by DC Jobs with Justice | Jun 18, 2020 | Actions & Events
Juneteenth (June 19th) is a day that honors Black freedom and Black resistance, and centers Black people’s unique contribution to the struggle for justice in the U.S. This Juneteenth is a rare moment for our communities to proclaim in one voice that Black Lives Matter, and that we won’t tolerate anything less than justice for all our people. Hundreds of thousands of people, from small towns to big cities, are taking to the streets and loudly proclaiming that #BlackLivesMatter and continuing the momentum for change. We’re holding elected officials accountable and demanding they defund the police and reinvestment in housing assistance, public health, and education. As DC Jobs with Justice we are supporting the efforts of Movement for Black Lives in their national 3 day mobilization starting on Friday. We invite you to join us and support the mobilization. Movement For Black Lives’ Six Nineteen Events Friday June 19th – Sunday June 21st Click here for more details We also encourage you to check out other great actions and events on Juneteenth: Strike for Black Lives Don’t Mute DC’s ‘People’s Juneteenth Celebration Million Moe March Juneteenth Solidarity March Ward 7 Rising Leaders’ Invest In Ward 7 Caravan Black Students Matter Rally DC Juneteenth Front Yard Festival for Justice! Juneteenth March For Racial Equity DC Vigils Against Racism NW4BLACKJUSTICE Juneteenth Protest Juneteenth: A Day of Remembrance Juneteenth Bike Ride for Racial...
by DC Jobs with Justice | Jun 16, 2020 | Actions & Events
In the last two weeks, millions have taken to the street in honor of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Tony McDade, and countless other Black people who have been killed at the hands of vigilantes or law enforcement. The explosion of protest is in response to a pattern of killings, piled onto the deadly impacts of COVID-19 and four years of Trump. The demand is clear: to end police violence and to defund police — and to win a massive shift in resources into healthy, sustainable communities. DC Jobs with Justice is joining the call for the SIX NINETEEN mobilization led by the Movement for Black Lives on Juneteenth weekend, June 19–21, 2020. Click here to join the #SixNineteen weekend of action in front of the White House and across the region. Juneteenth (June 19th) is a day that honors Black freedom and Black resistance, and centers Black people’s unique contribution to the struggle for justice in the U.S. This Juneteenth is a rare moment for our communities to proclaim in one voice that Black Lives Matter, and that we won’t tolerate anything less than justice for all our people. We know the cost of this inaction. It has cost the lives of our neighbors and loved ones. It has torn apart communities. We march in their memories. We say their names. We look forward to marching with you this...
by DC Jobs with Justice | Jun 12, 2020 | Actions & Events
We are very excited to announce that DC JWJ will be working on and supporting a few exciting new campaigns. Are you interested in getting plugged into these new campaigns? Make sure you sign up to volunteer with us. And be sure your organization supports as well. We endorsed these campaigns at our Steering Committee meeting on June 4, at which time we weren’t prepared to bring new demands from the Movement for Black Lives, but hope to share more with you soon. Cancel Rent The Council must respond immediately by taking drastic action to help renters struggling to survive amidst the ongoing COVID-19 crisis. You can sign the petition from the DC Tenants Union in calling for the Council to Cancel rent and mortgage payments for the duration of the state of emergency plus one month Impose a two-year freeze on rent increases while the city recovers Guarantee a right to counsel in eviction cases Vastly expand the Emergency Rental Assistance Program with tripled funding, expanded eligibility, and no more annual limits on frequency and amount And enact into law the Reclaim Rent Control platform in its entirety Revenue Raising The pandemic and crushing economic downturn is bringing extreme levels of hardship to DC families. Tens of thousands of workers are jobless and a growing number of small businesses have been shuttered. To ensure we build a just recovery and come out of this crisis stronger than before, it is important for the city’s response to protect and strengthen crucial investments by raising revenue. Sign the petition and join DC JWJ and our allies in JUFJ and Fair Budget Coalition in calling for the...
