Everyday Democracy Podcast: Lisa Sharon Harper offers her reflections on the Derrion Albert beating.

NY Faith & Justice Executive Director Lisa Sharon Harper was interviewed yesterday by "Everyday Democracy," a podcast dedicated to interviewing everyday people who are creating change in their communities.  Ms. Harper was on the show to offer her reflections on the Derrion Albert beating on the South Side of Chicago. 

"Neighborhoods that are marginalized and under-served tend to be highly violent areas," she said. "That's not because the people are violent but it is because poverty breeds violence."

One thing that surprised her about the Albert beating were the responses of people on the street and in the media and their level of knowledge about what actually is going on in marginalized and impoverished areas.

"I was kind of shocked at the level of ignorance that we have to that level of rage, that level of hopelessness in impoverished areas throughout the country. It was a great indicator that we just don't understand what is going on."

Hear the entire interview below and find out what Ms. Harper says communities can do to confront this growing rage in our communities.  

 

Powered by Podbean.com

Visit the "Everyday Democracy" website here.

Don't know about the Derrion Albert beating?  See the initial Chicago Tribute article about the beating here.

The dotORGathon is Here!

NY Faith & Justice invites you to... Walk the Walk ... Give toward Change!  Details...  When?  THIS Saturday, October 10, 2009 @ 9am What?  A 5K walk-a-thon to benefit NY Faith & Justice and more than 100 other non-profits across New York City. New Location!  The Gateway Center in the Bronx, meet on the 6th floor of the parking structure (the top floor).  Click here for Directions How?  Click to walk with or give to a team supporting NY Faith & Justice: NY Faith & Justice General Team Metro Hope Church New York Theological Seminary Trinity Grace Church Faith Leaders for Environmental Justice Special thanks to our organizational partners who rallied to show their support!  See you at The Gateway this Saturday!

D.C. Rally for Immigration Reform

Reform Immigration to Keep Families United   In One Week! TUESDAY, October 13, 2009 Washington D.C. One Day Trip! $30 round trip bus fare Organizers expect 3000-5000 people to join together in D.C. to visit members of congress, participate in march to the west lawn of the U.S. Capitol, and hear from Rep. Luis Gutierrez who plans to submit his bill for Comprehensive Immigration Reform this month. The NY State Interfaith Network for Immigration Reform is working in partnership with the NY Immigration Coalition to take a solid group of faith leaders to represent the faith community on a round of congressional visits.  We know this is late notice, but if you can break away this Tues, it's gonna be a fun ride!    To reserve your spot on the bus contact Frances Liu  at FLiu@thenyic.org or 212.627.2227 x246 NY Faith & Justice is an contributing member of the steering committee of the NY State Interfaith Network for Immigration Reform.  For more info on the Network contact Lisa Sharon Harper at lsharper@nyfaithjustice.org.

House Gatherings are Back!!!

Fun Food and Prayers for Justice Every Month! Harlem SATURDAY, October 24, 6-8pm @ The Harlem House 226 West 138th Street (Btwn 7th and 8th Aves.) map it Brooklyn  SATURDAY, October 31, 11am-1pm @ The Radical Living Hart House 32 Hart Street Brooklyn, NY 11206 map it (New) Queens  (Save the Date) Saturday, November 14th, 7:30-9:30pm Special: "Jesus and Justice" Book Reading and Discussion with author Dr. Peter Heltzel's @ Miguel's Place 69-26 Woodside Avenue  Apartment 2 Woodside, NY 11377 map it Check future dates on our website calendar. To start a House Gathering in your neighborhood, please email us atadmin@nyfaithjustice.org.

DotORGathon: Steps for Success

You’ve probably heard about the DotORG-athon by now.  If you haven’t, visit www.dotorgathon.com to learn more.  

Did you know that even though the walk is just over 2-weeks away there are things you can be doing now to help NYFJ make the DotORG-athon the most successful event possible?  

1) Contribute to sponsor our walk.  You can do this by clicking here!

2) Walk the walk with us (either in person or virtually)!  You can sign up here!

3) Get the word out on the dotORG-athon by using your Facebook status and Twitter Tweets!  

The more people that join and contribute to our cause enables us to do more work around New York!  Programs like what we are currently working on:

•Faith Leaders for Environmental Justice

•Conversations for Change

•Working with the Manhattan Borough Presidents office to create a just and sustainable food system for all New Yorker’s

•Partnership with other organizations working on creating just jobs, Immigration reform and Health-Care reform

Your help in making the DotORG-athon successful is greatly needed and greatly appreciated!!

"Enough is Enough!"

By Lisa Sharon Harper
Speech for "Stand for Freedom in Iran" Rally
Dag Hammarskjold Plaza, across from the United Nations
9/24/09


Hello! I've been deeply moved by this gathering. This is amazing! My name is Lisa Sharon Harper. I am the executive director of NY Faith & Justice and author of Evangelical Does Not Equal Republican...or Democrat and I am here today to say "Enough is enough!" [Crowd cheers] Say it with me, "Enough is enough! Enough is enough! Enough is enough! Enough is enough!"

The whole world saw the elections in Iran and the crush of the Iranian Government when they stole the election from the people! We saw it via social networking sources like Twitter and Facebook. Well I'm a twitterer! So, everyone say "Hi!" and I'm gonna take a picture of you because this is amazing!


[The empty space is the space directly infront of the stage. You can't see it from here, but the crowd reached back to 3rd Avenue from 1st Ave!]

President Ahmadinejad,
Democracy is not enough!
Democracy is nothing unless that government protects the rights of "the least of these" in society!
Democracy is nothing unless that government protects the rights of the ones who live with their backs against the walls!
And that kind of democracy is achieved by protecting the basic human rights of all people within a society.

We watched Iran's election and it is unconscionable that 322 people have been executed just this year. It is unconscionable that everyday citizens of your country were thrown in jail just because they wanted to have their vote count!

Enough is enough!

As a black Evangelical woman I know something about the struggle for that kind of democracy on our own soil! My own Evangelical forefathers and fore-mothers warred against my ethnic fore-bearers throughout the better part of the 20th century. I am speaking of the civil rights battles of the 1940s, 50s, and 60s. Evangelicals, by-and-large, fought for segregation and fought to enforce Jim Crow laws that denied the right to vote to my black ancestors. But that was the 20th century! This is a new century!!

In the 21st century, Evangelicals are find their way back to their roots - roots born in the 19th century when they led the way in the movement to abolish slavery!

[The crowd cheers!]

So, President Ahmadinejad, a new generation of Evangelicals; white, black, Asian, and Latino are standing in solidarity with the people of Iran today!

[The crowd cheers!]

We stand in solidarity with this crowd and we say with one voice, "Enough is enough!"

Amen.

Conversations for Change - Organizers' Training

Saturday, September 12
Community members gathered at Latino Pastoral Action Center to receive training focused on how to organize their communities to take part in Community-wide Conversations between the NYPD and South Bronx Residents in Spring 2010!


Special Thanks to Carolyne Abdullah and Nick Connell from Everyday Democracy, who conducted the day of training.




Organizers broke into two teams: 1) Outreach and 2) Messaging. By the conclusion of the training, we had a comprehensive strategy to mount a community-wide round of Conversations for Change in Spring 2010!

Thanks to all who showed up and all who stand with us in prayer and in spirit. There would be no Conversations without you.