Archive for the ‘Civil Rights’ Category

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The Employee Free Choice Act : Why You Should Care and What You Can Do

Thursday, June 4th, 2009

While at the America’s Future Now conference, I attended a very moving panel on the Employee Free Choice Act and workers’ rights generally.
Larry Cohen of the Communications Workers of America union said that U.S. laws contain the worst repressions of workers’ rights in the democratic world. He and other speakers referred to the fight for workers’ rights as the major civil rights battle of our time.

As a progressive movement we have lots of reasons to care about the outcome of the EFCA and other labor battles. Wade Henderson of the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights spoke about the many strong links between labor and the civil rights movement since the beginning. Union members not only earn higher wages, are more likely to have health care, and enjoy greater well-being at work, they also vote more progressively than non-union members and are active allies in many other progressive movements.

At Traction’s spring happy hour, MaryBe McMillan of the NC AFL-CIO asked us to take action on the Employee Free Choice Act by thanking Sen. Kay Hagan for her initial support of the bill. The message I got from the panel was that we need to KEEP talking to Sen. Hagan as well as our Representatives in the House to ask them to support (or continue to support) the EFCA. The AFL-CIO has one way to get in touch with your legislators here , or you can call or send a hand-written letter. Any way you do it, it’s important that we speak up now for labor rights.

Are you going to take action? Have you done it already? Let me know in a comment or email to cara@getTraction.org!

Posted in Civil Rights, Economic Justice, Politics, Tractivists in Action, Walk the Talk | No Comments »

Join Traction at HK on J 3

Thursday, February 12th, 2009

Hey Tractivists

If you’re not already planning to come out to HK on J 3 this Saturday, this video will change your mind.

It’ll be great if we have a large number of Tractivists come out to send the message that Traction (and young people in general) are standing up for progressive change in NC.  It’s also going to be a lot of fun and a chance to meet folks from progressive organizations from across the state.

So, get yourself to HK on J using one of these 3 easy options:

Carpool from Orange County

There’s an official group that is arranging bus seats and carpools leaving from University Mall: http://groups.google.com/group/HKonJ-OC/browse_thread/thread/c3b8a06a462c8b97/8d85edc04bfade69?show_docid=8d85edc04bfade69&pli=1

Or, email me ( cara@gettraction.org ) and we’ll meet up at Eastgate Shopping Center in Chapel Hill, near Trader Joe’s.  Email me ahead of time to let me know know if you can drive or if you’ll be riding with someone else.

Carpool from Durham

Meet at Traction office (1018 Broad St.) at 8:40 AM; leave 8:45.  Email me ( cara@gettraction.org ) ahead of time to let me know if you can drive or if you’ll be riding with someone else.

Meet up at Chavis Park in Raleigh

Look for the Traction crew (with Traction shirts and banner) on the playground side of the seating area.  If you can’t find us, call Cara on the Traction phone at 919-Traction (919-872-2846).

Email me ( cara@gettraction.org ) ASAP to let me know you’ll be there.

See you Saturday,

Cara

Posted in Civil Rights, Economic Justice, Education, Environment, Events, Fair Elections, Health Care, Peace, Politics, Tractivists in Action, Walk the Talk | No Comments »

Pride Traction Style (Guest Blog From Cara)

Thursday, September 25th, 2008

I’m proud that Traction is a leader in standing up for the LGBTIQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex, Queer) community in NC…

Pride, Traction-style, is just SO MUCH FUN! I mean, you get to check out the festival with fellow Tractivists and march together in the parade (carrying giant silver balloons that spell out TRACTION) and support an awesomely diverse community in NC.

Seriously, Pridefest is the place to be this weekend— for queer-identified and straight progressives alike! Marching in the parade alongside other groups that are working for LGBTIQ rights in our state, visiting info booths to learn more about the issues, and listening to the great speakers and musical acts are all part of this amazing festival.

Even if you’ve never been to a Pride before, or if LGBTIQ issues aren’t front and center for you, I encourage you to give Pride, Traction-style, a try. It’s my personal belief that we should support other progressives in their struggles and celebrate with them in their triumphs, and Pride is a wonderful place to celebrate some progressive triumphs.

