KFTC members and allies came together in Louisville this past weekend to at Greater Friendship Baptist Church for Singing for Democracy, an event to raise awareness of our campaign to restore voting rights to former felons who have served their debt to society.
 
Down by the Wayside, a the gospel choir organized through Wayside Christian Mission, performed with help from other local singers and other acts (Anthony Hamilton, Sean Thomas, Brandi, Ray Hodges, Maria Houghton, and Bonnie Blair).  

Speakers highlighted stories of redemption and forgiveness through their journeys to recovery as well as civic engagement. Individuals like Venita Goodner, a former felon who now works for the Department of Corrections and volunteers for prison ministry and Sean Real Thomas another former felon and local spoken word artist will be included in the program.

Amidst the powerful performances and speakers, participants also took time to take action to support House Bill 70, our proposed legislation to restore voting rights to former felons who have served their time.  They filled out postcards to senators and pledged to call the legislative message line and come out to lobby in Frankfort on our major lobby day this Thursday.

Sponsoring groups included Making Connections Network, Kentuckians for the Commonwealth, People Advocating Recovery, The Beacon House, Ladies of Promise, American Civil Liberties Union of Kentucky, Our Father’s House, Kentucky Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression and Kentucky Jobs with Justice.

KFTC members and allies are already talking about our next Singing for Democracy event in Louisville and members are talking about other communities we might hold events in - like in Georgetown.

by Beth Bissmeyer

Louisville has always been home. I've lived in the South-end of town, in the same neighborhood, all my life, and I've always felt a sense of pride to be living in this city, but I didn't feel truly engaged in a local community until I left Louisville to attend college in Berea. During my time at Berea, I became involved with the local chapter of KFTC and learned how important it is to of in local government by going to City Council meetings and working on local energy and utilities issues. Now that I'm back in Louisville, back in my old neighborhood, I'm working on being an active contributing member of this big-city community, and attending events like the People's Forum is a big part of that.

Organized by ten social-justice groups, the People's Forum, held February 2^nd, provided a space for Louisville's mayoral candidates to speak to the issues community members care about. All mayoral candidates were invited, and nine of the eleven running--Tyler Allen, Burrel Charles Farnsley, Greg Fischer, Jackie Green, Jim King, Connie Marshall, Lisa Moxley, David Tandy and Shannon White--participated in front of a crowd of about 150 community members. The Jefferson County Chapter of KFTC, ACLU of Kentucky, Community Farm Alliance, Fairness Campaign, Hispanic/Latino Coalition, Kentucky Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, Kentucky Jobs With Justice, Making Connections, Metropolitan Housing Coalition, and Women in Transition organized the forum and asked questions of the candidates on topics that aren't often considered in such a public space including high energy costs for low-income families, police brutality, local foods, and domestic partner benefits.

George Eklund, a Jefferson County KFTC member, said of the forum, “It was good to bring different social justice issues up in a campaign that will be dominated by economic issues, and it was a good way to show candidates that progressives do exist in the city.”

While some of the candidates' answers were good, I didn't hear everything I would've liked to, but that gives me further reason to stay connected and in the loop about what local candidates are saying and doing. With current Mayor Jerry Abramson not seeking re-election, this is the first time in years that there has been a real opportunity for new leadership in Louisville. Abramson, who many jokingly refer to as 'Mayor for Life' has been mayor of Louisville for all but four years that I've been alive, and this will be my first Louisville mayoral election in which I can vote. I'm excited to learn more about the candidates as the election draws nearer, and I hope that candidates will actively seek out and participate in more important events like this month's People's Forum.

To check out video clips of the People's Forum from Louisville History and Issues, go here: http://www.historyandissues.org/louisville/viewtopic.php?t=1868

It is easy to forget about the big picture in life when you are confronted with the humdrum of a daily routine. For the past month I have found myself in a malaise. I have forgotten that there exists a whole community in Louisville that shares the same goals and aspirations for making Kentucky a better place to live, work and play in. Luckily, I was reminded of this community on Saturday night at the Green Building while attending Appalachian Love with 150 other Louisvillians.

