On Tuesday, April 28th at noon, join us for a statewide moment of silence to honor the workers who have been killed or injured at the workplace.
Then at 5:30 pm, tune in for our Virtual Workers Memorial Day Ceremony.
Gary B v Whitmer Detroit Literacy Decision April 23 2020
Excerpt from decision:
“The recognition of a fundamental right is no small matter. . . .Access to literacy is such a right. Its ubiquitous presence and evolution through our history has led the American people universally to expect it. And education—at least in the minimum form discussed here—is essential to nearly every interaction between a citizen and her government. Education has long been viewed as a great equalizer, giving all children a chance to meet or outperform society’s expectations, even when faced with substantial disparities in wealth and with past and ongoing racial inequality. Where, as Plaintiffs allege here, a group of children is relegated to a school system that does not provide even a plausible chance to attain literacy, we hold that the Constitution provides them with a remedy. . . .Plaintiffs have a fundamental right to a basic minimum education, meaning one that can provide them with a foundational level of literacy. The district court’s order is affirmed in part and reversed in part, and the case is remanded for further proceedings consistent with this opinion.”
Photo: Joe Brusky, MTEA
To our loved Asian American people:
As Southeast Asians of a proud organization dedicated to Black, Hmong, and Khmer women and girls, and LGBTQI people, we believe that all people have the right to live free of violence in their relationships, home, communities and society. Our mission is to end the violence we face inside of our communities, and to end the violence we face in society.
As genocide and war survivors, we as a Southeast Asian Community know and understand what it means to face violence from the U.S. government. We know what it means to be forced to find peace with our trauma, and find justice on our own without solidarity from the outside world. This feeling of being wronged by this country’s inhumane system is not new; we have been fighting against the system for decades. In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, we need to stand strong in solidarity with our Black and Brown communities.
Freedom Inc. is against any violent acts against our community. As the visibility of hate crimes against Asian Americans heightens, we must question the high trending rates of anti-Asian hate crimes committed by Black people documented and published on public media platforms. These videos perform racial stereotyping of Black and Asian Americans in a time of instability, fear, and death to: 1) maintain the belief that Black people are inherently violent, 2) redirect the flow of outrage away from institutional failures and racist leaders to people of color, and 3) uphold white supremacy, patriarchy, and capitalism.
COVID-19 is highlighting the historical conflicts between Asian American and Black communities. Though there is a long history of our communities building and supporting each other, we must acknowledge that our community has also contributed to anti-black violence.
We know that the most violent act against us during COVID-19 is Trump calling this virus the “Chinese Virus.” This one act alone incited and condoned the string of attacks on our community.
The history of branding Asian Americans as a diseased foreign group isn’t new to this country. Let us be clear through this pandemic, understanding that while our oppressions are connected, our oppression is not the same. Black bodies are systemically and historically dehumanized in this country in ways we will never face. This pandemic is the perfect example; COVID-19 does not discriminate, anyone can get it—and still, Black folks are disproportionately impacted with the highest infection and fatality rate of any group.
As Southeast Asians at Freedom, Inc., we realize that dismantling anti-blackness within ourselves and our community is a lifetime journey and we are committed. We will continue to fight against white supremacy and stand in solidarity with the Black community. We are asking our community to:
In Solidarity,
Freedom, Inc.’s Southeast Asian Team:
Kabzuag Vaj, Nancy Vue, Zon Moua, Nyiaj Moua, Savang Chhorm, Sambo Chhoeun, Kaleb Hawj, Txojhmoo Hope Vang, Houa Yang, Sheur Yang, Jeanette Mey-Nou, Chai Ntxhais Moua, Sheesenphooyw Moua, Mai Thao Yang
This Friday, April 24th, join us and the Dane County Time Bank at 5pm in an effort to decriminalize Black and Brown youth in our community through the power of letters.
Register and join here.
This Friday, April 24th, join us at 2pm for a COVID-19 webinar discussing the needs of Black and Brown communities in Wisconsin, who are greatly impacted by the pandemic. Let your voice be heard as we set our demands together.
Join here.
Join Freedom Inc. co-director, M Adams, and Markasa Tucker in a Facebook Live webinar, discussing the documentary featuring Freedom, inc. Thursday, April 23rd, at 1pm.
Join here.
Freedom, Inc. engages low- to no-income communities of color in Dane County, WI. We work to end violence against people of color, women, those that non-traditionally gender identify, youth, and our elders, to promote a healthy lifestyle. We create healthy communities by campaigning against the root causes of violence, creating our own definitions of identity and resiliency, and empowering all community members as agents of change.
