and Nonviolent Interven on Training, Civil Disobedience in the TN Immigrant Rights Movement, War on Poverty and Homelessness ORGANIZE for Grassroots Change: Consistent, coordinated and support-‐ ed organizing that li s up and brings together the grassroots voices of our communi es to work toward a vision of libera on and social jus ce ENGAGE Communi es in Building Power: Grass-‐ roots leadership development and organizer train-‐ ing to rebuild the capacity of low income and mar-‐ ginalized communi es to organize for peace, jus ce and power MOBILIZE Our Power for Jus ce: Mobilizing our community to create posi ve change and win victories that are based upon the collec ve, organized power of those most affected by injus ce
MSPJC’s training and educa on program, Grass-‐ roots Organizer Training for Power (G.O.T. Pow-‐ er) is commi ed to building our community's capacity through: building skills in grassroots organizing, providing support to people doing community work, and offering support and de-‐ velopment workshops in an -oppression and libera on educa on. G.O.T. Power u lizes the training modality of direct educa on, in which par cipants learn skills and theory through hands -on experience and by learning from the wisdom of the group. G.O.T. Power engages the commu-‐ nity by offering trainings to public, as well as serving groups with specific training requests. It is an open resource to the community, offering all trainings and workshops on a deeply dis-‐ counted sliding scale, with no one turned away. Community Organizer Training Our flagship organizing skills weekend-long intensive consis ng of six-‐ teen hours of direct-educa on based training in founda onal skills need-‐ ed to be effec ve organizers. Offered in English and Spanish (G.O.T. Poder). Skill base includes: Intro to Organizing, Campaign Planning, Facil-‐ ita on, Media, Transforming Conflict, Nonviolent Direct Ac on Organizer Skills Workshops 8 addi onal short-form organizing skills workshops offered:  Intro to Nonviolent Direct Ac on  Founding and Funding Your Grassroots Group  Media 201  Facilita on Skills  Intro to Community Organizing for Middle School Students  Facilita ng Mee ngs  Lobbying our Representa ves  Training for Social Ac on Trainers (Training for Change) An -Oppression & Development Workshops  Empowerment for Women  Reflexology  Emo onal Support for Men  Nonviolent Communica on  Paren ng from the Heart: Nonviolent Communica on for Parents  Emo onal Support for Ac vists  Race First  LGBTQ Rights for Students There were 524 total G.O.T. Power training and workshop par cipants in 2013:  62 from outside of Memphis  340 middle and high school students  54 engaged in training of trainers opportuni es  27 trainings requested by specific groups Local and regional community groups engaged include:  Bridges USA  Co-Mo on  Community-Police Rela ons Project  Comunidades Unidas en Una Voz (Communi es United in One Voice),  Friends For Life,  Greater Birmingham Ministers  Grow Memphis  Hispanic Interest Coali on Alabama (HICA),  Homeless Organizing for Power and Equality (H.O.P.E.)  Memphis Bus Riders Union (MBRU)  NAACP  Peace and Jus ce Center of Nashville  Sierra Club  Tennessee Immigrant & Refugees Rights Coali on (TIRRC  Workers Interfaith Network Homeless Organizing for Power & Equality (H.O.P.E.) is a grassroots organiza-‐ on made up of exclusively of people who have formerly or are currently experiencing homeless-‐ ness, advoca ng on behalf of themselves and the homeless community.  Prevented $250,000 in cuts to funding for vital housing programs and suppor ve services secured by H.O.P.E. for the 2012 Shelby Coun-‐ ty budget.  Recruited over 30 H.O.P.E. members and al-‐ lies, and coordinated street-outreach for the Community Alliance for the Homeless’ “100 Homes Campaign”, for which H.O.P.E. had secured crucial funding. 100 Homes aims to priori ze individuals for housing based on their vulnerability to street homelessness.  Recruited over 60 volunteers and hosted vol-‐ unteer training for the city of Memphis' “Point in Time” annual count of the homeless.  Recruited over 100 volunteers and assisted with “Project Homeless Connect”, a massive bi -annual outreach and service event to break down barriers that make it difficult to leave homelessness.  Updated, published and distributed 6,500 copies of the “Homeless Survival Guide”, Memphis' first user-friendly directory of all homeless services.  Served as a member organiza on with the Memphis/Shelby County Homelessness Con-‐ sor um, and the Memphis United Coali on In 2013 H.O.P.E. has developed four dis nct pro-‐ jects to address diverse aspects of homelessness and poverty.  Developed a coopera ve business model for “Street-Wise INK”, a member-owned, t-shirt prin ng business.  Secured a $10,000 Spark Plug Founda on grant to support the cost of equipment and training  Launched “Street Watch” campaign to con-‐ front instances of police harassment of people experiencing homelessness.  Hosted seven monthly “Know Your Rights Workshops” to educate the community on their rights and how to assert them. (Average 50 par cipants per workshop)  Filed official complaints with Memphis Police Department Internal Affairs in response to unjust arrests and cita ons regarding com-‐ plaints of police harassment and/or miscon-‐ duct, and documented the process for filing a complaint.  Released statement condemning harassment and the viola on of civil rights by law enforce-‐ ment and private security officers following a string of incidents where individuals using cell phones to document poten al unprofessional behavior were arrested and their phones con-‐ fiscated.  