October 6, 2011 Last week's Right to the City (RTTC) Member Congress and Take Back Boston events showed the power of community-building in a shared experience filled with determination, solidarity and love. We opened with a convening of member groups in RTTC on Thursday, leading up to two days of massive actions and rallies calling out the corporate greed, predatory lending practices and disinvestment that have decimated lower-income communities and communities of color. On Friday, we marched with over 3,000 people from across the country to demand an end to foreclosures, full funding for youth jobs and local hiring for green jobs, culminating in a demonstration and civil disobedience action at Bank of America. Saturday, we held events in the Four Corners neighborhood of Dorchester that included a block party for residents. Our friends at City Live/Vida Urbana took back a foreclosed home, cleaning, decorating and holding it for the father and son who were evicted a year ago. Our REEP Youth Organizers, along with many tireless residents and volunteers, cleared a lot that had been abandoned for at least 40 years to build raised bed gardens for the neighborhood. The dedication of these gardens launched our new food justice campaign, Grow or Die. Our deepest gratitude to everyone for marching with us, cleaning the lot, shoveling dirt and compost and of course, to ACE members for all your support.
Shout out to participating groups! RTTC Members: Boston Workers Alliance (MA) Causa Justa/Just Cause (CA) City Life/Vida Urbana (MA) Community Voices Heard (NYC) CPA (MA) CPA (CA) DARE (RI) East LA Community Corp (CA) Esperanza Community Housing Corp (CA) FIERCE (NY) FUREE (NY) GOLES (NY) KIWA (CA) Miami Worker Center (FL) MOM (NY) Olneyville Neighborhood Association (RI) Picture the Homeless (NY) POWER (CA) Power U Center (FL) QEJ (NYC) Safe Streets/Strong Communities (LA)
South Florida JWJ / Vecinos Unidos (FL) Tenants & Workers United (DC) Union de Vecinos (CA) Virgina New Majority (VA) VOCAL NY (NY) WeACT (NY) Resource allies: Anita Sinha (DC) Data Center (CA) Graduate Center CUNY (NY) Urban Justice Center (NY)
And thanks to the hundreds who came by bus from NYC and Rhode Island to join the festivities!