Breaking! A group of tiny protesters has taken over our office in advance of our 2014 Annual Meeting in protest of boring meetings. Head below the fold to watch what happens:
(And then join us on February 15th at St. Paul Central High School for what promises to be a non-boring meeting.)… Continue reading »
One of my biggest heroines is a woman I do not remember meeting.
My great grandmother Hickman, born less than 70 years after slavery was “officially abolished,” grew up as a servant but was treated as a slave. I am told she was a wise woman who loved with all her heart. I grew up hearing stories of her doing back breaking work in the plantation fields of Alabama. She died when I was barely walking but I have idolized her all my life.
Hearing those stories, I always have had a sense of pride in my roots; pride that my people have been struggling for a very long time but we have continued to survive and figure out ways to strive. When I am asked “why I do what I do”, it always has been about my family’s history of struggle for dignity. I constantly remind myself that I am not alone, that I stand on the shoulders of warriors in a long battle for justice.
My favorite Grandma Hickman story is of her time breast feeding the babies on the plantation. She told my mom that she would breast feed the babies of the white and black “servants.”… Continue reading »
I’m not exactly a fashion person. I wore the same pair of shorts every day in third grade.[1] I wear jeans until they are literally falling apart. The closest I get to Avant-garde is watching Project Runway reruns.[2]
But, I do love a good t-shirt. 
Growing up, I had some real classics:
One with all the letters of the alphabet next to an animal whose name begins with that letter.
One with the Ben and Jerry’s cow that that matched those favorite green shorts perfectly.[3]
A number of tye-dyed ones I’d made myself at camp or birthday parties.
One that promoted the World Lumberjack Days in Hayward, Wisconsin.[4]
A really awesome one from the North Carolina zoo that compared the head sizes of the Indian elephant and the African elephant.
Long story short, I’m kind of a t-shirt aficionado.
That’s just one reason I’m so pumped about the progressive carnival at TakeAction’s Annual Meeting on Saturday, February 15th. We’re going to screen print our own progressive t-shirts!
We’ll have 100 t-shirts for the first 100 folks who want to screen-print. After that, we’ll have poster paper to make your own poster. We’ll have a bunch of different patterns to choose from, and you’ll be able to mix and match.… Continue reading »
We’re eight!
From the “Cover All Kids” healthcare victory in 2009, restoring funding to GAMC in 2010, defeating the photo ID amendment in 2012, to all that was won in 2013 (and everything in between!) — it’s been a great 8 years. Again and again, your action has made the impossible, possible.
Have ideas about what could happen in the next eight? Join us for Forward Together: 2014 Annual Meeting & Progressive Carnival on Saturday, February 15!
The 1964 Civil Rights Act became law 50 years ago, and the University of Minnesota’s Humphrey School of Public Affairs this year is hosting a series of events to commemorate the historic legislation. Last week’s panel discussion at Cowles Auditorium with local civil rights activists was the beginning.
Roy Wilkins Center for Human Relations and Social Justice Chair Dr. Samuel Myers characterized the January 23 event, cosponsored by the center and the African American Leadership Forum, as “a critical discourse and discussion about how far have we come and where we need to go.”
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The five panel members — which included Julia Freeman of the Organizing Apprenticeship Project, Empower MSP’s Mark Robinson, U of M junior political science student Kenneth Eban of Students for Education Reform-Minnesota, Kandace Montgomery of TakeAction Minnesota and Anthony Newby of Neighborhoods Organizing for Change — each spoke on Dr. King’s “Dream” as well.
Raise the wage to at least $9.50 per hour, indexed to inflation, was the message area senators and representatives received from more than 80 residents Saturday, Jan. 25 at the Itasca County YMCA. Legislation to increase the minimum wage passed both the Minnesota House and the Minnesota Senate during the 2013 session, but in different forms. The House version calls for $9.50 an hour while the Senate bill tops out at $7.75. This critical issue will be back before the legislature in 2014. Senators Tom Saxhaug (D-Grand Rapids) and David Tomassoni (D-Chisholm), along with state representatives Tom Anzelc (D-Balsam Township), Carly Melin (D-Hibbing), John Persell (D-Bemidji), Jason Metsa (D-Virginia) and Joe Radinovich (D-Crosby) addressed citizen concerns about raising the wage at the forum.
