Author Archives: AJS admin

Racism and Capitalism are Intertwined: An interview with Libero Della Piana

Q: When so many African Americans are brutalized and murdered by the police, how do you explain the powerful wave of anger sparked by the death of George Floyd?

I think there is always a breaking point for oppression. We have reached the breaking point. Black people have learned to live with the outrage, with constant harassment, jail, and death. Often times the police killings are localized and isolated. They don’t make it to the national consciousness. The first time that reality changed was with the Rodney King beating in 1992. Black people knew the experience of police harassment and brutality, but to millions of Americans, it could be ignored or dismissed. Then suddenly it was on camera. Then as now, we assumed the evidence of police crimes on tape would lead to justice. When they didn’t in the case of Rodney King, Los Angeles erupted. Now, nearly 30 years later the killing of George Floyd has ignited the anger of the whole country in an unprecedented way.

VIDEO: COVID, Voting Rights & the Public Good

The photos of thousands of Wisconsin voters wearing masks and socially distancing while lining up to vote in last month’s primary election is one of the starkest images of the current pandemic. The image also embodies one of the main questions for the United States in the months to come: How will COVID-19 impact the NovemberContinue reading “VIDEO: COVID, Voting Rights & the Public Good”

Still Struggling to Make Ends Meet: A report on living wages in Washington State

Workers across the country face difficulties making ends meet; the same is true in Washington State. Two years ago, in an attempt to help the minimum wage keep pace with increased cost of living, voters in Washington State approved Initiative 1433. While that provided a much-need- ed boost to the state’s minimum wage, workers andContinue reading “Still Struggling to Make Ends Meet: A report on living wages in Washington State”

LeeAnn Hall: What’s at Stake in the Supreme Court Today?

Today the Supreme Court is hearing arguments in United States v. Texas, the case that will decide whether President Obama’s 2014 executive actions on immigration were constitutional. What’s at stake? Millions of immigrants and their families could see relief and move forward with their lives free from the fear of deportation if the Supreme Court showsContinue reading “LeeAnn Hall: What’s at Stake in the Supreme Court Today?”

Community Organizing Groups Applaud FHFA Principal Reduction Policy

For Immediate Release April 15, 2016 Kathy Mulady, kathy@allianceforajustsociety.org Jacob Swenson-Lengyel, jacob@npa-us.org Community Organizing Groups Applaud FHFA Principal Reduction Policy Yesterday, the Fair Housing Finance Agency announced a principal reduction modification program that will help up to 33,000 borrowers. In response, Alliance for a Just Society and National People’s Action released the following statement: “TheContinue reading “Community Organizing Groups Applaud FHFA Principal Reduction Policy”

Colleges Squeezing Out Less Profitable Home State Students

A change in funding at state colleges and universities is starting to change who makes up the student body. In-state students, even with perfect grades and impressive lists of extra-curricular activities, are being passed over in favor of out-of-state students willing to pay three times the tuition. A scathing report last month accused the CaliforniaContinue reading “Colleges Squeezing Out Less Profitable Home State Students”

Gerrymandered Out of a Voice and a Vote

As the election season picks up steam, the matter of voting rights is making its way back into the mainstream media. Voters need to have their voices, and their votes counted. However, many of the newest congressional districts have been drawn in a way that limits the voice and voting power of people of color,Continue reading “Gerrymandered Out of a Voice and a Vote”