Freedom Inc’s vision is to inspire and restore power to those most affected by violence through leadership development and focusing on community. All of our efforts are specific with regard to language, gender, generation and culture, so that we can ultimately produce lasting forms of social, political, cultural, and economic change.
African American Roundtable unifies a network of powerful partners in Milwaukee around achieving shared goals to build a thriving community through civic engagement. We collaborate and support each other to demonstrate people power to amplify the voices of our community to nurture leadership, promote racial equity and accessibility, relationships, and transparent policies that will radically change the lives of African Americans.
The Movement for Black Lives will discuss the impact of COVID-19 on our incarcerated loved ones. Thursday, April, 23rd, at 6pm Central Time.
Join here.
https://www.middleeasteye.net/opinion/human-face-white-supremacy-and-neoliberalism
Joseph Massad, April 23, 2020
”Donald Trump is a creation of white American liberalism’s own trajectory, not a contradiction to it. This is why Obama, especially, was and remains the best thing that ever happened to white liberals. What accounts for this achievement is Trump’s sincere commitment to the restoration of an unabashed, unapologetic US white supremacy and runaway capitalism that easily withstands the wishy-washiness of white US liberalism and its continued commitment to white supremacy with a human face, whether a white one or in blackface.”
AFL-CIO
The COVID-19 pandemic is sweeping throughout the United States. Every day, health care workers, transit workers, meatpacking workers, first responders, grocery workers, utility workers, agricultural workers, waste workers, letter carriers, construction workers, social service workers, doormen, retail workers, factory workers, janitors, correctional officers and other workers are being exposed to coronavirus in U.S. workplaces. Hundreds of thousands have become infected and thousands have died.
These are the workers on the front lines of this outbreak, and they deserve to have confidence that the appropriate resources, equipment, training and protocols are readily available in their workplaces to be protected, as well as to avoid infecting other people, including patients, co-workers, the public and their own families when they go home. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has the obligation to ensure the health and safety of all working people, particularly from an infectious disease such as COVID-19.
Due to reckless inaction by the Trump administration, working people do not have the protections they need to be at work now or to return to work. Now is the time to provide workers with the protections required to prevent exposure to the virus on the job and slow the transmission of COVID-19.
An emergency temporary standard is needed to protect workers from the COVID-19 pandemic.
There is no existing OSHA standard or basic regulatory framework that comprehensively addresses an employer’s responsibility to protect workers from infectious diseases. In the absence of a set of mandatory infection control requirements that employers must implement, there is no assurance that all workers will be protected from infectious diseases like COVID-19 and future infectious agents.
Unions have been protecting our members on the front lines, and we have highly trained workers. But that isn’t enough. The COVID-19 outbreak is another tragic reminder that the United States is not prepared to adequately protect workers on the front lines from infectious disease.
Preparedness is only effective if it includes a comprehensive framework to protect the health and safety of workers on the front lines of protecting and treating the public during a health crisis. OSHA has the authority and responsibility to protect the health and safety of America’s workers and must act swiftly to protect all at-risk workers, including public employees. The magnitude and urgency of protecting all working people during this outbreak cannot be minimized.
Use the form to contact your Member of Congress and urge them to support, H.R. 6559, the COVID–19 Every Worker Protection Act of 2020, to require the Occupational Safety and Health Administration to promulgate an emergency temporary standard to protect employees from occupational exposure to SARS–CoV–2, the virus responsible for COVID-19.
Lee Fang, April 19, 2020
SMITHFIELD FOODS, the meat industry giant facing mounting questions over its handling of the coronavirus crisis, repeatedly failed to protect its workforce at a Wisconsin plant, according to workers who spoke to The Intercept.
The workers at the Patrick Cudahy factory, in Cudahy, Wisconsin, faced a Covid-19 outbreak weeks ago, but say managers initially concealed the number of infections, pressured employees to avoid quarantine measures, and failed to provide any face masks or dividers.
A recent outbreak at Smithfield’s pork processing plant in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, is now one of the largest Covid-19 hotspots in the U.S., with 644 confirmed cases tied to the facility. The Smithfield outbreak represents nearly half of all confirmed cases in that state.
Now, the Wisconsin plant, which employs more than 1,000 workers, has more than two dozen confirmed cases and closed down on Wednesday for cleaning and sanitation. Workers at the plant, who spoke to The Intercept under condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal, say much more should have been done….
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Voces de la Frontera Thanks for sharing! The more we know the stronger the fight! If others have information please let us know by posting, sending a message, or calling our office at 414.643.1620!
