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Volume 13, No. 1 February 13, 2013

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News
Marching for justice
Published Tuesday, February 12, 2013 by Taylor Shaw

RALEIGH Carrying signs, passing out flyers, waving flags and shouting chants, thousands gathered in Raleigh last Saturday to take a stand against what they say are systems and policies created to oppress. Historic Thousands on Jones Street Peoples Assembly Coalition met for the seventh time on Feb. 9. Beginning at Shaw University, over 100 groups from across the state marched to the N.C. Legislature. Traveling to the State Capitol by bus, van, train or car, people stood to fight for economic injustice, health care, labor laws, progressive faith, civil and voting rights, immigrant rights, housing, LGBT rights and environmental justice. One of the reasons we mobilize and march is to ensure that there is mass voter education. People [need to be] educated about what their elected leaders are doing to harm them, the Rev. Curtis Gatewood, HKonJ coalition coordinator, said. Durham resident Burmadene George is a member of New Hope Presbyterian Churchs peacekeeping committee. She joined N.C. Peace Action, a group committed to building a culture of peace. I marched in the 60s, and I am marching now, she said. Rallies pull us together. N.C. NAACP President William J. Barber II said North Carolina is the epicenter of the nation. If the state goes backward, in many ways the nation will go backward; the south will go backward, he said. We must mobilize around the state, fight in the courts, challenge legislators, and raise moral and consistent standards.

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The Triangle Tribune | Sports | Black Community Newspaper - Marching for justice

2/13/13 9:00 AM

standards. The Republican-led legislature opened by proposing what Barber calls a quadruple attack. Cutting unemployment benefits, refusing federal money for Medicare and Medicaid expansion, and proposing voter suppression legislation instead of creating jobs is sending the wrong message. They should not be having this conversation, he added. Those are not the real issues. The NAACPs and HKonJs strategy for addressing poverty and economic injustice is to acknowledge that education equality, health care for all, criminal justice and voting rights are all interconnected and have a direct impact on each other. Barber hopes something miraculous will happen. Sometimes someone stands up and says something when people see how hurtful the policies are, he said. I have great hope that when [Gov. Pat] McCrory sees thousands of people black, white and Latino working together, hes going to resist this extremity. Added George: [Rallies] inspires people. Some of these people will feel good today, and go home and just feel good. But there are many, many people who will feel good today and will be stirred into action.

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