Dec. 1 Day of Absence: A clarion call for unity
By
Monica Moorehead
Published Nov 17, 2005 11:31 PM
The Dec. 1st National Day of Absence
mobilization against war, poverty and racism continues to galvanize support in
the progressive movement. It will mark the 50th anniversary of the arrest of
Rosa Parks, who on Dec. 1, 1955, refused to give up her seat to a white man on a
segregated bus in Montgomery, Ala.
Parks’ heroic action, along with
the determination of 40,000 Black people in the city to defeat segregationist
restrictions on the buses, helped to launch the modern-day civil rights movement
throughout the U.S. South during the 1950s and 1960s.
Parks died this
Oct. 24, at the age of 92, before she was able to witness this significant
milestone in the on-going struggle for the basic democratic rights of Black and
other people of color, who are still being treated overall as second-class
citizens.
Along with citing the 50th anniversary of the Montgomery bus
boycott, the National Day of Absence initiative is an attempt to unite various
movements that have been fragmented over a number of decades, particularly the
civil rights and the anti-war movements. The initiative calls for no work, no
school, no shopping—in other words, no business as usual—to bring
more heightened awareness about the connection between the heinous war and
racist occupation of Iraq and the deepening cutbacks, wage cuts and steady
decline of living standards for workers and the poor at home.
The
Hurricane Katrina crisis has helped to shine a special spotlight on the racism
and poverty that exist inside the U.S. and the criminal neglect of the
government. The main demands to be raised on Dec. 1 are: bring the troops home
now; cut the war budget, not health care, housing and education; justice for the
Hurricane Katrina survivors, including their right to return; military
recruiters out of the schools, and jobs at a living wage and the right to
organize in unions.
Over 1,000 organizations and individuals have endorsed
nationally coordinated actions around the country. These actions will be taking
place in Boston, Washington, D.C., Bremerton in Wash ing ton state, Crawford,
Tex., Raleigh, Atlanta, Detroit, Chicago, Los Angeles, Oakland, Buffalo and
other cities.
NY City Council to hold hearing
In New York
City, a Dec. 1 march and rally on Wall Street are being planned. March and sound
permits have been secured by the organizers. Wall Street is being politically
targeted because the central nervous system of U.S. finance capital is Wall
Street, home to the Fortune 500. Whatever political decisions come out of the
White House emanate from the economic decisions made on Wall Street, which are
driven to make profits and war, not to provide human needs.
A youth and
student walkout is being organized by the youth group, Fight Imperialism-Stand
Together (FIST) on Dec. 1. These young activists plan to march to Wall Street
following their rally at Union Square in Manhattan.
Charles Barron plus 11
other City Council members announced at an Oct. 27 news conference that they are
introducing a resolution to honor Rosa Parks on Dec. 1 . The resolution reads in
part, “Be it further resolved that the Council encourages all businesses
in the city, both public and private to either close on Dec. 1st, or allow the
many workers and students in the city who will want to attend Rosa Parks
Commemoration events taking place during normal business hours, to take the day
off, or leave work and school early with impunity.”
A public
hearing on this resolution will take place on Nov. 18 from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m.
at the City Hall Chambers, followed by a vote by the entire City Council.
Speakers will include civil rights veterans, trade unionists, students, anti-war
and community activists. The wording of this resolution is similar to one passed
unanimously by the Boston City Council on Oct. 26.
The Detroit City
Council passed a Day of Absence resolution during a Nov. 11-13 National
Conference to Feed the Cities, Starve the Pentagon, held in that majority Black
city.
A people’s victory was won in Baltimore after activists
mounted a campaign for the City Council to hold a public hearing on Nov. 16 and
allow testimony to be presented as to why a Day of Absence resolution should be
passed there. That pending bill reads in part, “For the purpose of
proclaiming 2005 as Rosa Parks Year in Baltimore City and joining the more than
1,000 national and local organizations sponsoring the Rosa Parks nationwide
‘Day of Absence’ in encouraging all public and private businesses
and educational institutions located in Baltimore City on Dec. 1, 2005, to
either close or allow their workers or attendees time off to attend Rosa Parks
Commemoration events taking place during the normal business hours without
sanctions.”
Go to www.troopsoutnow.org for more information on Dec.
1 actions in your area or to organize a local action.
Articles copyright 1995-2012 Workers World.
Verbatim copying and distribution of this entire article is permitted in any medium without royalty provided this notice is preserved.
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