Sis. Rev. Weems,
Thanks so very much for the pix of Mother Fannie Lou Hamer. It is so unfortunate none of the great speeches mentioned her at the Dem. Party convention. Though the elder from Mississippi delegation did mention her from the floor, she and so many other women and men are great exampales of what community organizing and real, fundamental change are all about.

Not that long ago I picked up “God’s Long Summer: Stories of Faith and Civil Rights” (by Charles Marsh) for a project that I am working on and was struck by these words in reference to the night Fannie Lou Hammer was mercilessly beat in the Winona jail. Marsh writes, “Mrs. Hamer had nothing to confess; she harbored no information needed by the torturers. She was not abused for the secrets she kept. She was abused, it seems, for being - for being a black woman with a voice.”

The words ran through me as I stared at the sentence, and I was reminded once again that it does not take much for opposition to arise. It does not require degrees, or extreme talent, or lots of money for folks to rise against you, sometimes it is simply (for those with the insight to see its value and the courage to use it) because they dared to use their voice to speak against injustice in whatever face it has taken before them. I thank God for the countless women and men who spoken out, organized people anyway, and have braved the resistance whether through the slamming of doors, the jeers of the community, threats to their safety, or even when it was the resistance of self doubt and fear that mocked their vision for a better reality.

Ok, so I wasn’t the only one “insulted” by Palin’s community organizer remark. All I could think of were the women of the Montgomery Improvement Association, without whom there would have been no Civil Rights Movement!

as always, great post and great comments. while her comment as we all know was a jab at senator obama, to get where she is, pre selection, she HAD to have been an organizer in some way. i am looking forward to hearing how she lifts up the very stepping stone of her success. she has a lot of explaining to do to the american people; republicans, democrats, and others on a lot of issues. i believe there is more there somewhere and i am curious.

even if they do not win, this selection has put her on the map in a way being a governor or life long politician could never do. regardless of november, hopefully her voice can be used for more than the negative things we do hear connected to her.

now folks, let me share a crazy idea. all 4 candidates come with incredible life stories and experiences. without politics, party affiliation, and of course the presidency, these are 4 people with the ability to do great things on behalf of this country and the world. let it be our prayer that that whoever wins can do what is right.

Anybody wanna give a shout out to some community organizer there in your neighborhood or city, or give a shout out to some worthy community project you are involved in and the volunteers who work with you?

I’m not lurking for a second time lol but this is a subject that I feel very passionate about because my grandmother worked in her community and her church in so many capacities and she always stressed the importance of community service in our lives. I would like to ’shout out’ the district attorney for Dallas, Texas Craig Watkins, for all the hard work that he does, with much criticism (the right wing calls him the hug-a-thug d.a.)along with Jeff Blackburn from the Innocence Project for freeing innocent people. As of Sept 8, 220 wrongly convicted have been exonerated. I attended a panel this summer hosted by Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson and hearing the stories from the men who suffered the injustices within the legal system was heartbreaking and just left me enraged. The number of years lost to the penal system for crimes that they didn’t commit is staggering. I’m trying to come up with ideas to get as much help and attention for the women who face a similar fate as well.It takes a great deal of courage and conviction for Mr.Watkins to focus on this issue and serve the people by providing justice and not vengeance, by any means necessary, like so many before him. It just negates Palin’s dig at community servers and demonstrates how the two can work hand-in-hand with the government.

i would like to give a shout out to sandra barnhill at forever family (previously aid to children of imprisoned mothers, inc) for the wonderful works she does not only in atlanta, ga but all over the u.s. as an advocate. i thank sandra and the kids for what they have brought into my life. another shout out to ms. tonya and ms. dora at the west end community empowerment project in lexington, ky for a great job with the youths. lastly, i want to give a shout to ms. linda burnham for the work that she has done over the years with the women of color resource center in oakland, ca and for the lessons she has taught me.

Thank you, I enjoyed your post!
I think the organizers of this movement should be applauded for getting the word out about this Blogging Day For Justice! I am honored to join the ranks of other Community workers to let our voice be heard! I am proud to be a Community Worker and Community Organizer!
Blessings!

I give a shout-out to all the Hospice Volunteers. For ten years, I worked as a Hospice Volunteer and Bereavement Manager. I recruited and trained countless people, from all walks of life–from an air-traffic controller to a elementary school janitor–to go into the homes of the terminally ill to provide support for the caregiver–usually an overwhelmed family member. These individuals would visit their patients one or five times a week– sometimes reading, chatting with, or just being present with the patient as she/he transitioned from her/his life on earth. I had many volunteers who were there alone in the home when the patient died. And, they never wavered. They continued their work as Hospice Volunteers in their community, sometimes following-up with the family up to a year after the patient’s death. So, my love and continued admiration is to the Hospice Patient Care and Bereavement Volunteers, who serve their communities. How we care for those leaving this earth is just as important as how we care for those who remain.

Well, currently I am working with a group of young women of color feminist in the US on a project entitled, “The Cyberquilting Experiment.” I want to shout out to Lex, Moya, Adele, Sydette, Zachari, and many other women of color community organizers who are making this project materialize!!