Appalachian Love is an idea that harkens back to my childhood. Growing up in the foothills of the Appalachian range I was brought up with many of the values that embody Appalachian love. For me Appalachian love is the ultimate form of taking an active interest in the lives of your community. You know who everyone in your area is because of the bonds that you form during your daily business and social interactions. Everyone comes together in times of joy, sorrow, and activism. It is nearly impossible to escape this sense of community because of the need to find support in an area that is devoid outside interaction.

Before moving to Louisville, I thought that there was none of this sense of community. I found this to be false. Appalachian love in this city. The concert on Saturday was an ever constant reminder that I am part of a community where you discover that there are more people involved in similar issues than you might think. At the concert I saw people from all aspects of my life that I had no idea were involved in KFTC. It was a refreshing experience to be reminded that there are many others in Louisville that care about the same causes that I care about. -George Eklund, Jefferson County Member

Appalachian Love: 

Relic

Kate Larken

(Speakers Molly Kaviar, Myron Hardesty and Music by Thomas A Minor and the Picket Line and Catherine Irwin soon to follow)

All across the Commonwealth, KFTC members participated in events today celebrating the life of Martin Luther King Jr.

We also took some time to raise awareness of our Voting Rights campaign to challenge archaic laws in Kentucky that still disenfranchise 1 in 4 African Americans.

In Lexington, ten KFTC Members marched in the powerful MLK Freedom March with our banner starting at 10am, passing out voting rights handbills throughout the route. 

This is an important event for us to be at every year,” said Jerry Moody, A dedicated Central Kentucky KFTC leader who made the long march despite suffering a stroke just over a month ago.  “Building solidarity with community groups, particularly people of color groups, is key – and this is a good way to do that.”

 In Louisville, KFTC member Tayna Fogle was part of a motorcade with Wayside Christian Mission, inviting people to sign postcards to legislators about voting rights. 
In Perry County, members participated in a breakfast with a keynote speaker, followed by a march from Consolidated Baptist Church.  They took the opportunity to re-connect with the local NAACP chapter about our big voting rights lobby day in Frankfort on March 4th. 

Harlan County KFTC members participated in similar community events several days ago. 

In Scott County, KFTC members participated in a march and community event at Gano Baptist Church for the first time, with ten members participating over all.  At the community tabling event late in the evening, we connected with lots of new people in the community, including Scott County NAACP allies and three dozen people signed postcards about voting rights. 

Homer White remarked that it was one of the best community tabling events we’ve had in Scott County and many other members agreed that we should be involved every year. 

Kentucky's Clean Energy Corps will be training Green Ambassadors to teach their communities how to save on their utility bills, as they protect the environment and help promote demand for the creation of green collar jobs.

According to Jonathan Miller, Kentucky's Secretary of Finance:

"To be a Green Ambassador, you don't need to be an expert--all you need is a passion for serving your community and your planet." 
 
The Clean Energy Corps believes that training folks to spread the message about going green in communities will help to ensure that the demand for energy efficiency improvements continues when the stimulus dollars dry up in a few years.  As demand for green improvements increases, more jobs for energy auditors and green construction workers, thereby boosting our state's economy.

(KFTC will simultaneously be working through the Kentucky Sustainable Energy Alliance to pass state policies aimed at driving up demand for energy efficiency and renewable energy services during the 2010 legislative session.)

If you want to learn how to become a Green Ambassador, attend one of these upcoming training sessions:
 
Lexington: Thursday, November 19
5:30-6:30 PM
University of Kentucky Student Center
South Broadway
Lexington
 
Louisville: Thursday, December 3
5:30-7:00 PM
Davidson Hall, Room 207
University of Louisville
 
Sessions will be offered in other communities in the near future.  Contact Antonia Lindauer, the head of the program, by emailing antonia.lindauer@ky.gov or (502) 564-8642 if you have questions.

