On Wednesday, February 27th, I was welcomed to the Blue Grass Airport in Lexington, Kentucky, by a host committee of snow flurries and grey skies that completely misspoke the wonderful things in store during my and Rodney’s visit with Kentuckians for the Commonwealth, Kentucky Jobs with Justice, and the Fairness Campaign.
First on the agenda was my visit to the State Capitol for the Restoration of Voting Rights for Former Felons Lobby Day. As I walked into the Capitol Annex Building Room 111 to meet KFTC staff, it was as if I was walking into a well-oiled machine. Amidst a steady stream of members, volunteers, and staff all scurrying to get to their appointments with various State Legislators on House Bill 70, I was immediately approached by KFTC Organizing Director, Lisa Abbott. She introduced me to KFTC staff and oriented me on the bill.
Recognizing that time was of the essence, Lisa quickly put me to work. Paired with their Tax and Economic Justice Organizer Jessica Hays Lucas, I left room 111 with a folder in hand and four appointments with State Senators. Even though this was my first time learning about HB 70, their orientation folder was impeccable. Contained inside the red folder were easy to comprehend handouts including: “Tips for Effective Lobbying: Making your voice heard in Frankfort!” and “Talking Points: Restoration of Voting Rights for Former Felons.” There also was a direct action piece; a postcard for members to mail to the Senate President, Speaker of the House, Governor, and their own Representative and Senator urging them to restore the vote. All in all, they were stocked up with great educational and communication tools.
After we met with some of Kentucky’s State Representatives, I attended a rally in the Capitol Rotunda. My immediate impression was, “Wow!” Not only was it standing room only, but the majority of the seats were filled with people directly impacted by the bill and members of the Voting Rights Coalition, including members of KFTC and KYJwJ.
Having taken part in prior lobbying efforts, I came to the rally with preconceived notions of talking heads who could muster little to no energy from the crowd. My initial impressions were shattered. The room was replete with people wildly waving signs that read, “Right to Vote, Pass Bill HB 70.” A KFTC member, Tayna Fogle, worked the crowd by starting chants like “Bring out the Governor!” and “Pass the Bill with No Amendments!” Her leadership and energy created a ripe environment for the speakers who came to testify about the bill.
From hearing their stories, I came away with a rich understanding of why it’s so important to connect voter work and community organizing. By registering people to vote, and educating them about their voting rights, people are more likely to engage with their communities in ways that create a more just environment for all. And the rally exemplified this point beautifully. At the conclusion of the day, I left the Capitol excited to see what that the rest of my visit had to offer.
Day 2
Friday morning began with a meeting with Kentucky Jobs with Justice’s Attica Scott and Fairness Campaign’s Darnell Johnson. Over a delicious spread of pancakes, oatmeal, sausage and toast at a Cracker Barrel Restaurant in Louisville, Attica and Darnell discussed their work: both as individual organizations and as organizations aligned in a statewide alliance.
This was a critical conversation for Pushback to take part in. From talking with Attica and Darnell, we developed a better understanding of the nature of their work and what resources were needed to get their operations to scale. Attica and Darnell eloquently elucidated the relationship-building that occurred between KFTC, FC, and KYJwJ, the strategies employed to work across differences, as well as the challenges they face with voter contact and getting to scale.
At the culmination of the meeting, Rodney and I walked away with a clearer understanding of the resources we needed to raise in order to strengthen this alliance. Not only was it of import for us to fundraise for a dedicated Pushback staff member for KYJwJ, but we also needed to help FC craft a communications strategy that relayed the importance of participating in a network such as Pushback.
From Cracker Barrel to the Northside Branch Public Library, we said goodbye to Attica and Darnell and headed over to Lexington to meet with KFTC staff Burt Lauderdale, Lisa Abbott, Dave Newton, and member Jenn Myatt. This meeting was similar in tone in that it centered around KFTC’s work, discussing both its’ organizational model and how their work connects to the State Alliance. Burt shared with us the three main thrusts of KFTC’s work: leadership development, lobbying in the legislature, and being a multi-issue organization. Described as the heart of the organization, Burt took us through what local organizing and leadership development looks like for KFTC.
To build leadership among their members, they use a variety of trainings including a spokesperson training, a lobbying training, and a grassroots organizing training. They also discussed their voter engagement and participation work. We learned how they conduct voter registration, the number of contacts they make with voters, and the database they use to keep track of their contacts.
Above and beyond their voter work, we were educated on their organizational struggles. They talked with us about communications. More specifically, they had questions around what messages to use at the door since national issues were not the same issues for Kentuckians on a state level. They also struggled with their rural empowerment program.
And like most organizations in the PBN mix, there were database issues, i.e. how to integrate their existing database with voter registration. Just like the meeting between KYJwJ and FC, this conversation brought to light the steps Pushback needed to take to help strengthen their program. Again, we saw the need for PBN to fundraise for additional organizers, as well as help find ways for KFTC to gain access to voter lists and figure out the legal system within the context of C3/C4 work.
Needless to say, by the end of Friday, Rodney and I were so thankful for the opportunity to speak with each organization. These rich conversations filled us with an urgency related to building and enhancing Pushback’s national program to meet the needs of our partner organizations.
Our Final Day
Our last day in Kentucky was spent in the hollows, seeing first-hand the devastation of mountain top removal on local communities. Lisa Abbott, Rodney, and I drove to the home of Truman, a member of KFTC who was prominent in their mountain top removal campaign. Just driving to his home was a powerful experience. The start of the drive was majestic. All of us remarked on the beautiful landscape and the feeling of being embraced by the mountains. Feelings of embrace and serenity were quickly dashed as we approached the sites of mountain top removal.
Nearing Truman’s home, we noticed coal trucks making a mad dash down the two-lane highway we were traveling on. More terrifying than the speeding coal trucks was the barren landscape. It was as if someone turned a blow torch to the mountains—destroying the trees and turning everything barren. A somberness enveloped the car as we looked in disbelief at the environmental destruction caused by the coal industry.
Inside Truman’s home, we met with KFTC members who were directly impacted by mountain top removal. These men talked about the injustices they experienced at the hands of the coal industry. For example, they talked about the unlawful taking of their land, the contamination of their water supply, and the loss of jobs. From Truman’s home, we traveled to a mountain top removal site marked with signs that read, “Warning Blasting Area: Explosives in Use!”
It was devastating to see the effects of a government that neither cared for nor was concerned with their constituents’ safety. The lack of governmental accountability was made abundantly clear in the hollows of Eastern Kentucky and really elucidated the need of networks like Pushback who are trying to create a true democracy; one powered through the people and not at the expense of the people!
And yet, as abysmal as the situation is for these local communities, we saw a specter of hope when the members spoke about their testifying at lobbying days in Frankfort. We saw hope in the people speaking out about kicking the coal industry off their land after they learned about their legal rights. We saw hope in the people coming together to discuss their common struggle. And it was this powerful demonstration of community that made an indelible impression as I left Kentucky.
Come rain or snow, I will gladly return to Kentucky to learn more about how PBN can help our Kentucky State Alliance build to scale to fight harder, fight stronger, fight smarter and finally win!
–Reported to Pushbacknetwork.org by Brigid Flaherty, Pushback Network, Los Angeles
What an honor to work with all of you!