Families are struggling to put food on the table and pay the rent, according to Kathleen Blake, Northern Minnesota Organizer for TakeAction Minnesota.
On Jan. 1, more than 2.5 million low-paid workers throughout the country got a raise. Unfortunately, none of these workers lives in Minnesota.
Thanks to minimum-wage increases that took effect on New Year’s Day in Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Missouri, Montana, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington, those who do the hard work of cleaning office buildings, serving food, and providing care for the elderly received a modest pay raise.
Four of these states — New Jersey, New York, Connecticut and Rhode Island — approved minimum-wage increases last year while the remaining nine were the result of states adopting a key policy reform known as “indexing,” which calls for automatic minimum wage increases each year to keep pace with the rising cost of living.
Last spring, Minnesota had the chance to join these 13 states by passing legislation to raise the minimum wage, currently stuck at the federal level of $7.25 per hour, or $15,000 for a full-time, year-round worker. Legislation in the Minnesota House also would have established automatic annual increases so the state’s minimum wage would keep pace with the rising cost of living.
When lawmakers return to St. Paul in late February for the next legislative session, they would do well to reflect on the opportunity our state missed by failing to pass a minimum-wage increase last year.… Continue reading »
Dolores, one of our members, came in last night with a new gift from her grandson…we don’t think any one will be able to miss her new “button”!
Like all newly elected politicians, the class of mayors being sworn in as the year begins has made many grand promises.
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“It’s not news that there are Democrats being elected in major American cities,” says Dan McGrath, executive director of TakeAction Minnesota, a progressive social justice organization. “It is news that there’s a new brand of progressive Democrats being elected in these cities that are pushing a different agenda than we’ve seen in the past.”
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All mayors have to collaborate, says McGrath, the TakeAction Minnesota director. The question is whom they choose to collaborate with.
He notes that Betsy Hodges, the new mayor of Minneapolis, has made a point to engage with people of color and immigrants who are “not considered traditional power players in City Hall.
“I’m absolutely heartened by the fact that there’s a lot more talk about the problem of wealth inequality in our world,” McGrath says. “I’m even more heartened that there are elected leaders like Betsy not just paying it lip service but creating and aligning grassroots movements to make change.”… Continue reading »
Minnesota makes the list! Click here to see the full edition.
ST. PAUL, Minn. — Those with criminal records in Minnesota will have a better chance of getting to the interview phase of the hiring process, under a new law that will go into effect next year.
Gov. Mark Dayton last week signeda measureknown as the “ban the box” bill, which will prohibit most employers from asking about a prospective employee’s criminal history on the application form.
“People need a chance to really talk in person, to really tell their story,” Kissy Mason of Minnetonka told KARE.
Mason was among the ex-offenders who met with lawmakers to build support for the bill, which passed with large majorities in both chambers of the legislature.
A college graduate with a solid work history, Mason does well in job interviews. But still dreads seeing this question on job applications:
“Have you ever pled guilty or no contest to a crime, been convicted of a crime, had adjudication withheld or prosecution deferred?”
Earlier this year, I couldn’t wait for October 1st when finally we could stop talking about what the ACA might mean for people, and people could start seeing for themselves.
Unfortunately, as we all know, that period of uncertainty has continued a little longer than we expected for many people, because of challenges getting through MNsure, Healthcare.gov, and exchanges around the country.
But there’s a new tool that can help answer those questions for Minnesotans, and your friends and family around the country.
Raise your hand if someone you know has asked a question, posted on facebook, lobbed a tweet, complained or otherwise let you know that they just haven’t been able to figure out what’s out there for them? Raise your other hand if you haven’t been able to figure out what’s out there for you! (And then give your arms a good shake – this waiting and wondering is stressful)
There’s good news.
