Equality NC at HK on J: Historic Thousands on Jones Street
Stephen - Staff, interns, and volunteers represented Equality North Carolina at the HKonJ march and rally in Raleigh on February 14, 2009. We worked collectively to get hundreds of postcards signed in support of the School Violence Prevention Act and marched with other progressive organizations from around the state in support of the 14-point people's agenda.
The people's agenda supports better schools and health care,
equal justice, affordable housing, worker fairness, voting rights,
environmental justice, and more.
As single-identity groups continue to define the majority of advocacy groups, it is important for progressive groups to come together and advocate through broad based coalitions like HKonJ.
While I looked out over the crowd on Saturday it was great to see other coalition partners that will be instrumental in helping us pass the School Violence Prevention Act. Planned Parenthood, the American Civil Liberties Union, and the Arc of North Carolina were just a few of the groups in attendance that will once again be instrumental in advocating for the School Violence Prevention Act.
A friend of mine who works with the Disabled Young People's Collective came up to me at end of the march and said, "Hey Stephen, let's get together and talk about the ENC lobby day. You know the bullying bill helps us out too."
Even as we move within the world of identity politics, I hope we can remember to stop and have those conversations about how we can help each other out too.