Now that I’ve bared my Pride-lovin’ soul, I’ll get down and dirty with the details about marching with Traction in the Pride Parade…

Sat 9/27: March with Traction in the Pride Parade

NOON lineup at Duke’s East Campus

This year, we’ll have a rolling How Low Can You Vote? limbo crew, plus the giant silver TRACTION balloons and rainbows galore!

Oh, and just so we don’t show up unprepared, you’re also invited to our Pride Planning party on Friday night. Come have a drink, meet some new friends, decide what role you’ll play in our spectacular parade crew, and then stick around to watch round one of the Obama-McCain debates. Who knows, there could be dancing after…

Fri 9/26: pre-Pride happy hour (parade planning, then debate-watching) at Traction HQ

6PM Pride prep / drinking; 9PM Presidential debate-watching.

Email pride@getTraction.org to RSVP for Pride, Traction-style (Parade and/or Happy Hour).

Posted in Civil Rights, Events, Tractivists in Action, Walk the Talk | No Comments »

Proudly brought to you by the letters T, R, A…

Sunday, September 30th, 2007

Tractivists represent at NC Pride 2007!

This parade entry was brought to you by the letters T, R, A...

As the old cheer goes… sort of… We’re here, some of us are queer, get used to it! (We’ll work on getting a bigger picture…)

Posted in Civil Rights, Events, Tractivists in Action, Walk the Talk | 1 Comment »

Salsa party x2 — hips and dip

Thursday, August 9th, 2007

Traction is throwing a salsa party!

Here’s the scoop…

What: Salsa Doble (hips and dip)
When: Sunday August 19

  • 6pm salsa-making workshop
  • 7pm dance lesson
  • 8pm party

Where: the fabulous porch of Parker and Otis (formerly Fowler’s) in Durham
Who: Traction, El Pueblo, El Centro, SEEDS, Locopops and a porchload of your favorite Tractivists
Cost: $10 donation for the workshop or the dance party; get both for $17
Get your tickets here.

Since we’ll be both EATING and DANCING, we’re calling it Salsa Doble (hips and dip). And because it’s Traction, you know you’ll find spicy info about progressive issues — this time it’s immigration, farmworkers’ rights and local food — and ways to take action.
That’s right, local food. It would be WRONG to let peak tomato season pass without making some badass salsa. (Remember, friends don’t let friends buy El Paso.) So we’re throwing a salsa-making workshop. Spaces are limited…

Make a donation and get your tix here.

Hey, you know how you’ve been waiting for just the right occasion to volunteer for Traction? I think this is it. Write to salsa@getTraction.org to get in the mix…
Good food, good friends, good politics, and you’re supporting a great cause. Get your ticket now, and we’ll see you on the 19th!

Posted in Civil Rights, Economic Justice, Environment, Events | No Comments »

H K on J: History in the making and Traction was there!

Tuesday, February 13th, 2007

Traction was honored to be part of H K on J, or Historic Thousands on Jones St., on Saturday.
Thousands of North Carolinians gathered in an NAACP-led People’s Assembly and adopted (by roaring acclamation) a bold 14-point progressive agenda:

1. High quality, well-funded, diverse schools for all children
2. Living wages
3. Health care for all
4. Government redress for the Wilmington Race Riots of 1898 and the forced sterilization of black women from 1947 to 1977
5. Same-day voter registration and public financing for elections
6. More funding for historically black colleges and universities
7. Redress for 200 years of discrimination in state hiring and contracting
8. Affordable housing and consumer protection
9. Criminal justice reform including abolition of the death penalty
10. Creation of an environmental job corps for youth
11. Collective bargaining for public employees
12. Immigrant rights
13. More funding for civil rights enforcement agencies
14. Bringing troops home from Iraq

Then we marched to the General Assembly and posted it there for our state legislators to see.

Thanks to Tractivist Robert S., who posted lots of H K on J clips on You Tube! Here’s one featuring several Tractivists on stage, including yours truly…

Traction represented well, with Dave, Celeste, Bria, Anne, Tamara, Brandi, Jim, Adam and many more among the marchers.

Did you take pictures? Post them to flickr and tag them HKonJ and Traction!

Posted in Civil Rights, Economic Justice, Education, Environment, Events, Fair Elections, Health Care, Peace, Tractivists in Action | 2 Comments »

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