1) This great new tool takes just a minute to give you a really good idea of what you may qualify for when you complete an application on MNsure. It’s a calculator from Get Covered America and they’ve just updated it with all the great Minnesota-made programs like the rates of private plans on MNsure, MinnesotaCare, and expanded Medical Assistance for kids and pregnant women.… Continue reading »
From January to December, see some of the best shots of the action that made big change possible in 2013.
1. We kicked off the year at our Annual Meeting making plans, and asking the legislature to expand and improve MinnesotaCare.
2. In February, we braved the cold with Representative Ray Dehn and the NAACP to file 10 complaints with the Equal Opportunity Employment Commission regarding Target’s hiring practices.
3. The next week hundreds of us stood outside Target Headquarters and asked them to be a leader in closing Minnesota’s worst-in-the-nation racial jobs gap.
4. In March we visited Wells Fargo to shine a spotlight on corporate tax loopholes.
5. We celebrated Minnesota’s new health exchange, and thanked champions like Senator Al Franken for making it possible.
6. In May, we hit the Capitol to ask legislators to ask the wealthiest in our state to pay their fair share in taxes.
7. In June we traveled to Denver with Representative Ray Dehn, ISAIAH, and CTUL for Target’s shareholder meeting.
8. Our members met with Governor Dayton to talk about making our state a place where all Minnesotans can thrive.
9. August isn’t complete without a visit to the State Fair!… Continue reading »
As we close out 2013, take a look at all that people-power made possible this year, and start dreaming big about what big change we can win together in 2014 and beyond.
Like this? Share it with your friends on Facebook and Twitter.… Continue reading »
The sub-zero temperatures on Saturday, Dec. 7, did little to dampen the spirits of those who chose to spend a portion of the evening standing by the Big Chair on Pokegama Avenue in Grand Rapids with signs calling for a rise in minimum wage. The roughly dozen people who stood on the busy corner holding signs reading “Raise the Wage” didn’t seem to mind the unforgiving weather, instead simply focusing on their message.
But the main event was held a block away in Brewed Awakenings Coffee House. Organized by the Itasca Working Families Alliance and TakeAction Minnesota, attendees of the rally filled the café to hear Representative Rick Nolan speak about his views on minimum wage laws in this country, as well as from state representatives Tom Anzelc (D-Balsam), John Persell (D-Bemidji), Joe Radinovich (D-Crosby), and Jason Metsa (D-Virginia).
Minnesota’s projected $1.086 billion budget surplus is a sign that the tax and budget solutions of the 2013 legislative session are paying off. By returning the state to its traditional high-road approach, Gov. Mark Dayton and the Legislature have proved that a people-centered budget is good for both the economy and the state’s finances.
While this undoubtedly is a positive sign, it is not the final word. The governor will not offer a supplemental budget until after the February 2014 forecast, and a lot can change between now and then. Recent February forecasts have adjusted November forecasts by anywhere from $500 million to $1 billion.
Still, let’s assume our surplus remains. Our first priority must be paying back the debts previous legislatures incurred: repaying $246 million to our schools and $15 million to the state’s airport fund. What to do with the remaining $825 million, however, deserves more reflection.
On Black Friday I was arrested with 25 others in an act of civil disobedience to demand an end to poverty wages in Minnesota. It was the busiest shopping day of the year and with a thousand people marching, we shut down half a dozen Saint Paul City blocks with our joyful rebellion. You can see pictures of the action here.
Now, we were determined to disrupt business as usual, but we weren’t creating a crisis. The truth is with hours cut, benefits non-existent and wages stagnating or in decline, our families are already in crisis. With our kids growing up in working poverty and our schools underfunded, our communities are already in crisis. With so much wealth in so few hands, our state is already in crisis. Our civil disobedience was about making the crisis visible.
I was surprised, though, that a demonstration filled with righteous anger felt so celebratory. The truth is collective action is a liberating thing. You’re not alone in your anger. You have a community. You come alive to the sense of possibility and power you’ve always had inside.
