News Archive

Sisters Together Ending Poverty (STEPS), a long time member organization of the Poor People’s Economic Human Rights Campaign, has its hands full these days. On June 17, STEPS kicked off a 16-day March to Abolish Poverty through the state of Massachusetts. The march, which started on Juneteenth to symbolize the end of slavery, will arrive at the state’s capitol of Boston this weekend to set up a three day encampment leading up to the Independence Day holiday.

This is the second year STEPS has organized this statewide March to Abolish Poverty. Each day marchers have been visiting the 29 most devastated areas of Massachusetts—areas the free lunch program has determined to have the highest rates of poverty. Together with organizers from the Green-Rainbow party, marchers are documenting economic human rights violations, holding speakouts, and protesting the conditions that exist in Massachusetts and all across our country.

STEPS is also an affiliate of the National Welfare Rights Union and is made up of poor women and men who are struggling under the current welfare system. The situation is getting worse for their members and for most of the communities they are visiting, says organizer, Lisa Richards:

“It’s harder to organize as people’s situations get more desperate, but we remain committed to exposing the human rights violations that are happening in our state. We know things will get worse before they get better, but we also know that we can win this fight.”

Arise for Social Justice!
(Springfield, Massachusetts)

Arise, an organization of poor and homeless families in Springfield, is in the middle of a battle to reclaim the dignity and rights of homeless people.

Each year the city of Springfield closes all the shelters when the weather gets warmer in April, leaving homeless people on the streets without affordable housing. Last year, however, homeless men and women from Arise set up an encampment they called “Sanctuary City” to protest this indignity. Their encampment was set up for many, many months, putting so much pressure on the city that they introduced legislation making tent cities illegal throughout the city and refused to communicate with Arise for over six months.

The “NO TENT CITIES” legislation failed to pass, however, and this year the city has been forced to keep the winter warming shelter open because the threat of another “Sanctuary City” and more embarrassment is so strong. The homeless individuals in Arise have basic demands for their city: Open a 24 hour shelter (none exist in Springfield), and promise that there will be no night that any homeless person goes without shelter in Springfield.

The members of Arise have gotten stronger through this struggle, but they remain resourceless, like many of our PPEHRC member organizations. Arise desperately needs your help as they struggle to meet their membership’s needs, develop poor leaders, and reclaim their rights. To contact Arise, email MichaelAnn Busee at michaelannb@hotmail.com

Centro Comunitario Juan Diego, formerly the Arnold Mireles Human Rights Center, has been a long time member of the Poor People's Economic Human Rights Campaign. For 7 years now, they have been using a human rights framework in their organizing.

Located in South Chicago, most of the center's members are undocumented immigrants. As Rosa Perea, long time member and leader describes, "The people in our community have never felt like they've had any rights in this country. We show people that we all have rights--human rights, and that these rights should be protected."

The center was founded over ten years ago by eight Latina women who had the courage to start an organization for their community despite their own hardships. They promote both leadership and social change while serving people's needs. Their small staff and large base of volunteers from the community work to provide free food, clothing, education and health services to all of the surrounding area.

Among their most impressive services are their health services. Centro Comunitario Juan Diego has a partnership with the University of Illinois and has many trained "health promoters" who are certified to educate the rest of the community about diabetes, breast cancer, and HIV prevention. The center also has "junior health promoters" who educate youth.

Their education program is equally impressive--they provide free after school tutoring, family literacy classes, computer skills classes, and English as a Second Language courses.

The Centro Comunitario Juan Diego has long known, however, that the problems in their community are only worsening. They will never have enough resources to simply provide services for all those who are in desperate need of them. They are getting organized to reclaim their human rights and they are working with anyone who will stand with them. They have strong relationships within the Chicago religious community and with the universities in the area, but they still need more of our strength!

The Chicago Coalition to Protect Public Housing has been a member organization of the Poor People's Economic Human Rights Campaign since its founding. Over the years they have gotten stronger and stronger, but their work has not gotten any easier.

The CPPH is currently organizing to keep their homes at the infamous Cabrini Green public housing units. Despite being up against a very powerful force, the Cabrini residents are standing strong. While working to organize themselves, they are also making use of law and the courts and have nearly exhausted all legal remedies. They currently have a court injunction against any future 180-day eviction notices. The organizers at Cabrini expect another round of these notices very soon.

The leaders at Cabrini do not just focus on housing issues, however. They have strong relationships with community organizations, churches, and unions all across the city and are presently organizing against the privatization of schools in Chicago (the Renaissance 2010 plan), and for the protection of the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). "We believe that we all have a right to a roof over our heads, to access to heat and other basic utilities, and all other basic needs, especially our children's education," said Carol Steele, organizer at the CPPH.

With so much devastation in the community, Ms. Steele does not lose hope. "It's like God's trying to figure out where people's hearts are. Why else would this be happening to so many people at the same time?"

The Coalition to Protect Public Housing desperately needs more organizers if they are to compete with the relocation efforts of their powerful city. If you can sponsor an organizer, volunteer as a full or part time organizer, or provide any other resource assistance, please contact the coalition. Their survival depends on all of our support.

On March 3, PPEHRC leaders met with the Alexandria United Taxi-drivers Organization of Alexandria, VA.

20 years ago a law was passed that took the taxi drivers’ Certificates of Public Convenience and Necessity away. Now, taxi drivers are required to be affiliated with a company in order to drive their cabs. These cab drivers pay over a million dollars a year to companies who provide no service - no customers, no dispatch, no credit card approval, and no cabs (drivers provide their own cabs).

The Alexandria United Taxi-Drivers Organization is fighting two fights. One, they are currently preparing to sue to overturn the decision requiring them to be affiliated with a company. And two, they are organizing themselves and fighting to be able to form a co-op. These 647 taxi drivers have asked for official recognition as a company. If they are granted this, and are able to form their co-op, five cab companies in the surrounding area would fold!

The Alexandria United Taxi-Drivers Organization is in need of much support, however. They need web support, PR support, and most importantly, they need legal representation in order to carry out their lawsuit. Any skills or connections you may have would be a huge help in their ongoing battle!

In the meantime, the taxi-drivers will be meeting with City Manager, James Hartmann, who will be making a decision about their company soon. To send a letter of support on their behalf, please email Kathleen Henry at khenry302@comcast.net