Left to right:  Linda Stettenbenz, Beth Bissmeyer, KA Owens, Becki Winchel, Morris Dees

Last Thursday evening, I had the great privilege to attend the KY ACLU's Bill of Rights dinner in Louisville with several other KFTC members. While the food was tasty and the company great, the real draw of the evening was the keynote address given by Morris Dees, founder of the Southern Poverty Law Center, a man who has dedicated his life to working for and defending civil rights.

 Everyone at our table was gleefully surprised when he started his address by talking about his time in Kentucky decades ago where he was first introduced to coal mining in Appalachia and seeing the great work being done around fair taxes on coal by the Kentucky Fair Tax Coalition--the organization that later became Kentuckians For The Commonwealth.

 Dees spent some time talking about his childhood and his schoolteacher, a woman who condemned drinking and the unfair way blacks were being treated. Fast forward to the present, a time, Dees said, where there are over 926 active hate groups, which is a 50% increase in the past five years alone, crediting this in part to the election of Obama, the increase of Latino migrants, and the poor economy. "By year 2040, most of the people in this room will be a minority. That's frightening for some of the people in this nation and they are now rallying around what is 'their' America," referring to the anti-government rallies that have recently been held across the country. "There's a dark cloud in our nation today," said Dees. "The election of Obama gave so much hope. Now, he's having a very difficult time, but there have been dark days in the past, and we've gotten through them, and we will get through this."

 He then spoke about Martin Luther King, Jr. and his influence. "A lot has happened since Martin Luther King Jr. left us. Some of the issues have changed, but I still think he'd have faith in us if he were here today, said Dees.

 “I don't want to put words in his mouth, but I think if King were alive today, he might revise his 'I Have a Dream' speech and say something like, I have a dream that one day in the red clay hills of Georgia, in barrios, in ghettos, in reservations, the sons and daughters of former slaves and of former slave owners, the homeless, the poor, the powerless, those without health insurance, and those who hold the judicial and legislative keys to the economic prosperity of this country could sit down and learn to love one another.”

 Listening to Dees, a man who has done so much in the name of justice, felt like another kick in the butt  for me to do more, to take action. While we may feel that we've come a long way since the Civil Rights movement of the 60s, we can be sure that we've still got a long way to go in the fight to ensure that all people in this country enjoy the same rights and freedoms, that people can be who they are without becoming a victim of hate.

 Dees' ending remarks served as a rallying call for me and other youth: "When people like myself are gone and Dora (Dora James, of Ohio County, who received an ACLU scholarship after organizing a Gay-Straight Alliance at her high school) and people her age are leading this country, I predict there will be a book written about this young generation, the greatest generation, a group of people who are seeking to keep hope and justice alive.” That's a hell of a prediction to live up to, but I think we're up to the challenge. I hope we prove him right some day. 

-Beth Bissmeyer, Jefferson County Chapter

Voting Rights Stomp in Louisville is a success

Is there really any better way to start your Saturday than to start it working for social justice? Yea, I didn't think so, and apparently the same goes for some 30 other people who turned out at the Presbyterian Community Center in Louisville to canvass about restoration of voting rights for former felons and to register voters.

After a brief training on door-to-door work, volunteers split into teams to canvass the California, Shelby Park, Smoketown, and Phoenix Hill neighborhoods. My partner and I had some really good conversations when we went door-to-door. Most people we met were unaware that Kentucky is just one of two states that permanently disenfranchises former felons and were eager to talk with us and sign our petition. Other volunteers not only collected petition signatures, but also registered voters and gave out applications for former felons to have their voting rights restored. Martha Flack, a Jefferson County KFTC member, was excited to have given out a couple of applications and registered three young men who were just old enough to vote.

The fun didn't end with canvassing. Noon kicked off the Restore the Vote rally back at the Presbyterian Community Center where people enjoyed some tasty free food and heard stories from former felons who have gotten their rights restored. One man talked about the different ways he's felt he had no power or control as a former felon, saying, "There are situations where you feel you're out of control, but you have the control and power to register to vote and to apply to get your rights restored." Near the rally's end, some 200 people in the neighborhood had signed a petition supporting restoration.

