The professional beggars will be out in force downtown today. One Voice issued the following press release:
While many in the region celebrate Halloween, what is really scary, say many Jackson residents, is that state and federal agencies have yet to make long term funding commitments to address the city’s water infrastructure.
“Today’s march is to send a message to the state, to the federal government that we are not going anywhere. We are going to continue to be in these streets until we get the resources our city deserves,” says Brooke Floyd, a lead organizer with Jackson’s People's Assembly.
This is the third Moral Monday March by organizers who say that this march will draw from history and Halloween themes. A number of residents will be bringing samples from their tap to show just how scary water quality continues to be in the city. Some even plan to dress as civil rights heroes that inspire them in order to lift up the need for Jacksonians to be in this fight over the long term - like our ancestors in the freedom struggle before us.
“We have to remember that these problems will not be solved overnight,” says Nsombi Lambright-Haynes, executive director of One Voice and member of the Mississippi Rapid Response Coalition. “It took decades to create these issues. Even if they invest a billion dollars into Jackson right now, and I hope they do, it will take months and even years to build the system we need. We have to remain vigilant and not give up the fight.”
The March will begin today with an assembly at the historic Smith Robertson Museum at 4pm and marching at 4:30pm to a rally at the intersection of Capital and Congress Streets that will begin at 5pm. The event will start earlier in the day than previous marches, organizers say, so that more families can attend.
The march and rally are a part of ongoing efforts to get the state and federal government to release the resources needed to fix Jackson’s failing water infrastructure. The event will feature local testimony, live performances, food and inspiration from local and national leaders including Bishop William J. Barber II and Rev. Dr. Liz Theoharis, co-chairs of the Poor People’s Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival, who led Jackson’s first two Moral Mondays.
Residents are advocating for federal funds to come directly to cities and to avoid what has been a long history of inequitable funding practices by the state.
Danyelle Holmes of the MS Poor People’s Campaign, an anchor organization of the Moral Monday marches, says she’s been inspired by residents’ response. “We have been working in partnership with the Coalition to reach residents who have been greatly impacted by the crisis. Mothers, fathers, children, business owners. So many people are suffering and having to be way more resilient than they should have to be. Organizing, raising our voices. This is how we change things.”
The event will be live streamed here. The march and rally are sponsored by a broad coalition of organizations working together to advance community centered solutions to the water crisis. Members are listed below.
ACLU, MS
AFT, Mississippi
Alternate ROOTS
Black Voters Matter
IDEA
Institute for the Study of Modern Day Slavery at Tougaloo College
Immigrant Alliance for Justice and Equity (IJAE)
International Museum of Muslim Culture
Jackson People’s Assembly
Jackson Council PTA
Know Your Rights Camp
Lit & Lifted
Malcolm X Grassroots Movement
Mississippi Association of Educators
Mississippi Bail Fund Collective
Mississippi Black Women’s Roundtable (MS BWRT)
Mississippi In Action
Mississippi Prison Reform Coalition
Mississippi Rapid Response Coalition
Mississippi Reproductive Freedom Fund
Mississippi Student Water Crisis Advocacy Team
MS Moves
MS Votes
One Voice, MS
Operation Good Cure Violence
People’s Advocacy Institute
Poor People's Campaign
Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC, MS)
SupportEd MS
Strong Arms of Mississippi
Women for Progress
39 comments:
Lambright-Haynes: "Even if they invest a billion dollars into Jackson right now, and I hope they do, it will take months and even years to build the system we need."
Ignorance on full display.
All those organizations are a total of the same three people, no?
SPLC is a scam in itself
Major racist is what I’d call them
They represent blacks and take
All the money under name of non profit
It’s scandalous. Also why is the MAE marching as a non profit aren’t they prohibited from this. They take enough of the tax payers money as it is
Every one of the above listed groups was silent up until the flood and release of federal funds. We need a better cut of activists in this state. These guys are straight Bush leaguers.
To date I haven’t seem a plan, budget and construction schedule for this massive $1,000,000,000 project. If it is to be accomplished across successive administrations, how can the entities providing the funding be assured that changing management every 4-8 years will stay on task.
I would love to join Lit & Lifted. Tell me how. I ain't been lit in two weeks!
How will we be able to differentiate these people from the usual beggars on every Jackson corner? Or is there no difference...
That's quite a list of grifters.
Will HiLevel Kitchen be bringing the fryer grease?
Exactly like she said "It took decades to create these problems". So, who was responsible for operating and maintaining Jackson's water system during those decades?
The current water plant, O.B. Curtis treatment facility, was built brand new in the late 1980s, and is now a little over three decades old. The City of Jackson has been controlled by Democrats for all of that time. Yes, Danks ('77-'89) and Ditto ('89-'97) were Dems. Twenty-five years ago in 1997 Harvey Johnson ('97-'05) became the first African American Mayor, and he was followed by Melton ('05-'09), McLemore (interim '09), Johnson (2nd term '09-'13), Lumumba Sr. ('13-'14), Tillman (interim '14), Yarber ('14-'17), and now Lumumba Jr. ('17-'22).
