We Shall Overcome: Politics in the 21st Century

date:1/18/00

As the coronation of George III approaches, there's a feeling in the air that maybe folk music will prove it's not dead. Maybe.

Anyone going to Washington to protest at the inauguration? Whether you're passionate about poverty at home, foreign affairs or campaign and election reform, there'll be a group there trying to make its voice heard. Folkies might be interested in the Kensington Welfare Rights Union's planned protest and their petition accusing the U.S. of economic human rights violations. I've pasted their press release with info about these violations and details about the planned protest below.

Here are some other interesting internet sites if you're gearing up for a protest:
Voter Rights March: http://www.VoterMarch.org/
Songs of Freedom (NYC Cable and webcast TV show): http://joellandy.tripod.com/

If you're going, you might want to brush up on the verses to "We Shall Overcome." The song, written in the 60's by committee, was submitted by one of our readers as his pick for Song of the 20th Century. You can read a fascinating history of this classic protest song at:
http://www.umr.org/SFhym815.htm

And of course, you'll want to bring your copy of Rise Up Singing, edited by Pete Seeger et al. and published by Sing Out!. It's only got every classic protest and sing-along song ever written.

If you can't make it to Washington, maybe you can make it to Hartford, CT on the following weekend for the People's Music Network conference (Jan 26-28). This organization of Birkenstock wearing folkies is one of the few groups dedicated to the intersection of activisim and music.
http://peoplesmusic.tripod.com/

KWRU Plans on Protesting the Inauguration of President Bush in DC on January 20th

The Kensington Welfare Rights Union is organizing a delegation to attend the protests of the Presidential Inauguration in Washington DC on January 20. Buses are leaving the KWRU office in Philadelphia (2825 North 5th Street) at 6:30 am on January 20th. Or, you can join us in DC. Exact location we are meeting will be announced closer to the date. If you are interesting in joining us, please call our office at 215/203-1945 or email us at kwru@libertynet.org.

KWRU members will be participating in the protests as human rights monitors. We want the world to know that President-Elect Bush, as well as Wisconsin Gov. Tommy Thompson (who Bush has named to head the Department of Health and Human Services) are human rights violators. Thompson's shredding of the social safety net in the name of "welfare reform" in Wisconsin was the model for the national "welfare reform" law of 1996. Bush whole-heartedly supports these policies, which are among the most regressive laws of this century.

Since January of 1996, over 2.1 million families (6 million individual recipients) were forced off of welfare. One third of those who left welfare are unable to find work, and report no earnings at all. The average yearly earnings of people who left welfare range from $2,980 to $13,444, well below the poverty level. Half say they worried that food would not last until the end of the month, or report skipping meals in the last year.

Welfare reform also affects the wages of already low paying jobs. Among the lowest third of jobs in the labor force, welfare reform is projected to cut average wages by 11.9%, from an average of $7.19/hour before workfare to $5.47 after workfare. America has the highest poverty rate and the largest disparity between rich and poor of any industrialized nation. All of this is happening amidst a booming economy and unparalleled abundance in our country.

The United States signed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948. This document guarantees the human rights due to every human being, including food, housing, and living wage jobs. Welfare reform violates articles 23, 25 and 26 of the UDHR. We have filed an economic human rights petition before the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights against the United States government for violations against the poor.

The KWRU can be contacted at: kwru@libertynet.org

Hugh Blumenfeld, Editor
hugh@balladtree.com