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H K on J 2010 by Rev. Dr. William J. Barber II
For our Children: More Education, Better Schools, More Economic Investment, Health Care, Jobs and Less Prisons and Police Misconduct. We Want Justice on the Ground!
As I think about the fourth “Historic Thousands on Jones Street People’s Assembly” scheduled for February 13 in downtown Raleigh, I am struck by the powerful and simple fact: Our movement has advanced good and important changes lately by recognizing that “We” is the most important word in the justice vocabulary. The issue is not what we can’t do but what we can do when we work together. We have helped to shift political debate in North Carolina. We have won significant legislative battles. We have built a coalition second to none in the nation; but our work and the need for our continuing togetherness is far from over.
The language of our State’s founding document (the North Carolina Constitution) is lofty and grand. It states that “We, the people of the State of North Carolina, grateful to Almighty God, the Sovereign Ruler of Nations, for the preservation of the American Union and the existence of our civil, political and religious liberties.” In many ways, this language represents the philosophy upon which the state was founded.
The intentions of the founders of the government of this State were about “We” rather than a few, at least in writing. Its moral framework was that the same God who calls us to do justice, and love; who calls us to show mercy, and to care for the least of these, was also the Hand of Providence behind the formation of our state with the commitment to protect the civil, political and religious rights of all our citizens.
H K on J is once again calling us to remember and act upon these grand principles because far too many of our children languish in schools that are unconstitutional – both in their performance and the opportunity they provide. Right now, we as a state are not upholding the very principles upon which North Carolina was founded when large numbers live in poverty without health insurance or collective bargaining rights, and face environmental injustice. We are not protecting the very liberties we claim are so valuable when, as a state, we have not truly redressed decades of racial discrimination and inequality of economic opportunity or other incidents of historical racial violence. We fall far too short of who we claim to be in our constitutional documents.
Recently, a good friend of mine, Rev. Nelson Johnson, and I were discussing why we must come together again in 2010. As we talked, I shared with him my heartfelt belief that while everyone of the existing 14 points of the H K on J agenda are critically important, right now, in this season that we are in, we simply must get down to basics. I said that “we simply must rally for more education and better schools, more economic investment and jobs, less prisons and police misconduct.” He in turn said “what we really need is justice on the ground; justice at the every day living existence for poor people, people in the margins, and African Americans. Any real progressive agenda we believe must embrace this basic premise for our children; more education and better schools, more economic investment and jobs, less prisons and police conduct, Just Give us Justice on the Ground.”
In short, both of our ideas seem to merge and distill into this simple and powerful list: “For our Children: More Education and Better Schools, More Economic Investment, Health Care and Jobs and Less Prisons and Police Misconduct. We Want Justice on the Ground!”
The rallying cry for our children is a “must” right now. Indeed many of us in the movement must remain engaged not for our own benefit, but for what we can will do to empower younger generations and generations yet to come.
Economic recovery is really about younger generations and generations yet to come. Fighting against re-segregation and to maintain diversity in our schools is really about generations to come. Securing health reform is really about younger generations and generations to come. Stopping the tide of police misconduct and the appetite of the prison industrial complex is about younger generations and generations to come. Ensuring that all communities have investments – not just the banks and wealthy corporations – and fighting for jobs: these are about younger generations and generations to come.
And so our work is far from over. We are in a movement, not a moment. Once again we must assemble the people and establish a launching pad for our continuing work for justice, equality and a progressive society. I know you will be there to join us on February 13, 2010 in Raleigh.
Historic Thousands on Jones Street –“H K on J”: The People’s General Assembly.
WE the people are unifying our efforts. WE the people, walking by faith and focus are determined to infuse a fresh ethic in the veins of NC politics. And, WE the people intend on seeing this work through.
