Nonprofits Form Social Justice Network in Westchester

WHITE PLAINS, NY— Over a dozen Westchester community groups and non-profits have formed a network, the Westchester Social Justice Community (WSJC), and they already have two events planned.

“Community Voices Heard of Hudson Valley welcomes the formation of the WSJC network," Juanita Lewis, Hudson Valley Organizing Director for Community Voices Heard said in an announcement about the network's founding. "Communities of color in Westchester County will be among the most severely impacted by the new administration; our aim is to fight the everyday systems of oppression that exploit low-income people of color and, instead, strive to build a society based upon racial equality and social and economic justice. The WSJC network can help us accomplish our goals by providing more coordination and support from other groups.”

Participating Organizations:

• Community Voices Heard
• Concerned Families of Westchester
• Food & Water Watch
• Hudson Valley Community Coalition
• Knowdrones.com
• Lower Hudson Valley Progressive Action Network
• Mount Vernon United Tenants
• Indivisible Westchester
• Prevent Gun Violence—Westchester
• Up and Up Action Initiative
• WESPAC Foundation
• Westchester for Change

On Monday, members of the network and other residents will gather for the first “Justice Monday” at noon at the fountain in the Renaissance Plaza at the intersection of Main Street and Mamaroneck Avenue in White Plains to highlight the need to protect the 20 million Americans who could lose health care if the Affordable Care Act is repealed.

Event organizers said the public is welcome to attend. Please do not bring any signs on sticks or poles.

Simultaneously, the WSJC is announcing a forum May 13 where participants will learn how to promote an agenda that fosters human dignity for all and how to hold public officials accountable for fostering such an agenda.

More information about the event will become available closer to the date.

The leaders and organizers of the member organizations of WSJC said they feel an urgent need to coordinate their efforts effectively and to be mutually supportive. If the new presidential administration’s first week is any indication of how it will govern, human rights, civil liberties and hard-fought progressive victories will be under attack, organizers said.

“WESPAC is happy to join WSJC," Nada Khader, Director of WESPAC Foundation, said. "Since the election, our immediate focus has been to make Westchester County a sanctuary community—where all people can find human dignity and can find a refuge from deportations, gentrification, excessive police use of force, unemployment, inadequate health care and racial inequity. We welcome the support and participation of members of other groups in this effort.”

In addition, state and local progressive goals, like the most recent call to ban gun shows at the County Center, will continue to need to be addressed, organizers said.

While each organization has its own particular mission, organizers believe this new collaboration will create a more powerful footprint on policy issues in the minds of the public and elected officials.

The WSJC welcomes other organizations that are not listed to join this collaboration.

PHOTO: Rally in late November in White Plains to "Make Westchester a Sanctuary" inspired the organizers to form the new network./ contributed