We Have the Power – FV@W Network Members Join Day of Peaceful Action for Our Families
On Saturday, July 26, members of the Family Values @ Work (FV@W) Network will join other organizations in nationwide protests across the country. United under the umbrella Families First, several groups, including immigrants, caregivers, and racial justice activists, are coming together to conduct peaceful rallies in all 50 US states as well as Washington, DC. The goal of the events is simple: Tell the White House, Congress, and other key officials that families, not the wealthy and elite, must be protected and that the government should enact policies that do so. Most importantly, these actions are a signal to the current administration that their attempts to dismantle US democracy and safeguards intended to protect working and other vulnerable people will not be passively accepted. These mobilizations are acts of courage, a united front meant to show that the American people will neither be idle nor intimidated. As Yarrow Willman-Cole, program director at New Jersey Citizen Action said, these collective actions show that “together we have less to fear and we have the power — the power to resist, share our stories, and make our voices heard.”
The reconciliation bill (HR 1), which President Trump signed into law on July 4, will add $3.4 trillion to the national debt over the next decade. Advocacy coordinator Lily James, of the Maine Women’s Lobby, calls the bill “one of the most devastating pieces of federal legislation of a generation.” And that’s not an overstatement. The bill not only sacrifices the economic stability of the working class in exchange for tax breaks for the rich, it also makes catastrophic cuts to crucial programs that working people, families, and other marginalized groups rely on. For example, government spending on Medicaid, Medicare, and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) will be cut by more than $1 trillion. This will likely result in more than 10 million people, including the elderly and the disabled, losing some, if not all, of their health insurance benefits. The impact on workers in critical but low-paying industries also can’t be ignored. According to FV@W board member, Samuel Jones, “72% of Medicaid recipients work in the leisure and hospitality industry and in food-service and food-preparation occupations. These cuts to Medicaid will be catastrophic for restaurant and food-service workers.” Also, SNAP, which provides families with food assistance and funding for school breakfast programs, will be cut by 20%, leaving many scrambling to find new ways to feed their children.
Much of the money from these and other programs will be channeled toward the current administration’s military budget, which funds Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). ICE has been given more than $170 billion in additional money, which will allow it to escalate the number of raids and (unlawful) detainments it conducts on immigrant populations. Though the economic impact of the continued assault on immigrants cannot be understated, the harm done cannot be understood only through the lens of money. These actions are traumatizing, mentally, physically, and emotionally. “Immigrants and communities of color are being paralyzed with fear that masked federal agents are going to show up and drag [them] from their homes, schools, and workplaces without due process,” said Isaiah Fenichel, lead network organizer for Citizen Action New York.
Given the sweeping devastation of this legislation, the Families First peaceful demonstrations, and others like them, are imperative, especially between election cycles. These mobilizations put people in conversation with one another, helping them realize how fights are connected. They’re also opportunities to build coalitions across issues and platforms. As Salandra Benton of the Black Women’s Roundtable put it, “Relationships are important. It’s not what you can do for me; it’s about what we can do together.”
The Families First Day of Peaceful Action is a chance to show Benton’s remarks in practice and see all that can be accomplished when organizations unite to stand up to a common foe. “We’re organizing across the country, from Minneapolis to Raleigh, bringing together small-business owners, farmers, and community allies to fight for what we need: a healthcare system that works, childcare that is affordable, paid family and medical leave, access to capital for not just the well connected, a tax code that rewards entrepreneurship, not corporate consolidation, and enforcement of our antitrust laws,” said the Main Street Alliance’s Shawn Phetteplace.
There are many ways to get involved. Families First has provided a map highlighting the locations and times of all coordinated activities for July 26, including the vigil in Washington, DC. For marches, rallies, and other mobilizations beyond the Day of Peaceful Action, consider joining or becoming involved with one of the many Families First partners, including members of the FV@W Network, after Saturday’s events.
Now is the time to reaffirm your commitment to children, families, and your community by challenging the harmful actions of President Trump and Congress, showing solidarity with like-minded folks and organizations, and expressing the commitment to protecting each other first — and always.