The Cyber Quilting Experiment is a project examining how the internet can be used as a resource for social justice work and movement building activities. As with the Highlander Folk School in the Civil Rights Movement, the cyber quilting experiment is to be a space where activism, cognitive engagement, and skill development intersect, equipping women of color activist and organizations with the cyber tools needed to bring about radical social change. The experiment is composed of three spatial internet components: (1) A Space to End Violence against Women of Color; (2) A Space to Envision a Better Day; and (3) A Space to do Media Justice work. Each internet space will “quilt” together artist, scholars, and activists to either create new projects or to collaborate on existing projects.

The Cyberquilting Experiment would resemble a network of women of color who use the internet to connect and share both resources and strategies for justice work. Imagine this, The Sex Worker Organizing Project chapter in San Francisco shares organizing strategies with the Young Women’s Empowerment Project in Chicago as they revamp their street outreach initiative. Or women of color survivor led coalition UBUNTU in Durham uploads flyers, talking points and a step by step plan they used for their National Day of Truthtelling with high school students organizing their own community speak out against sexual violence in Chicago. These stories of virtual support, help, and engagement keep the practical on the ground inspiration flowing. Picture the inspiration people receive from knowing through the Cyberquilting’s website that, Afrekete, Spelman College’s Gay Straight Alliance, just uploaded their letter to the president demanding a LBT center on campus or Independent Chicago-based filmmaker Kortney Ryan Zigler uploaded her latest project on black transgender liberation as a free teaching tool.

I have to give a shout out to my Mom, Dianne Tucker, who has been doing some great work to raise attention and disseminate information for persons who have become caregivers. She has been the primary caregiver for both of her parents and her sister, but has been intent on not wanting other people to struggle through the process like she did.

A well deserved shout out to Concerned Citizens of Gainesville/Hall County who represent the Southside Community (primarily African-Americans and Hispanics). For two years this neighborhood association has met monthly seeking to be a voice and resource for our community, connecting street level frustrations with tower level resources.
Our newest project is a 5-10 year vision/planning guide including recreation, landscaping, beautification and overall revitalization. The main challenge is to inspire those who have been neglected for so long.
Thank you Dr. Weems for recognizing this vital ministry. It too is a high calling.

Kudos! to Sister Michele Bennett of the Ray of Hope Community Church in Nashville, TN. As the Ministry Coordinator for our Experience (Mission) Ministry, Sis. Michele organizes several outreach and empowerment programs for members and families in our under-served community throughout the year. She and her committee have just completed a successful “Worship in the Park & Back-to-School Blessing” where school supplies were distributed to children in need. She is now busily organizing a voters’ registration/information team for the upcoming election.

And, hats off to you! Rev. Renita, for organizing a community of “thinking women of faith” on this blog who, I have no doubt, are making/will make an indelible, positive imprint in the fabric of this country and beyond for the “thinking women of faith” yet coming.

Shout outs to…Street youth workers in Boston, Greater Boston Interfaith Organization for rallying hundreds of thousands of signatures to get mandated health care in Massachusetts, Dudley Street Neighborhood Initiative for revitalizing a historic corridor in our neighborHOOD and including youth on their executive board!

First, Dr. Weems. I just want to tell you that I am inspired by your blog as I always have been when you have spoken at my church (I am a proud Trinitarian in the Chi:-) So inspired that I have started my own blog. Anyhoo, amidst the controversy over the recent Chicago School Boycott, I am giving a shout out to Rev. Meeks and Salem Baptist Church for making the statement against substandard schools in Chicago and divisive laws that prohibit children in Illinois from attending whatever school they want. I was proud to go door to door to hand out factual info for the Save Our Schools initiative. Much props to the ministers and other freedom fighters who worked on this!

A great big Shout Out to Alvelyn Sanders, heading the East Point/Hapeville, GA Obama for President office, to get the 100,000 unregistered voters in those cities registered by October 6th. She’s a young woman with great aspirations, and though she did not win her bid to be a candidate at the convention, she is off and running with a desire to make a difference in our world.
Thanks Alvelyn!

Of course community organizers are without number and all deserve our thanks, appreciation and support. I just wanted to add a statement shared with me, “Jesus was a community organizer; Pilate was just a governor.”

@ cgcar,
“Jesus was a community organizer; Pilate was just a governor.” THANK YOU! THANK YOU! So very, very true!

I give a shout out to Elder Sharon Robinson and the Earth Angels Ministry in Chicago, just mentioned in the Chicago Suntimes as being “spritiually intuned” to youth.
http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/1150533,CST-NWS-BetterDay2008.article

I give a shout out to Rev. Angela Hill and In His Grip Ministry that ministers to youth on the streets of Chicago, giving them a safe place and hope.

I give a shout out to me and my neighbors who will go out early in the morning, tomorrow morning, to clean trash from the vacant lots on our block, using our own money and resources and for endlessly trying to organize the people on the block to fight the drug traffic on the corner, constant trash on the streets, gunshots being heard all through the night, etc.

I am a community organizer….

Thanks Dr. Weems for your postings!!!

My shout out goes to Maggie Nortey and Anna Daniel. These are my grandmothers who still work tirelessly in their community through their churches, civic organizations, city hall groups, and former employers.

Much Obliged Dr.Weems for the love link and most of all for this inspiring post. Never did I ever think that an American would ever discount the import that community organizers and organizations have had in our society. It is so disheartening that politics gives why to such disturbing remarks about something that is, in my view, is the very foundation of America.

SjP