Working with the Center for Research on Women, launched H.O.P.E. “Women’s Cau-‐ cus” to address and confront the dis nct ex-‐ periences of people experiencing homeless-‐ ness who iden fy as women, including domes-‐ c violence, sexual assault, and inadequate shelter and housing assistance  Waged a successful direct ac on campaign that included ten weekly public protests against a local shelter/service provider for employing an individual about whom H.O.P.E. received numerous complaints of sexual har-‐ assment and unprofessional behavior from consumers and former staff persons.  Used its regular “Dinner and Discussion” mee ngs as a pla orm to organize specifically around issues of violence. Talks resulted in the launching of a fundraising campaign for a five- week intensive self-defense training which equipped members with the fundamental skills needed to handle an a ack and get out of violent situa ons quickly. Ini ated plans for a training of trainers, where members can expand training of women experiencing home-‐ lessness on self-defense on the street and in shelters.  Formed the H.O.P.E. “Garden Crew”, focused on developing community gardens to educate members on food independence, establish rela onships within the community and beau-‐ fy our neighborhoods. Community-Police Rela ons Project (CPR) creates a safe place for community and law enforcement to openly discuss barriers that prevent building a posi ve rela onship. These discussions will result in recommenda ons and a plan for ac on to create healthier community- police rela ons in Memphis and Shelby County.  Eight (8) community forums were conducted in 2013, reaching an es mated 735 communi-‐ ty members from Frayser, Hickory Hill, Orange Mound, South Memphis, and for the LGBTQ and La no communi es, as well as 400 stu-‐ dents at the 2013 Gandhi-King Conference.) A cri cal first step in a long-term reconcilia on- seeking process, community forums create an open, mediated space for civilians and law enforcement officers to share personal experi-‐ ences with another. Employ of improvisa on-‐ al theatre company Playback Memphis as unique communica on tool for the forums has allowed even the most difficult offerings to be shared in a manner where the story can be er be received without judgment.  Core group members meet monthly, par ci-‐ pate in working groups (steering commi ee, facilita on, media, and outreach) and volun-‐ teer to assist with community forums.  As a result of CPR par cipa on, the Sheriff's Office has strengthened its connec on with Tennessee Equality Project and the LGBTQ community, and has designated Detec ve Barbara Tolbert as a liaison for the LGBTQ MPD officers are volunteering as liaisons.  Insights regarding about the community's thoughts/percep ons about law enforcement gained through CPR involvement, are being reflected in official law enforcement trainings. Memphis Bus Riders Union (MBRU) works to build a sustainable grassroots organiza-‐ on made up of and represen ng transit- dependent people in the local area to organize for be er public transit.  Held 12 regular member mee ngs with the MATA bus patrons about issues of public transit.  Successfully mobilized hundreds of bus riders and allies to a end MATA Town Halls and City Council budget hearings. Completed dra ing and approval of by-laws and the elec on of new officers.  Successfully organized to restore $1.2 million in funding for MATA and prevent detrimental cuts and changes including weekend, late night, and holiday service,  Restored bus service to President’s Island and Northhaven and prevented the cu ng of the Central (U of M) and Germantown Parkway routes  Offered changes to the #2 Airport MATA bus route in the Medical District.  Par cipated in the MATA Shelter Advisory Commi ee, providing input on new/needed shelter loca ons. “I found the camaraderie fostered amongst the group invaluable. Not only did this allow me to meet, network, and begin rela onships with some truly badass organizers, but it too emphasizes the importance of strong rela onships for the efficacy of any ac on/campaign/movement.” - Community Organizer Training Par cipant Training and Engagement Organizing and Mobilizing 10th Annual Gandhi-King Community Conference More than 200 par cipants engaged in three tracks of par cipatory workshops, panel discussions and presenta ons. An addi onal 400 students engaged in the 2013 Gandhi-King Youth Conference. Plenary Speakers: Medea Benjamin of CodePink Women for Peace & Jaribu Hill of Mississippi Workers Center Track 1: Personal Nonviolence: Nonviolent Communica on, Vulnerability and Realness in Organizing, Interfaith Roundtable, De-stressing with Yoga Track 2: Nonviolence in Academia: Comple ng the Circle in King's Sociology, Teaching the Holocaust as General Educa on, Pilgrimage as Poli cal Spirituality, Gandhi's Programme - King's Jus ce Track 3: Movement-Building Nonviolence: Community Police Rela ons, Public Transit Reform, Nonviolence and Nonviolent Interven on Training, Civil Disobedience in the TN Immigrant Rights Movement, War on Poverty and Homelessness ORGANIZE for Grassroots Change: Consistent, coordinated and support-‐ ed organizing that li s up and brings together the grassroots voices of our communi es to work toward a vision of libera on and social jus ce ENGAGE Communi es in Building Power: Grass-‐ roots leadership development and organizer train-‐ ing to rebuild the capacity of low income and mar-‐ ginalized communi es to organize for peace, jus ce and power MOBILIZE Our Power for Jus ce: Mobilizing our community to create posi ve change and win victories that are based upon the collec ve, organized power of those most affected by injus ce