Several groups worked together to organize this great allied event: Making Connections, Jobs with Justice, KFTC, Women in Transition, the Presbyterian Community Center, The Kentucky Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, and the American Civil Liberties Union. Getting out and meeting folks who work with other social justice organizations was great, and my hope is that we'll all go Stomping again real soon.
-- Beth Bissmeyer

Jefferson County members Summer Auerbach, Ben Evans, and George Parker hosted a fantastic house party Sunday night with an amazing spread of food, great people, and a lovely outdoor film presentation. Summer threw a house party for KFTC last year as well and is interested in doing it annually. 

 Last year, Summer said her house party had really great turn out but the crawl in was really slow. She stated guests showed up very gradually. This year was the opposite. Once 7 pm hit, POW!! there were suddenly 40 people in the room! The food was amazing and included vegetarian and bison chili, a delicious spread of cheeses, homemade sea salt truffles and bourbon balls by Summer's sister Star, a salad with Summer's grandmother Minx's secret recipe salad dressing, fresh salsa and guacamole and much more (are we drooling yet?).  Once the sun set, everyone sat around outside in the backyard and watched videos of I Love Mountains Day, Bioneers, and YERT.   Ben Evans, George Parker, and Summer Auerbach gave great testimonials on why they are members and invested in KFTC. Many people grabbed extra envelopes on the way out to recruit more members.

Our friends at Addiction-Recovery Advocates of Kentuckiana and People Advocating Recovery had a big event in Louisville today on the riverfront celebrating recovery from addiction and substance abuse.  

As civic participation is a big part of recovery and many people with an addiction in their background have been convicted of a felony, they invited KFTC to talk to people about our campaign to restore voting rights for former felons who have served their debt to society.

We helped dozens people start the process to request a partial pardon from the Governor to get their rights back and an incredible three-hundred people filled out postcards to legislators encouraging them to restore voting rights for former felons automatically when they've served their time.  Others took action by sitting down to write a personal letter to legislators, joining KFTC, or pledging to take part in our call-in week starting on Tuesday.

Tayna Fogle, a KFTC former felon spokesperson was one of the event's speakers and did a great job of talking about the issue and bringing hundreds of people over to our table to learn more.

Many thanks to our friends at the Kentucky ACLU who came out to help us talk to people and collect postcards.

There are other recovery rallies happening across the state this month, many of which KFTC will be participating in.

A limestone quarry in Northern CA. Photo by Flickr user Joe_13

KFTC member David Bell has been spending the last 18 months trying to protect his rural community along the Ohio River from a limestone quarry. 

Big Bend, in Meade County, rests on limestone, which is used to "scrub" sulfur dioxide from coal-burning power plants.  Bell has reservations about the costs, in Eastern Kentucky and now in his part of the state, that are going into to generating dirty energy. 

I believe in my heart that we need to be doing other things.  There's a direct parallel with what's happening in Eastern Kentucky, going after the coal at all costs, and what's going on with this loop on the river.  I think most people are unaware of it.  It's happening on Louisville's doorstep, and most people are unaware of it.

The real asset of this part of the world is that it's still green.  It could be used for recreation along the river, pasture, aqua, ponds, orchards, vineyards...It's important habitat for wildlife. There's a quarry in Battletown, about ten miles upstream, and it's just a big gargantuan pit.  We've got to hold onto some of this green space.

What you can do:

Right now, the quarry attorneys are trying to get the agricultural landed zoned for heavy industrial use.  There is a zoning hearing tomorrow night at 6:30 p.m. at the Meade County courthouse in Brandenburg.  Come show your support for David and his community!

Stay tuned for more details on the next steps.  Thursday's hearing will be followed up with a hearing in the Fiscal Court, but there's no date for that yet.  The permit for the quarry, which Bell and Tom Fitzgerald (Kentucky Resources Council) are challenging, will be discussed during a Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet administrative hearing Sept. 15 in Frankfort.

You can read more about the quarry and David's efforts here, in this Courier-Journal article.