On September 6, 2008, over 30,000 people came together for the campaign, Equal Voice for America's Family. From small towns, reservations and urban metropolises, they traveled far and wide to Birmingham, Los Angeles, and Chicago driven by a hope to restore America's promise of prosperity, security, and opportunity to struggling families.
Organized by the Marguerite Casey Foundation, the national call to action galvanized communities together to send a laundry list to Washington for a better future. The vision called for decent jobs, healthcare, affordable childcare and housing, educational opportunities, educational opportunities, immigration reform, and safe and thriving communities. It was a day of hopeful outcry for social justice, prayer, information gathering, passionate reflection and a vivid reminder that people have more in common than divides them.
Small interest groups formed and weighed in on the disappearing opportunities for the working class. At one table, one 15-year old student said "the middle class is vastly eroding" because of the costs of living. He recalls having to pay $8,000 for his own dental braces. Another 15 year-old from an Arizona reservation, whose family pays extra fees for his Honors classes somberly expressed that he came because he is gravely concerned about what will happen to his future. A couple from Sacramento expressed that the quality of the public educational system was being destroyed by budget cuts. Another issue that the wife expressed was that child care expenses for her two kids ate up over half of her paycheck. A speaker who immigrated from South Asia shared the difficulties of losing her home and the expensive immigration costs to naturalize as a US citizen.
One 80-year old, mentioned that it would be a dream of her life to have these benefits universally. A commentator said that decades ago, people fought for civil rights, but it is now a dream deferred. Several participants expressed that the aim is to secure the opportunities for the next generation. "That's what every parent wants, to have their children do better then they did... but in actuality, for many life is getting worse not better."
With a common pledge to go back to their communities, and draw local organizations together to make the platform a realty, the convention ended with a positive upswing. A closing performance was held by Sweet Honey in the Rock in Birmingham. In Los Angeles, the timeless Latino musical band, Los Tigres del Norte wowed the enthusiastic crowd, and Funkadesi capped off Chicago's event.
To watch the convention, endorse the campaign or read more about it, please visit:
http://www.equalvoice2008.org/page/convention.html
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