Courtesy of Progressive Activism, Global Exchange
Dear PAGE Activist,
It seems like one thing we can all agree on - our children are precious, and must be cared for, educated, and cherished by society. And yet those who are most responsible for these tasks - single mothers and educators around the country - are not only ignored but actively denied the resources they need to raise the next generation and punished for seeking them out.
This week, we focus on two important campaigns. The National Black Mama's Bail Out Day is working to raise funds to bail out moms of color -- who are disproportionately behind bars -- so they can spend Mother’s Day with their loved ones. Also this week, we're inspired by teachers in Arizona, who followed on their colleagues in Kentucky, West Virginia, and Oklahoma by walking out of their classrooms to demand higher pay and improved conditions. North Carolina teachers are expected to follow with a day of action on May 16. The movement is called #RedforEd and we hope you’ll join us in supporting those who work so hard to care for our kids!
Photos: Noah Karvelis.
This week we also continue work to elect lawmakers who will support our country’s children by getting out the vote among US-Americans abroad!
Please help us spread the word about PAGE, by forwarding this email to friends, family members, and like-minded acquaintances, where they can join our community by clicking on this link to our sign-up sheet.
As always, our actions are curated for US Americans abroad and global citizens. If you’re new to PAGE, get in touch with us at engage.with.page@gmail.com, or check out our website and updated toolkit.
In solidarity,
PAGE Global Coordinating Committee
Priority Actions
- Support National Black Mama's Bail Out Day. In the USA, Black women are disproportionately kept behind bars. Out of approximately 100,000 women in US jails, approximately two-thirds are women of color, and 80% are mothers. This injustice has devastating impacts not only for these women, but for their families and communities. Mother’s Day is coming up in countries around the world - but in the USA, many women of color and other caregivers are are in jail because they don’t have the resources to post bail.
- Learn more about the movement to end money bail, and the network of organizations supporting it, at the National Bail Out Collective website. Pre-trial incarceration (that is, putting people in jail before they’ve been convicted of a crime) can have catastrophic effects on the lives of people who can’t afford to post bail. Just a few days in jail can mean people lose their job, housing, and even their kids.
- Donate to the National Bail Out fund to help bail out black mamas and keep black families together on Mother’s Day and other holidays. Share your donation on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram using the hashtag #FreeBlackMamas. Explain why you think this effort is so important, and encourage others to join you!
- Talk to your loved ones about how poor people and people of color are mistreated by our criminal justice system, using points from this fact sheet from the NAACP, and talk about the deep, lasting harm inflicted by our criminal justice system. Encourage your family - and yourself - to think big, by reading this piece imagining a world without prisons at all.
- Support the workers who devote their lives to educating our children: teachers! Most Americans support teachers’ right to strike, and only 1 in 4 Americans believes that teachers are paid fairly. Last week, Arizona teachers strike won them a pay raise, as well as funding increases for textbooks, support staff, technology and infrastructure. However the reform only restores a quarter of the education funding cut since the last recession. Nationally, teacher pay is so low that some public school districts are recruiting abroad.
- Research how teachers are paid and supported in your country of residence, and see how it compares to education funding in the USA. Share what you find on social media to keep this conversation going, and show your support for teachers online.
- Learn more about the May 16th Day of Action at this webpage - and sign up for news alerts so you can support teachers in real time! Follow #RedForEd on social media to learn about new information, actions and ways to support the movement as they appear!
- Talk to kids in your life about teachers’ strikes and walkouts, and why it’s so important to support them. Make hand-written posters and signs in support of teachers’ strikes, and share them on social media!
- Join our Global Get Out the Vote Efforts! Join fellow US-Americans abroad to Get Out The Vote for November elections! Share this series of skits from our friends at Action Together Zurich - here’s PAGE’s personal favorite! Their work recently was covered in USA Today.
- Share widely with friends and on social media, along with a link to VoteFromAbroad.Org. Don’t forget to use this form to organize and track the number of people you register to vote and tweet us @PAGEofdemocracy to tell us about your efforts, using #NotTooFarAwayToVote!
- The 2018 election is full of bold, exciting candidates; each week we feature one or two you should check out. This week we’re excited about Genevieve Jones-Wright, a former public defender running for District Attorney in San Diego. Jones-Wright supports progressive criminal justice reform, including ending the cash bail system. As she says, you shouldn’t be in jail because of your “bank account or zip code.”
** Thank you for your progressive action! **