In October 2013, the Alliance for a Just Society partnered with the Union Theological Seminary for a symposium called Cell Blocks and Border Stops: Transformational Activism in the Age of Dehumanization. Since then, the Alliance has been working closely with our affiliate organizations to advance policies that deconstruct systemic structures of criminalization in their localContinue reading “New Video: Case Study of Colorado’s Consent-To-Search Policing Policy”
Author Archives: AJS admin
Tools to Rescue Underwater Homeowners When Outreach Isn’t Enough
As previously discussed in Alliance reports, the housing crisis is over for some, but there are still millions of homeowners across the country struggling to pay off mortgages that are valued at more than the current worth of their homes. When combined with a sluggish labor market forcing many families to make due on lessContinue reading “Tools to Rescue Underwater Homeowners When Outreach Isn’t Enough”
Poor, in Prison – and Pregnant
As poverty levels in the U.S. increase, safety nets are slashed, and families are left with few options for survival. As a result, more people are forced into difficult economic decisions, including alternative street-based economies and crime from sheer economic desperation. Many of these people are women and mothers. Among women who are fortunate enoughContinue reading “Poor, in Prison – and Pregnant”
Grassroots Victory! $15 Minimum Wage Passes in Seattle
The Alliance for a Just Society congratulates Seattle on making history today by unanimously passing a path to a $15 minimum wage – the highest in the nation. Seattle Mayor Ed Murray said he would quickly sign the legislation into law. More than 100,000 workers – disproportionately women and people of color – work minimumContinue reading “Grassroots Victory! $15 Minimum Wage Passes in Seattle”
Facebook’s Changes Hit Community Orgs Where It Hurts. What To Do?
It’s confirmed: if you run a Facebook ‘page’ (for your community organization, for instance), Facebook’s algorithms are holding your constituents hostage until you pay up. Due to unannounced, opaque changes to what items appear in a user’s News feed, Facebook page administrators who don’t pay to upgrade are already experiencing a 75 percent or greaterContinue reading “Facebook’s Changes Hit Community Orgs Where It Hurts. What To Do?”
Reversing the Trend: A Longitudinal Study of Living Wage and Minimum Wage
A new report, “Reversing the Trend” by the Alliance for a Just Society, finds that Mayor Ed Murray’s minimum wage proposal reverses a minimum wage trend that is increasingly unable to meet the basic living needs of workers. Seattle’s proposed $15 minimum wage would be the highest in the country. Analyzing more than a decadeContinue reading “Reversing the Trend: A Longitudinal Study of Living Wage and Minimum Wage”
Consent to Search: Beyond Cell Blocks Webinar Series Continues
In 2010, after a lengthy fight, Colorado passed a state law that required police officers to inform people of their constitutional right to refuse a search of their person and/or property. The goal of the law was to reduce traffic stops, searches and intimidation stemming from from discrimination. Law enforcement officers at the time saidContinue reading “Consent to Search: Beyond Cell Blocks Webinar Series Continues”
Seeking Creative Ways to Help Underwater Homeowners
In 2007, the nation’s housing bubble burst, leading to the Great Recession of 2008 and a rapid drop in property values across the country. While the recession officially ended in 2009, more than 9 million homeowners across the country still have mortgages on homes that are now worth less than they owe. These underwater mortgagesContinue reading “Seeking Creative Ways to Help Underwater Homeowners”
Sallie Mae Slap on the Wrist Doesn’t Go Far Enough
This week the Department of Justice levied a $97 million fine against the student debt servicing giant Sallie Mae. The findings of the DOJ’s long investigation revealed a host of bad practices and illegal behaviors at the company, including overcharging on nearly all military service members’ loans, and mishandling borrowers’ payments to maximize late feesContinue reading “Sallie Mae Slap on the Wrist Doesn’t Go Far Enough”
Four Day Organizer Training Intense, Inspiring
Two dozen new leaders and staff members from Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana and Colorado gathered at Southside Commons, location of the Alliance for a Just Society headquarters in Seattle on May 13-16 for an intense West Coast Four Day Organizer Training. The training was developed and coordinated by Darlene Huntress, executive director of Oregon Action.