Marguerite Casey Foundation builds power in communities through the Alabama Equal Voice Network
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Alabama Institute for Social Justice
Written by
Lenice C. Emanuel, MLA
Executive Director
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Knowledge is
Power
is a blog by the Alabama Institute for Social Justice offering information, stories, and thoughts to inspire, educate, and empower.
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Marguerite Casey Foundation builds power in communities through the Alabama Equal Voice Network
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On Saturday, January 25, 2020, the Alabama Equal Voice Network (AEVN) hosted its first conference entitled Claim Your Community Power. The event was held in Birmingham, Alabama, and attended by over 150 grassroots organizers and leaders from across the state of Alabama. The AEVN is funded by the
Marguerite Casey Foundation (MCF)
, which is dedicated to helping low-income families strengthen their voice and mobilize their communities to achieve a more just and equitable society for all. Comprised of seven Alabama nonprofits, which are Alabama Institute for Social Justice (AISJ),
Greater Birmingham Ministries (GBM)
,
Alabama Coalition for Immigrant Justice (ACIJ)
,
The Women’s Fund of Greater Birmingham
,
Alabama Arise
,
VOICES for Alabama’s Children
, and
Hispanic Interest Coalition of Alabama (¡HICA!)
, the AEVN works to train emerging leaders across the state of Alabama, focusing on the needs of historically disenfranchised individuals and communities, to ensure important issues are brought forth and made part of state policy efforts.
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The conference was kicked off with a powerful message from MCF board member Dr. Jack Thomas, who encouraged attendees to forge ahead with the understanding that through courageous activism and unyielding determination, real change is possible. As a product of Lowndes County, Alabama, one of the poorest counties in the state, Dr. Thomas is a testament to the power of unyielding determination, and his riveting speech set the tone for a day filled with extraordinary exchanges and unbridled energy.
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Along with the exciting plenary session, the AEVN Conference provided training on understanding the power of our voices in legislative advocacy, expanding Medicaid, breaking down barriers to voting, the status of child care in Alabama, immigration issues, Census 2020, and how to fund our community power. Without question, this convening was rich with information, inspirational, and empowering. More than ever, it is important that Alabamians come together to create a state where economic, political, and social equity exists for everyone. In order to achieve this, we must work together across divergent backgrounds and experiences, with the understanding that we are all impacted by our state’s quality of life indicators and the dearth of opportunity afforded to those living within marginalized communities. Alabamians deserve to live in a state where all children have access to quality child care, where people from every walk of life feel safe and secure, where poverty rates are not greater than the national average, where voter rights are not under threat, and where every person is empowered to be counted. Based on feedback from the AEVN Claim Your Community Power Conference, this is the state that Alabamians want and merit.
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As an organization that is dedicated to mobilizing communities, AISJ is proud of its affiliation with AEVN and grateful to MCF for its leadership in building power in communities by investing in organizations that are dedicated to improving the lives of individuals, families, and children. We continue to believe that there is power in numbers and that in togetherness, anything is possible.
To learn more about the Alabama Equal Voice Network,
click here
.
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ALABAMA EQUAL VOICE NETWORK
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