Category Archives: Human Rights

Drop the Charges Against Dedan Waciuri

As is usually the case after mass protest, when people are no longer in the streets, government and law enforcement gear up to punish those who participated in the resistance. They want to send a message to hundreds of thousands across the country that they will not tolerate challenges to their authority and murderous behavior. In cities and towns across the country, local authorities are reviewing video and news reports hoping to single out leaders of the nationwide uprisings in the wake of the George Floyd murder by the Minneapolis Police Department on May 25.

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Black Workers for Justice Calls on International Community to Monitor US elections

We Need International Observers to Protect the Democratic Right of the Black Vote!

Since the 2016 election there has been incessant talk of Russian, and sometimes Chinese and other countries interfering in US elections. Yet It has long been known that the US interferes in elections across the world. Whether covert or open, scholars have reported at least 62 electoral interventions between 1942 and 1989.  When their favored candidate is facing a serious challenge, they have insisted on election observers and have been critical of results when other credible observers have been satisfied.

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National Reparations Day!Reparations Now!

National Reparations Day! Reparations Now!

In August we commemorate Black August to honor Black Freedom Fighters and Black Resistance. This year, in addition to lifting up those fighters killed by the state and our political prisoners, we focus on a key demand of our movement, Reparations.

On August 15, thousands across the US, with support from allies in the Caribbean, Africa and Europe will participate in National Reparations Day. The Day was called by the December 12th Movement to recognize two critical events in our just struggle to be made whole from the damage and destruction of slavery. In 2001 at the World Conference Against Racism the delegates declared that the Trans- Atlantic Slave Trade and slavery were crimes against humanity. The second marker was the August 17, 2002 Millions for Reparations National Rally held in Washington, D.C. the 117th anniversary of the birth of Marcus Garvey.

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Rocky Mount Sanitation Workers: Paid After 40 years for Their 1978 Strike

In 1978, from July 10 to September 25, 1978 about 36 City of Rocky Mount Sanitation workers went on intermitting strikes demanding the rehiring of Alexander Evans a Sanitation workers that was unjustly fired for picking up a suit left by a trashcan that was emptied by workers.  There was policy that anything left within 10 feet of trash can be picked up by the workers. Evans was known to take clothes to people in need as part of his religious mission.  A week before being fired there was an article in the Rocky Mt newspaper honoring Evans for caring for the poor. These workers were not unionized, but acted collectively to send representatives to meet with the City Manager and community forces to build support.

The City prosecuted Evans in court and was defeated, but the City wouldn’t rehire Evans, so the workers went on strike again.

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Condemn the Coup Against Bolivian President Evo Morales

We join thousands of organizations and millions of people across the globe in condemning the Coup carried out against President Evo Morales of Bolivia. To suggest that he voluntarily resigned ignores the demand placed on him by the military, which, along with the police, had been influenced by US intelligence services and aligned with the right wing opposition.

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