Still We Rise - Unity Statement for the 2016 People’s Convention
We are people bending the arc of history towards justice. We are young and old. We are women. We are men. We are queer. We are trans. We are students. We are workers and the unemployed. And we are the people whose daily labor is not recognized as work. And still, we rise!
We are parents and grandparents. We are Latinos and Latinas. We are Black. We are Asian. We are White. We are indigenous and we are immigrants. We are people of faith. We are DREAMers. We are disabled and able-bodied. We are the homeless and the formerly incarcerated. We are the millions of human beings in this country living behind bars and in detention centers. And still, we rise!
We come from all corners of the world, and from all corners of this country. And we come together. Today and every day. We are fierce. We are strong. We are generous and we are bold. Together, we are powerful. And together we will rise!
We are working together to achieve our collective liberation and our vision of racial, economic, gender, and environmental justice. Together we are fighting for:
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A just and democratic economy – including good jobs for all, and a restoration of the wealth built by our communities and hijacked by greedy billionaires and giant corporations
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Nurturing communities and a healthy planet – including decent housing and health care for all, quality public education, and climate justice
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An equal chance to realize our dreams – including laws that recognize the humanity and contributions of immigrant families, freedom and opportunity for women and LGBTQ people, equity for differently abled people, and an end to discriminatory policing and the mass incarceration of our communities
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A real and popular democracy – including getting big money out of politics and the right to vote for all
To achieve our vision, we believe in:
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Building powerful and democratic people’s organizations as key vehicles for change
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Leadership coming from those most impacted by the injustices we face
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Exercising our collective power – in our workplaces, schools, neighborhoods, and with our government
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Acting in solidarity and always beginning from a place of love. We commit to being in the fight together. And we commit to lift up each other’s healing, resiliency, and beauty.
And so, we rise!