Maybe Minnesota’s Senate should take note. They could easily step up and pass the minimum wage hike the House of Representatives has proposed.… Continue reading »
Duluth, MN (NNCNOW.com) – Fast food workers across the country want the federal minimum wage raised from $7.25 to $15 per hour.
They say the current rate is not enough for a person to live on.
At a rally event at the Community Action Center in Duluth, low income workers shared personal stories and discussed how raising the minimum wage in Minnesota will positively impact Duluth–area families and the local economy.
Itasca Working Families Alliance and TakeAction Minnesota will hold a Rally to End Poverty Wages in Minnesota on Saturday, Dec. 7 at 6 p.m. in Grand Rapids. The rally will be preceded by a march from the Angel of Hope Park at 5:30 p.m., across the Pokegama Avenue Bridge and to the Big Chair, before moving inside to Brewed Awakenings Coffee House at 6 p.m.
An area resident will give the perspective of trying to survive on minimum wage. Other speakers will include U.S. Rep. Rick Nolan, State Senator Tom Saxhaug, Rep. Tom Anzelc and other area elected officials.
Protesters continued calling for better wages on Black Friday in what organizers are calling the largest strike of its kind in Minnesota.
So far, 26 people were arrested while practicing non-violent civil disobedience during the march in St. Paul, according to protest organizers.
They have been cited for blocking traffic during Friday morning demonstration at intersection of University and Snelling, according to St. Paul police.
Retail cleaning workers, contracted to work at more than 40 stores in the Twin Cities, walked off the job in an unfair labor practices strike.
Click here for the full article and video.… Continue reading »
On a day when shoppers across Minnesota are embarking on an annual holiday spending spree, hundreds of low-wage workers gathered to march and call for higher pay.
The group, which includes members of OurWalmart, CTUL, SEIU Local 26, Minnesotans for a Fair Economy, Greater Minnesota Worker Center and TakeAction Minnesota among others, stretched out for blocks while making their way down University Avenue Friday afternoon.
Organizers say the march comes on the heels of a strike by retail workers at the Brooklyn Center Walmart and another by cleaners at Target in downtown Minneapolis.
Protestors believe the week-long series of actions underlines a growing anger among workers on the low-end of the wage scale, and the need for corporations and lawmakers to step up and take action to raise wages for the state’s working class.
Click here for the full article and video.… Continue reading »
Hundreds of people marched down University Avenue in St. Paul’s Midway neighborhood Friday to protest low pay for retail workers.
The demonstrators marched through the area, including the parking lot of the St. Paul Walmart store, in a demonstration calling for better worker wages and a hike in the state’s minimum wage.
The rally stopped traffic on University Avenue and ended with a sit-in at the intersection of University and Snelling Avenues.
Police arrested 26 protesters on Snelling Avenue in St. Paul on Friday after hundreds marched for better wages for janitors and retail employees.
The Black Friday protest was one of several around the country in which protesters used the highly visible start to the holiday shopping rush as a stage from which to broadcast their claims that retail pay isn’t enough to live on.
The Midway-area rally was organized by St. Paul-based TakeAction Minnesota and the Service Employees International Union.
When Minnesotans last fall rejected a proposed constitutional amendment that would have required voters to present photo identification at the polls, it represented a huge victory for liberal groups that had fought to oppose it.
On the front lines of that effort was TakeAction Minnesota, which over the last decade has become a powerful advocate for liberal causes. Since then, the group has played crucial role in several state and local campaigns, including the race for mayor in Minneapolis.
Take Action Minnesota emerged from the 2006 merger of two other groups — Progressive Minnesota and the Minnesota Alliance for Progressive Action.
The group’s supporters are “movement builders” — ready to spring to action during petition drives and elections, said Dan McGrath, executive director of TakeAction Minnesota.
“At any given moment we’re in the streets protesting something,” McGrath said. “We’re a people’s organization. Every day we are knocking on doors, making phone calls, talking to people in the community — people who are often low-income, people who are on the margins, people of color, the elderly, students.”
