Volume 1, Issue 4
July 14, 2003
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FEATURED EVENTS
IMMIGRANT
WORKERS FREEDOM RIDE
Drawing on the Civil Rights Movement and the
Freedom Riders of that era, this freedom ride
will bring together immigrant workers from all
employment sectors and their allies. Concerned
individuals from a variety of states will begin
this historic journey across the country in
late September 2003, as they demand the construction
of a new road to citizenship and for the reunification
of immigrant families, as well as for the protection
of immigrants in the workplace. The Freedom
Riders will converge on Washington DC on October
1 & 2, 2003 and move on to New York for
a mass rally on October 4, 2003. For more information
visit: www.iwfr.org or contact: iwfr@immigrantworkersfreedomride.com
NATIONAL VOTING
RIGHTS RESTORATION DAY
Donât miss the exciting opportunity to be
active in your state! The Florida Rights Restoration
Coalition along with the ACLU of Florida invite
you to organize a workshop for the National
Voting Rights Restoration Day on July 26,
2003. The goal is to hold several workshops
throughout the state of Florida to provide
individuals with the opportunity to receive
direct individual assistance and information,
as they consider filing an application for
the restoration of their civil rights. The
workshops will be designed not only as an
educational forum regarding the application
process, but also to help with the actual
completion of the application. If you are
interested in receiving more information about
workshops in your area, contact the ACLU of
Florida at 305.576.2337
MISSISSIPPI
CENTER FOR JUSTICE, JULY 2003
For the first time in almost a decade, Mississippi
again has a nonprofit public interest law
firm providing statewide legal advocacy in
support of racial and economic justice. A
development effort that began in late 2001
culminated on June 12 with a festive ribbon-cutting
ceremony and street party at the new headquarters
of the Mississippi Center for Justice in Jackson.
ãThe Centerâs opening marks the beginning
of a new era for civil justice in Mississippi,ä
said former Mississippi Supreme Court Justice
Fred Banks, who chairs the Centerâs board.
ãBy scheduling the opening on the 40th anniversary
of Medgar Eversâ death, we convey our commitment
to carry on his legacy of service to the cause
of social justice in Mississippi.ä Click here to read the entire article.
A NEW RESOURCE
DOCUMENTS THE SHIFT OF STUDENTS FROM THE ACADEMIC
TRACK TO THE JAILHOUSE TRACK!
A record number of students are being pushed
directly from our countryâs schools into our
countryâs jails. A newly released report,
Derailed! The Schoolhouse to Jailhouse Track
sheds light on this trend and what has become
a double jeopardy mechanism for students.
This report is now available on Advancement
Projectâs website and is a must-have resource
for any advocate interested in the schoolhouse-jailhouse
connection that has emerged as a result of
the rampant use of zero tolerance policies
in our schools. To download a copy of this
report visit: www.advancementproject.org/publications.html
NLADA
SubLaw Conference: Reaching for the Stars
ö Developing Advocacy Strategies in Uncertain
Times
Join Advancement Project in Los Angeles on
July 22-26, 2003 at the NLADA Substantive
Law Conference taking place at UCLA. This
year, not only are we excited to provide you
with more exciting information on how you
can become a part of the rapidly intensifying
community lawyering movement, we are also
pleased to be hosting a workshop of intriguing
panelists who will be discussing and strategizing
with you regarding the role of advocates in
the growing movement to re-enfranchise individuals
who no longer vote due to previous incarceration.
For more information on this conference visit: www.nlada.org
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POINTS OF INTEREST
ACCESS TO HIGHER EDUCATION
FOR UNDOCUMENTED STUDENTS
By: Matthew Briggs, Advancement Project
Advocates throughout the country are mobilizing to
ensure that all interested and eligible high school
graduates have the opportunity to pursue higher education
at in-state tuition rates. Each year tens of thousands
of undocumented students, who have lived in the U.S.
for at least 5 years, graduate from U.S. high schools
. Many of these students are academically eligible
for admission to local four-year universities but
cannot attend and sometimes must turn down offers
of admission, because they cannot afford to pay out-of-state
tuition rates... Click here to read the enitre article.
CLEARINGHOUSE REVIEW:
JOURNAL OF POVERTY LAW AND POLICY,
a journal on the legal problems of low-income people
in the United States, is publishing a special edition
devoted to economic development for low-income individuals
and communities. The July-August 2003 CED special
edition is intended to motivate readers to consider
community economic development advocacy as a strategy
to help clients escape poverty and pursue racial
justice.
This special edition will include an article authored
by Advancement Project co-director, Penda Hair.
Her article will explore how community justice lawyering
can contribute to CED efforts. Other articles will
cover a range of topics including how to plan and
begin a community economic development practice,
maximizing community benefits from public works
projects, public transportation equity, an overview
of affordable housing strategies, asset building
for low-income people and communities, digital divide
advocacy, and more. For information on subscriptions
to CLEARINGHOUSE REVIEW, please call (312) 263-3830,
ext. 224 or ext. 221.
JAIL-BASED VOTER
REGISTRATION CAMPAIGNS
A recent report by the Sentencing Project reveals
that most of the approximately 600,000 inmates in
local jails are eligible to vote because they are
either awaiting trial or serving misdemeanor sentences
ö circumstances that, lawfully, do not result in
the loss of the right to vote. Yet, most of these
individuals do not vote. If you are interested in
learning more about ongoing education/voting rights
campaigns for inmates, visit: www.sentencingproject.org or call: 202.628.0871
FEEDBACK FROM THE
FRONTLINES
By Susan Sandler, Director Educational Justice Program, Justice Matters Institute
In June 2003, the Justice Matters Institute, a social
justice organization based in San Francisco, hosted
a gathering entitled, ãSupporting the Education
Organizing Movement: An Exchange Between Intermediaries.ä
The meeting convened organizations from across the
country that provide community organizers with a
range of support including: policy research, organizing
strategy, organizational development, communications
capacity, legal research and advocacy support...Click here to read
the entire article.
FEELING THE CRUNCH
OF BUDGET CUTS?
The Praxis Project has created an informative and
practical toolkit to help organizers, community
groups, public agencies and others develop strategic
communications and organizing plans for approaching
the issue of budget cuts. To download your copy
of: A Tool Kit ö Fighting Back on Budget Cuts, visit
The Praxis Project at: www.thepraxisproject.org
BOROUGH OF MANHATTAN
COMMUNITY COLLEGE
BMCC's Center for Continuing Education and Workforce
Development will provide information technology
skills training to unemployed & underemployed
adults living in New York City and to persons who
lost their jobs as a result of the attacks on the
World Trade Center. Please visit www.bmcc.cuny.edu
Latino Leaders Magazine is offering internship and
training programs to young Latinos interested in
working in its Dallas, Texas office. Interested
students studying the areas of journalism, circulation,
sales and editing should e-mail Publisher Jorge
Ferraez at jerraez@latinoleaders.com
PETERS V. JENNEY:
FOURTH CIRCUIT TITLE VI VICTORY öUDPDATE
Subsequent to the April 2003 decision in the Peters
v. Jenney (2003 U.S. App. Lexis 7540) case, the
defendants requested a rehearing. Most recently,
the Fourth Circuit has denied the defendants request
for a rehearing en banc by a vote of 10-1. Click here to
read the entire article.
CJRC Calendar
Check out our updated calendar.
Please email us at cjrc@advancementproject.org with information on events of interest.
Mapping The Literature
Visit our updated bibliography (partially annotated) of recent publications and
articles that relate to the community justice model.
Check out topics such as the Hmong campaign on welfare
reform; higher education and community lawyering;
and problemösolving courts.
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