These administrations were in complete control of Jackson's water system and were responsible for maintaining and operating the facility for the entire history of the O.B. Curtis water plant, so they are responsible for the problems -- NOT the feds, NOT the state.
I'm curious...are these same groups demanding that the City finally invest the money in the water system that it has neglected to do for decades now ? Are these groups demanding that the City start billing for water provided and collecting those water bills so that it can fund the maintenance needed and that it is responsible for ? It sounds and looks like they're only demanding that the State and Feds pay for everything and not the City whose responsibility it is to begin with. They lose all credibility when they fail to place any blame on the City and fail to demand that the City do its part too.
Lambright-Haynes: That would be like positioning a potato gun on a flatbed trailer, loading it with hundred dollar bills, driving over to Eminence Row, Highway 80, Lynch, Northside, The Fondren, State, High and Capitol, blowing it high and low, and, with a loudspeaker, telling the recipients to invest in stocks.
You just canNOT hand a case of steaks to an immature pup and expect him to pace himself or eat wisely.
3:05 - The MAE is worthless, useless and powerless, but they don't use taxpayer money - Only the money of those who are fool enough to hand over part of their paycheck for nothing.
Funny thing is, most JJ posters think this kind of thinking is confined to the city limits of Jackson. What you are seeing in the future of this state. And eventually this country. But the state much sooner.
"The event will start earlier in the day than previous marches, organizers say, so that more families can attend."
"Earlier in the day" at 4:00, as in during the part of the day when people who have real jobs are, you know, at their jobs.
3:37...Yeah, but. Well, just....but.
I hope the trough is long. That’s a lot of hogs wanting slops.
Sorry rabble rousers,
Your marching ain't getting you billions of dollars.
You've controlled your city and run it into the ground. We ain't paying to fix it.
Boy, they really bring to life the old curmudgeon, Robert D. Raiford, of John Boy and Billy radio, who called this day, "BEGAGWEEN."
3:37 - and who has been the second district congressional district congressman for thirty years, representing the district and its woes? If I recall he became a millionaire within 4 years of assuming that lifelong position.
I thought de mair said he was taking over. Shouldn't they be marching down his street?
21 days and counting…
@4:17
Republican Michael guest represents NE Jackson. But yes these morons continue to vote for bennie and then blame race
I think the MS Poor People's Campaign is just an attempt to out-victim the rest of those groups. You know victims are the new heroes, right?
4:19 is dead on!
I support Fast Acting Response Team.
Yes and leave your water at the Mayors house as he said he doesn’t need or want the State involved! Right? He said he can take care of the COJ. Guess the marchers can’t read it write as the Governor said the State would do as Their Mayor Demanded. Right?See ya!
That’s quite a list of 100% IDIOTS.
Don’t think any of these groups want to have to work for what they get. Should be given everything, right? Money for nothing....
The nonprofit racket in our country is a serious problem
5:24 - Michael Guest's representation of a tiny carve-out in Jackson is irrelevant to the discussion. As with the Delta Pump Project, Bennie has done nothing, nada, zip to open the flow of needed-money during his 29 years in office.
Wouldn't it be ironic if Bennie were head of a House Select Committee to 'study' Jackson's infrastructure and the lack of support by the state over the past 29 years?
Sparsely attended. Now with Cheerleaders!
@3:37 means well but is being disingenuous. If all those Democrat mayors had been Republican, the situation in re Jackson's water system would be the same, exactly the same, FUBAR. Political affiliation has nothing to do with that, so fold your arms and slowly walk away from the old Savage-Levin-Shapiro "It's all the Democrats" mindset. It's not political affiliation; it's something else.
Sorry I can't attend, I have to go to work.
It's nice they can all take off work at 3pm to attend.
That is a pretty good racket. Give out $20 bills to people to join the march then sell them greasy food and get back your money and then some.
Was government even taught in Jackson schools? It seems that very few understand the responsibilities of the city vs the responsibilities of the state. Water is a city responsibility.
3:08 pm, Most of those people have been receiving a check from Uncle Sam for so long they think that is the way it is with everyone. No one has to work and pay bills. That is what the government is for.
You could teach every citizen in Jackson that Chuck is the devil in this water debacle, and that this is completely his fault along with Yarber and Harvey and if they genuinely listened and understood...they would still join a Tate Hate Picket within 5 minutes of the lesson.
They dont care who is REALLY at fault.
They will support folks that look them until the absolute bitter end.
Its ironic and sad that the group that demands skin color be removed from decision making, uses skin color as they primary criteria in all decisions.
Follow the Money Follow the Money
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