McGrath said those communities set TakeAction Minnesota’s agenda, which has a lot to do with improving conditions for minorities in Minnesota. With an annual budget of more than $3 million, 31 full-time employees and an email list of more than 40,000 supporters, the group can devote considerable energy to its work.… Continue reading »
Dai Thao, St. Paul’s first Hmong city council member, vowed to represent all residents of Ward 1, one of the city’s most diverse.
Thao, an information technology manager and community organizer, was sworn in Thursday in front of a city council chamber crowd that reflected that diversity. Surrounded by his family, he gave an emotional speech about his struggles with poverty, his vision of St. Paul as a livable city and his determination to protect “the weak from the strong, the vulnerable from the powerful.”
And although he and the city leaders gathered to usher him onto the council spoke of his election as a historic moment for the Hmong community, Thao stressed he would look out for all constituents.
“I want to make it clear I am here for all communities,” he said, adding, “Our diversity is our strength.”
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Thao, the father of three, has worked on the legislative election campaigns of Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party candidates. He was also active with efforts to defeat the state’s voter-ID and marriage amendments. He has organized for TakeAction Minnesota, the liberal advocacy group, and ISAIAH, a faith-based social justice coalition.
I approached the minimum wage door knock I had signed up for yesterday tired and stressed. I wasn’t fully committed to being there but wanted to follow-through on what I said I would do. I am so glad I didn’t back out.
The conversations I had with people – asking them to tell their story, sign a petition and write a letter to their Senator about raising the minimum wage — were amazing. The energy and real relationship building I was able to do reminded me why I do this work. Many people invited me in, treated me like a welcomed guest in their home (even though I had unannounced showed up at their door). Everyone thanked me.
That’s what stands out the most for me. I grew up in many of those apartments. Some of my childhood memories include hanging out in the halls with all the other kids who lived in the unit. No one that I recall took the time to meet me and my family, where we were at. That’s what these door-knocks are doing. We’re lucky enough to get out and meet people in their homes, where they are. And people are grateful that we are doing it.… Continue reading »
Now that the dust has settled, and all the ranked choice votes have been counted, we know that two longtime TakeAction Minnesota members have climbed another rung on the political ladder: Betsy Hodges will be Minneapolis’ next mayor, and Dai Thao will be joining the St. Paul City Council. Both of these candidates – and their campaigns – teach important lessons about what progressives need to do to win at the ballot box and set the stage for bigger change once in office.
First, people-powered campaigns matter. Both campaigns had the largest grassroots operations of any in their respective races. Both campaigns made grassroots organizing a key strategy. Just as important, both candidates inspired grassroots organizations and volunteers to volunteer their time. Alongside other endorsing groups, TakeAction Minnesota members contributed over 1,000 hours of volunteer time knocking on doors, dialing phones, and talking one-on-one with voters. We reached out to more than 17,000 households in our membership about our endorsed candidates. In any campaign, headlines and campaign ads get the most attention. But all of that is just noise if it isn’t backed up by thousands – and tens-of-thousands – of individual, personal conversations with voters about what matters in this election and why their support is crucial.… Continue reading »
From fair-housing advocates to felons, dozens of people lined up Tuesday to tell lawmakers that laws designed to give reformed offenders a second chance are failing and should be overhauled.
“If you or someone you know has a criminal record, please raise your hand,” Justin Terrell, a program manager for Justice 4 All, asked the crowded room at a legislative hearing Tuesday on state expungement laws designed to give deserving lower-level offenders a clean slate. Nearly every hand shot up, including those of some lawmakers on both sides.
Among the witnesses were Emily Souther, a 30-year-old mother from Spicer who can’t complete her nursing studies because of her juvenile record, and James Cannon, a counselor who said he found work only because an assault conviction stemming from a fight in college was successfully sealed.
The emerging theme: Despite their best efforts, offenders find it difficult to move on unless their records are sealed.
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