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Will community organizers have a voice in Washington? In December 2007, at the Heartland Forum in Iowa five presidential candidates including Hillary Clinton, Chris Dodd, John Edwards, Dennis Kucinich and Barack Obama spoke to a crowd of thousands of community leaders and activists and voiced their support for community change. Obama was particularly outspoken and said he’d meet with community organizers not only during the first 100 days of his administration but also during the transition.
Whether he keeps his promise or not, on December 4, more than 2,000 community organizers are gathering in Washington, D.C. to talk directly with elected officials--demanding a place at the table and a voice in shaping public policy. The event, Realizing the Promise, will be broadcast from 3-6 pm EST on December 4. You can watch it live here.
On GRITtv we'll find out how community activists plan turn their vision into real policy changes with Sally Kohn, Director of the Movement Vision Project of the Center for Community Change, Desiree Pilgrim-Hunter, Co-Chair of the Board of the Northwest Bronx Community and Clergy Coalition, and Christopher Hayes, Washington D.C. Editor of The Nation Magazine and a fellow at the New America Foundation.
Followed by a word from Jay Smooth of The Ill Doctrine. (He says it's time to Get Back To Work.)