Weekly Briefing

Tired or primary politics insanity? Here’s another place to channel your energy

By Rob Schofield

Many North Carolinians are of two minds on the ongoing presidential primaries. On the one hand, some are sad that we have to wait until May. These folks wish that North Carolina was more involved in the process and could have a real say in who is at the top of the national ballot in November.  

On the other hand, the recent spectacle of Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama’s absurd sniping over trivialities combined with the spate of negative backbiting between Mike Huckabee, John McCain and Mitt Romney is enough to make even the most public-spirited citizen rejoice that we are being spared.

Sentiments are somewhat similar on the gubernatorial front. Given the relative anonymity of some of the candidates and the challenging issues that confront the state, it’s probably a good thing that we have four more months to sort through the people and the issues. Indeed, some candidates are just getting around to launching their campaigns.

On the other hand, the prospect of Richard Moore and Beverly Perdue trading low blows while the various Republican candidates try to out-immigrant bash the other for the next 113 days is enough to make one wish the state’s primary had coincided with New Hampshire’s.

Voting with one’s feet

Given the ample time that exists between now and May 6, one important and productive alternative outlet for progressive North Carolinians will take place on Saturday, February 9.  This is the date of the second annual “HK on J” (for Historic Thousands on Jones Street) event.

HK on J is the brainchild of Rev. William Barber, the dynamic Goldsboro pastor who leads the North Carolina NAACP. Billed as “not a moment, but a movement,” HK on J is, in just its second year, North Carolina’s preeminent, multi-racial, statewide political activist event. At last year’s inaugural gathering, more than 5,000 activists representing 75 different organizations gathered in downtown Raleigh to march on the state Legislative Building. Their demand: that state lawmakers act on an ambitious 14 point public policy agenda – “The People’s Agenda.”

The results were encouraging. Not only did the event activate and inform an enormous number of new activists and import large amounts of new energy into the progressive cause, it also brought an encouraging level of coherence and unity to an often-splintered movement. Whether they were moved out of a commitment to public education, civil and workers’ rights, government reform, preserving our environment, or a number of other issues, progressive activists found a big and welcoming tent.

Meanwhile, on the public policy front, HK on J clearly played an important role in spurring the General Assembly to one of its best sessions in years. Not only did virtually all of the agenda items find their way into affirmative legislation, more than one was enacted (at least in part) into law.

From improved ease of voting and voter registration to expanded public campaign financing to expanded access to health care to improved funding for affordable housing to the enactment of new protections for consumers abused by predatory lenders, prominent lawmakers clearly heard the HK on J message and at least began to take action. It was an encouraging first step.

A people’s primary?

This year, HK on J organizers are intent upon building upon last year’s momentum. To that end they are calling on North Carolinians from across the state to gather in Raleigh at 11:00 a.m. on February 9 at Chavis Heights Community Center – 505 Martin Luther King Blvd. As with last year, participants will hear a brief round of inspiring speeches and then commence the march to the Legislative Building.

Once arrived on Jones Street, the group will deliver (or, more accurately) redeliver the 14 point agenda – which, despite last year’s important progress, remains fully relevant in 2008 and, perhaps, at least as pertinent to the lives of average North Carolinians as the results of the May primaries. See for yourself below:

The People’s Agenda

1. All Children Need High Quality, Well Funded, Diverse Schools. North Carolina must meet its Constitution’s requirement of adequate and diverse schools by fully funding the demands of the Leandro decision, assuring transparent accountability and creating special leadership teams in its failing schools.

2. Livable Wages and Support for Low Income People. North Carolina ought to provide livable wages, make sure no person goes hungry and assure that everyone in need has affordable, accessible childcare.

3. Health Care for All. North Carolina ought to provide its people with health insurance and prescription drugs, while funding public health programs to treat social diseases that plague Black and poor communities including HIV/AIDS, diseases caused by environmental pollution and warming, drugs, domestic violence, mental illness, diabetes, and obesity.

4. Redress Two Ugly Chapters in North Carolina’s Racist History: The overthrow of the bi-racial 1898 Wilmington Government and the sterilization of poor, mainly Black, women from 1947-1977. North Carolina must implement its 1898 Wilmington Riot Commission recommendations and pay damages to the poor women it forcibly sterilized.

5. Same Day Registration and Public Financing of Elections.

6. Lift Every HBCU. North Carolina must financially support our Historically Black Colleges and Universities to develop equitable infrastructure and programs with doctoral-level leadership for today’s challenges.

7. Document and Redress 200 years of State Discrimination in Hiring and Contracting. North Carolina must commission historical documentation of its contracting practices with racial minorities to justify constitutional redress.

8. Provide Affordable Housing and Stop Consumer Abuse. North Carolina must fully fund the state Housing Trust Fund for low-income renters, vouchers for wounded veterans who can not find accessible housing, meaningful tax breaks for seniors forced out of their homes, and provide protection against predatory lending and foreclosures.

9. Abolish Racially Biased Death Penalty and Mandatory Sentencing Laws; Reform our prisons.

10. Put Young People to Work to Save the Environment and Fight for Environmental Justice. North Carolina must establish an Environmental Job Corps for young people who did not graduate from high school to re-engage them in public service. North Carolina must fight all forms of environmental injustice.

11. Justice for Smithfield Workers and Collective Bargaining for Public Employees. North Carolina must allow its public employees’ unions to negotiate work issues with their employers in a mutually respectful manner.

12. Protect the Rights of Immigrants from Latin America and other Nations. North Carolina must provide immigrants with health care, education, workers rights and protection from discrimination.

13. Organize, Strengthen and Provide Funding For Our Civil Rights Enforcement Agencies and Statutes Now.

14. Bring Our Troops Home from Iraq Now. North Carolina cannot address injustice at home while we wage an unjust war abroad.

Going Forward

If you or your group is interested in joining in the HK on J 2008 effort in any way, visit the website at www.hkonj.com and/or send a regular mail letter to: Ms. Amina Turner, NC NAACP, 114 West Parrish Street, Durham, N.C. 27701. Additional updates will also be made available on ncpolicywatch.com as well as on the websites of the many partner organizations (like the N.C. Justice Center).

Who knows? With a little effort, the HK on J agenda may even find its way into North Carolina’s primary election debates. Stay tuned.   

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This entry was posted on Tuesday, January 15th, 2008 at 2:22 pm and is filed under Weekly Briefing. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.