Getting an Accurate Count, One Person at a Time
The Florida Immigrant Coalition 2010 Census could help provide the means necessary to helping this community thrive. The organization has recruited more than 60 emerging community leaders to spread the word about the census in a way that is meaningful to the communities it serves.
For more information about FLIC's census work, check out this
The Story of Samuel
Samuel will soon be deported after living in the US for thirteen years. He will leave behind his wife, three children, and two grandchildren, and with unanswered questions about the death of his son, shot by police in Durham in 2007.
The Southern Coalition for Social Justice and the National Immigrant Bond Fund are fighting for dignity and due process in North Carolina.
Trail of Dreams in Cary
On January 1, 2010, Juan, Carlos, Felipe and Gaby embarked on a 1,500 mile walk from Miami to Washington, D.C. These students are facing much more than sore feet; three of them are undocumented, and they risk deportation and detention in order to share their story and raise awareness about the need for just immigration reform.
Trail of Dreams is a journey of hope for the 12 million undocumented migrants in the United States who live in constant fear, and especially for the students who dream of higher education but are barred from attending college or accessing financial aid because of their citizenship status.
In this video, the dreamers spoke with the head of Immigrations and Customs Enforcement at a secret detention facility they found in Cary and gave him a poster with a picture of the Statue of Liberty and the words "No Human Being is Illegal."
Census Poetry Slam!
Black Poetry Theatre & Best Kept Spoken present Words of Wisdom (W.O.W.) Live,
Wake County's Diversity Policy
SCSJ believes that the Wake County school board's controversial decision to dismantle the county's nationally acclaimed diversity policy will fundamentally undermine educational opportunity for students of color, particularly low-income African Americans and Latinos.
The system did not solve all problems: tracking and other factors still create defacto within-school segregation; as early as kindergarten, students are separated into tracks, such as Gifted and Talented, Honors, Special Needs and Remedial, which become virtually unchangeable for the rest of their academic careers, thus impacting the competitiveness of their college and scholarship applications.
Wake County has a high number of suspensions and an achievement gap that correlates with race and socioeconomic status. However, dismantling the diversity policy will only further exacerbate these inequities and will have a disproportionate and negative impact on students that are already at risk.
Because neighborhoods tend to be segregated, so do neighborhood schools. The inconvenience of bussing is more than a fair price to pay for the benefits of integration, enriched curricula, and real opportunities for all children.
Wake County School Board Votes 5-4 to Dismantle the Diversity Policy
On Tuesday, March 23, 2010, the Wake County school board votes 5-4 to dismantle the county's nationally acclaimed diversity policy. About 300 students and community members came to voice their opinions.
The Dismantling of the Diversity Policy in Wake County, NC
The Wake County School Board voted 5-4 to dismantle the county's nationally acclaimed diversity policy despite heated opposition.
Trail of Dreams: walking for change
On January 1, 2010, Juan, Carlos, Felipe and Gaby embarked on a 1,500 mile walk from Miami to Washington, D.C. These students are facing much more than sore feet; three of them are undocumented, and they risk deportation and detention in order to share their story and raise awareness about the need for just immigration reform.
Trail of Dreams is a journey of hope for the 12 million undocumented migrants in the United States who live in constant fear, and especially for the students who dream of higher education but are barred from attending college or accessing financial aid because of their citizenship status.
Felipe is among the top 20 community college students in America. He wants to be a teacher and has been accepted to top universities but cannot enroll because he is ineligible for financial aid. Gaby has three education degrees and plans to use music therapy as a teaching tool for autistic children and adults. Brought to the U.S. at age 2, Carlos wanted to join the military but could not because of his immigration status. He is now studying architecture at Miami Dade College. Juan became a U.S. resident last year with the help of his stepmother and wants to earn a sociology degree from the University of Chicago.
These four stellar students exemplify why we must pass the DREAM Act.
65,000 students graduate high school every year, but are denied college access because of our broken and unjust immigration system. These students include Valedictorians, class presidents, and community leaders. Yet they are refused the opportunity to further their education and give back to America — the country they see as their home.
Juan, Carlos, Felipe and Gaby are walking from Chapel Hill to Durham today. We applaud their courage and conviction. They are more than a symbol of hope — they are leaders in a movement for change. Join them.
For more information, check out our Statement of Support, our Press Release, and this column in the Daily Tar Heel.
Statement of Support for the Trail of Dreams
The North Carolina organizations supporting the Trail of Dreams are inspired by the Dream Walkers' courageous commitment to their vision and to their journey from Miami to Washington, DC, to demand justice for all immigrants.