Trained 524 in grassroots organizing + Pre- vented $250,000 in homeless service cuts + Secured a $10,000 grant to launch Street- wise INK + Participated in Greenprint + Partnered in 8 community police relations forums for 335 residents + Stopped “Play to Stay” abuse in a local shelter + Cele- brated 10 years of the Gandhi- King Confer- ence + Expand- ed to provide Community Or- ganizer Training in Spanish + Prevent- ed $1.2 million in cuts to MATA funding + Coordinated People’s Day on the Hill + Collaborated to host city-wide People’s Conference on Race and Equality + Supported publi- cation of Memphis’ first street newspaper + H.O.P.E. Women’s Caucus Mem- bers trained in Self Defense 2013 Board Emily Fulmer — Chair GrowMemphis Dana Wilson — Secretary BRIDGES Federico Gomez— Treasurer La no Cultural Center of Memphis Nabil Bayakly Muslims in Memphis Janis Benson A orney Marquita Bradshaw Defense Depot of Memphis, TN Concerned Ci zens Commi ee Cris na Condori Comunidades Unidas con Una Voz Paul Crum Pax Chris Memphis Carolyn Head Southwest Tennessee Community College Onie G. Johns Caritas Village Kyle Kordsmeier Workers Interfaith Network Cody Mathis Student Organizer Tiffany Futch Women’s Ac on Coali on Staff Allison Glass—Training Director Brad Watkins—Organizing Director Brooke Sarden—Opera ons Director Giovanna Lopez—Training Coordinator Jacob Flowers—Execu ve Director Melissa Miller-Monie—Organizing Coordinator Paul Garner—Organizing Coordinator The inherent power of the individual: We know the people we work with hold the power to ini ate and advance posi ve change in their communi es, and it’s these people who must be the leaders in campaigns to improve their lives. Communi es of libera on: We work to create a world without oppression. We recognize that the roots of oppression run deep systemically and within ourselves. We implement strategies of an -oppression within every facet of our organizing and within our organiza on itself. Achieving nonviolent solu ons using nonviolent strategy: The MSPJC was founded on the nonviolent principles of Mohandas Gandhi and Mar n Luther King, Jr. We know that the most pow-‐ erful change can only be brought about using nonviolent means, and we are dedicated to prac cing and teaching nonvio-‐ lent ac on. Our Values Grassroots Organizing Con nued Greenprint: MSPJC is the staff organiza on for the Social Equity Working Group of the Mid-South Regional Greenprint Consor um. The chair of the Social Equity Working Group is Mia Madison of City of Memphis Division of Housing and Commu-‐ nity Development.  Coordinated monthly mee ngs and ac vi es of the group, which is responsible for ensuring that Greenprint outreach and engagement ac vi es reach minori-‐ es, disabled persons, elderly persons, persons with Limited English Proficien-‐ cy, and other under-represented popula ons.  Provides perspec ve on environmental jus ce and “Not in My Back-‐ yard” (NIMBY) issues.  Strategizes to increase par cipa on in the regional planning process, par cu-‐ larly with respect to engagement of low-income communi es, minority popula-‐ ons, and other communi es typically underrepresented in regional planning. Memphis United: MSPJC is a 501(c)(3) sponsor and a founding member Worked in coali on with over 20 local community and grassroots organiza ons to host the “People’s Conference on Race and Equality: a part of the Heart of Mem-‐ phis”, in response to a KKK rally downtown that same day. A racted more than 1,500 par cipants in panel discussions, workshops and other awareness-building ac vi es. Designed workshops and provided material and staff support.  Co-hosted a forum on Interna onal Workers Day about local issues related to worker jus ce. The Bridge: MSPJC is the 501(c)(3) sponsor for The Bridge, Memphis’ first street newspaper, produced and sold by vendors experiencing homelessness.  Provided technical support and assistance in outreach to people experiencing homelessness. Statewide Organizing:  Coordinated the March 12th “People’s Day on the Hill”. This effort joined grass-‐ roots and progressive organiza ons that had previously held separate lobby days, to come together for support and solidarity. Par cipants included Cha a-‐ nooga Organized for Ac on, Statewide Organizing for Community Empower-‐ ment, Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coali on, Workers Interfaith Network, Workers Dignity Project, Healthy & Free Tennessee, Tennessee Equality Project, Tennessee Transgender Poli cal Ac on Coali on, AFSCME Local 1733, Tennessee Ci zen Ac on, and Memphis Bus Riders Union.  Produced a comprehensive guide to bills of interest to grassroots communi es that was distributed to lobby day par cipants and used statewide as a resource for our community members at home.  Coordinated movement-building space in a nearby church that included lobby training, tes monial and learning space, and a central place for all groups to base their efforts on The Hill. Organizing and mobilizing people to realize social jus ce through nonviolent ac on. Annual Report  2013 Mid-South Peace and Jus ce Center 3573 Southern Ave Memphis, TN 38111 www.midsouthpeace.org 901.725.4990 Our Mission

2013 Annual Report

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2013 Annual Report