by DC Jobs with Justice | Jun 3, 2020 | Actions & Events
Statement from Elizabeth Falcon, Executive Director, DC Jobs With Justice on the experience of DC primary voters Yesterday, I watched as voters in my neighborhood precinct, Emory Recreation Center, stood in line for hours. Wait times for residents who arrived after about 5:00 pm were over four hours, confirmed by the fact that the last voters who arrived before 8:00 pm voted after 12:30 am. Hundreds of voters, mostly Black, stood in line to perform their civic duty. The last voters cast ballots up to six hours after DC curfew started and four hours after the public transit stopped running. These dedicated voters maintained social distance and wore masks. They affirmed their neighbors as they waited together to vote for their chosen candidates. Many have responded to the protests calling for the protections of Black lives over the last week with an urge for civic participation at the voting booth. It is a travesty that in a city where the largest group of voters are Black, that the barrier to voting on Election Day was so high. This situation could have been avoided. And it begins with the agency taking responsibility for their failings. Unfortunately, so far leadership has failed to do so. As reported in the Washington Post June 2, 2020: Michael Bennett, the chairman of the D.C. Board of Elections, acknowledged the election did not go smoothly because the agency’s technology was not able to handle the surge of absentee ballot requests, and because voting on Election Day was higher than officials thought it would be. “The good news is I’m really, really glad we had so...
by DC Jobs with Justice | May 13, 2020 | Actions & Events
This past week DC Jobs with Justice worked with community leaders and policy experts to demand that DC prioritize workers and tenants in the reopening process. Our demands included: Justice for Excluded Workers There are tens of thousands of workers in the District who will not be able to access any form of cash assistance to weather the storm of the immediate Covid-19 crisis. These workers have been excluded because of who they are or the work they perform. Their needs are particularly acute during the pandemic and must be addressed. We joined with our allies in labor and community based groups to call for DC to expand efforts at guaranteeing the economic security, safety, and health of all workers including excluded workers. Recoup Unpaid Unemployment Insurance Taxes and Limit Workplace Fraud Week after week we have seen an unprecedented numbers of workers applying for unemployment insurance and putting pressure on an already overburdened public assistance program. Meanwhile gig companies such as Uber and Lyft–whose workers have seen incomes fall dramatically – continue long-standing practices of worker misclassification and tax avoidance. DC JWJ joined with leading academics from Georgetown, CUNY, and GW to call for DC to hold these gig companies responsible for unpaid unemployment insurance taxes, ensure that workers receive the highest-level of available benefits under traditional unemployment insurance, and revise UI law to apply the “ABC test” across industries. Eliminate Barriers to Unemployment Compensation and Expanded Sick Leave DC JWJ joined with several of our allies in the Just Pay Coalition to call for two urgent actions needed to ensure that all workers have access to basic protections. As...
by DC Jobs with Justice | Apr 28, 2020 | Actions & Events
Meet Eliana Rondon, DC JWJ’s newest organizer! Volunteering in the community for almost twelve years has given me a wide range of experiences. My years of volunteering and working for nonprofit organizations consist of advocacy, youth welfare, community support, racial justice and more. My passion for community outreach stems from being raised by a strong, struggling single mother with five kids. As an Afro- Latina born in DC, coming from an immigrant family, I have encountered my fair share of inequality. As a result of my diverse cultural upbringing, I have multiple communities to account for. Despite my struggles, such as limited access, I’ve always been blessed to have individuals from the community, such as teachers and organizers, who have invested their time in me. At the age of fourteen, I decided that I wanted to give others the support and opportunity, which I was privileged to have. During my years of advocating, I’ve been working hand in hand with many impactful nonprofits and organizations. Through this I have seen a lot of results in the DC communities, but the fight is on going. I obtained my B.A in Communication and Psychology from Trinity Washington University in 2016. I currently have six years of experience in the field of communications. In addition, I enjoy writing and photography, which has continuously driven me to take courses to sharpen my skills. My goal is to help enhance resources, policies, practices, norms, which promotes equality, funding, access and opportunities. Fostering and developing the rights of humans is an essential component to the welfare and the unification of our communities. I am a...