We welcome the walkers into North Carolina as activists challenging multiple oppressions and look to connect their stories and struggles with organizing work of all oppressed communities in the South.
We support their demands for fair and humane immigration reform, access to college education, workers' rights, and an end to unjust immigration enforcement policies. As organizations engaged in immigrants' rights work, we support the leadership and self-determination of those most directly affected by unjust policies. We also honor their place in a long history of social justice movements in our state in which young people have played a leading role.
As each walker shares his or her story, it touches everyone - even to those who do not agree with their demands. We believe that storytelling humanizes policies and is a powerful tool for transformation. The courage of the walkers as they challenge injustice, in spite of the risks they face as undocumented youth, has brought energy and inspiration to our work in North Carolina. We honor them by continuing our work building and strengthening local and statewide movements for immigrant justice, human and civil rights, and progressive social change.
Adelante Education Coalition of North Carolina
North Carolina Justice Center
Reform Immigration For America
Southern Coalition for Social Justice
Student Actions with Farmworkers
To learn more, check out our Blog, Press Release, or some of this great press coverage by The News & Observer, The Herald Sun, and 1360 WHCL.
A message from North Carolina
The North Carolina organizations supporting the Trail of Dreams are inspired by the Dream Walkers' courageous commitment to their vision and to their journey from Miami to Washington, DC, to demand justice for all immigrants.
We welcome the walkers into North Carolina as activists challenging multiple oppressions and look to connect their stories and struggles with organizing work of all oppressed communities in the South.
We support their demands for fair and humane immigration reform, access to college education, workers' rights, and an end to unjust immigration enforcement policies. As organizations engaged in immigrants' rights work, we support the leadership and self-determination of those most directly affected by unjust policies. We also honor their place in a long history of social justice movements in our state in which young people have played a leading role.
As each walker shares his or her story, it touches everyone - even to those who do not agree with their demands. We believe that storytelling humanizes policies and is a powerful tool for transformation. The courage of the walkers as they challenge injustice, in spite of the risks they face as undocumented youth, has brought energy and inspiration to our work in North Carolina. We honor them by continuing our work building and strengthening local and statewide movements for immigrant justice, human and civil rights, and progressive social change.
Adelante Education Coalition of North Carolina
North Carolina Justice Center
Reform Immigration FOR America
Southern Coalition for Social Justice
Student Action with Farmworkers
Sant La is helping Florida's Haitian community get counted
Sant La, the Haitian Neighborhood Center in Miami, FL, was established in December 2000 to help stabilize and empower Florida's Haitian community by providing it with the resources necessary to help it thrive. Ten years later, Sant La is working for an accurate census count for the same reasons.
Obstacles to being counted in the Haitian community include reaching low-income areas often isolated by language barriers and a mistrust of government agencies due to fears associated with immigration status. In addition, a lack of familiarity with American institutions and low literacy rates further discourage members of the community from participating in the census.
To combat these problems, Sant La is using its trusted position within the Florida Haitian community and a variety of media outlets to spread awareness of the 2010 Census and integrate it into their existing programs. Through weekly television programs, radio ads and print media publications, Sant La will use this major media campaign to reach everyone in the Haitian community. In the process, the organization hopes to educate its constituents about the benefits of an accurate count and build a trust that will help to empower the Haitian community.
Strength in numbers with the 2010 Census
The National Coalition for Burned Churches and Community and Empowerment was formed in 1997 in response to the church-burning crisis of 1996, when churches all over the South were destroyed by arsonists. Now this group of allies based in Georgia but spread all over the South is coming together for another cause: an accurate count in the 2010 Census.
In keeping with their mission and targeting historically underrepresented populations in communities affected by arson, the organization has many obstacles to overcome. They have found that there is very little interaction between these faith communities and government, making community members reluctant to participate and provide any information in the census. Even recovery aid is often not enough incentive in overcoming these inhibitions.
Being accurately counted and represented in the 2010 Census can mean fair political representation, strengthening a community voice that has historically gone unheard.
With a membership of more than 250 individuals and 15,000 parishioners, the National Coalition for Burned Churches plans to use their extensive network to reach as many people as possible in raising awareness of the 2010 Census. Building trusting relationships between groups affiliated with the census and faith communities is the best way to combat skepticism and encourage participation. The group will work with church leaders to ensure that every member of every congregation is counted, building a network of individuals that can be used for years to come after this census.