This week has definitely been one for the books!!!! We’ve been tabling, phone banking, writing letters to the editor, researching, base building, and even some picketing. Our week began on Saturday. We tabled at an event in Ayden, North Carolina to try to get residents up-to-date with the Voter Photo ID bill and also to introduce our work on money in politics. We were expecting a large turnout but the heat must have kept people inside because there weren’t as many people as we expected. Monday afternoon we phone banked after we realized that in the haste of week 4 we forgot to phone bank on Friday night. We’ve had VERY successful phone banking nights the last past two weeks so we were pumped about phone banking again (never thought we’d say that). Monday, Shaunee told us that things may get a little more interesting in the week. A picket protesting the GOP fundraiser had been scheduled for Wednesday and we were going. Tuesday we went to work with posters, markers, and posterboard in hand to make signs for the protest and we brainstormed catchy slogans that we could use. Of course work never stops so on Wednesday, even though we had a picket later in the day in Raleigh, we still traveled to Halifax early in the morning to do some base building and go out to a few one on ones we had set up. We received and impromptu tour of the Tillery Community Center which was definitely nice and informational. On Wednesday we definitely learned something new. After our tour we were back on the road again to Raleigh. As we turned down Franklin Street we approached a crowd of people, signs, and police cars. Yes….we were in the right place. We enjoyed our first protest under Dem NC and it was definitely nice to see people come together from different organizations and walks of life. While we have enjoyed our work so far, we would be lying if we said that we were not excited about our upcoming 4 day weekend.
P.S. We got another letter to the editor published in the Wilson Daily times on redistricting in Wilson, NC (see letter below)
2010 marked the year of another Census, which means another round of redistricting. Every 10 years when the Census is counted district lines are examined and adjusted if deemed necessary to accommodate shifts in populations. The city of Wilson is offering a public hearing to discuss two redistricting plans that the city council is considering. This public hearing allows citizens to come out and voice their concerns, issues, and suggestions about the districts in the city of Wilson.
This is an effort to get residents of Wilson to let their voice be heard, so why not take advantage? If your districts change and you have not educated yourself on the proposals, or taken the time out to voice your opinion on them, your complaint is in vain.
Individuals like transparent government; this is transparency in one of its best forms. I strongly urge residents of Wilson to attend the redistricting public hearing on July 21 during the city council meeting. I have attended several redistricting public hearings and workshops across the eastern North Carolina area and can attest to the fact that they are informative and allow input from residents.
Redistricting maps out who you vote for, it’s only right that you have a voice in that process.
Jasmine Johnson
Elm City
Onwards,
Jasmine and Shaniqua
I loved that tour of the Tillery community center! There was so much pride and history in that building that it was a little overwhelming. Gary Grant and all the other ‘concerned citizens of Tillery’ have done such an incredibly job fighting for justice and preserving the legacy of that community.