Huddlers are community groups across the country that work in unison toward the initiatives born from the 2017 Women's March on Washington D.C.

Huddlers: Tennessee Black School Children Jailed, Education Funding Town Hall 🗺

Posted on by TheLight

By Ruth Holloway

Maryville Huddlers

ETE/politics/local-state

Week of October 24, 2021

 

Thurs, Oct 28th, at 7 PM is our monthly Huddle Meeting. 2030 Goals: How the Nature Conservancy is committed to conserving lands, waters, and ocean by 2030 globally and in East Tennessee  Alex Wyss, Director of Conservation Programs, TNC, will talk about how TNC is aligning its resources, starting in Tennessee and the Appalachians.
Zoom Meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89545888666?pwd=ZlMyQ2pBYVQwMG5pblNVdGt5RTdwUT09. Meeting ID: 895 4588 8666, Passcode: 061690. Facebook Event: https://fb.me/e/1n9V114BS

Also note that the Environment Working Group is going to meet quarterly from now on, with next meeting scheduled for Jan 12, 2021. Here are the minutes from their September meeting.

Actions for Week of October 24, 2021

  1. Arresting/Jailing Children in TN –  ProPublica and Nashville NPR reporters recently published an expose on the jailing of black children for a crime that doesn’t exist that started in 2016.  Children as young as 8 years old were arrested at their school in Rutherford County TN for witnessing a fight. The so-called crime was created by Judge Donna Davenport and overseen by Juvenile Detention Center under Lynn Duke. Locking up kids is big business for Rutherford County, which is centered around Murfreesboro. A class action suit was filed on behalf of the ~1450 kids jailed illegally and a settlement deadline is set for October 29th. So far only 200 people have filed eligible claims.

The ProPublica article is long and very horrifying but please take the time to read it. This incarceration process was only stopped because a federal judge intervened. However, judge Davenport has turned to other counties and contracted with them to house their juvenile offenders. It is interesting to note that Blount County has one of the higher juvenile incarceration rates for TN. Questions remain as to why the process wasn’t stopped sooner; why the judge remains in office and why she was only recently removed as adjunct faculty at MTSU; as well as why detention center supervisors and police officers were not sanctioned for their actions. The TN NAACP has issued this statement on the story.

Here are 3 actions you can take:

  1. You can request the Dept of Justice investigate this matter through this website  https://www.justice.gov/contact-us
  2. Here is a petition to sign.
  3. A complaint can be filed here with the TN Board of Judicial Conduct.
  4. When the NAACP decides what specific actions to take, those will be forwarded also.

 

  1. Petitions to Sign –
    1. This petition asks Congress to keep the investment in human infrastructure in the Economic Recovery bill currently under negotiation.
    2. This petition asks Congress to pass the bipartisan Global Nutrition & Prevention Act of 2021 (S.2956/HR.4693)
    3. ATT is the major financial backer of One America New, the 45-approved, ultraconservative news network. Consider signing this petition to ask ATT to remove their financial support of OAN.
  1. Good News!
    1. As many as 7 new offshore lease sales are planned by 2025 for the purpose of creating wind farms.
    2. The administration is moving to curtail PFAS, more commonly known as “forever chemicals,” which do not break down naturally and have turned up in water supplies of communities across the country.
    3. California is banning swine farrowing crates that restrict the movement of mother pigs, and will increase the total space provided from 14 to 24 sq. ft.
    4. A federal judge ruled that University of NC can consider race in its admissions process.
    5. This past week Vice-President Harris broke a 50-50 tie to confirm Catherine Lhamon to lead the Dept of Education’s Civil Rights office.
    6. A federal judge ruled Friday that Gov. Lee’s mask opt-out order violates federal law, so it remains blocked in Williamson County.
  1. Educate Yourself
    1. While Americans whine about wearing masks and getting vaccinated for the greater good, read about the incredible bravery of the men and women who formed the resistance movement inside Auschwitz.
    2. Here is an informative, interactive map showing broadband access across the USA by school district.
    3. Read Democracy Docket’s report on How the GOP Will Try To Subvert Our Elections.
    4. Learn about ongoing methane leaks in Russia.
    5. Did you know that 5 military advisors to Sen. Sinema have resigned?
    6. Read about the first all-Black team of mountaineers who will attempt to climb Mt. Everest?

 

Upcoming Events

See & bookmark this calendar:  https://sites.google.com/view/wmcethuddle/calendar?authuser=0

Oct. 24-27th, Sun-Wed Midnight-11:30 PM: Maryville College Southern Circuit Film Series: And So I Stayed. This is the story of how the legal system gets domestic violence wrong. It is a moving portrait of Kim, Tanisha, and Nikki, three survivors whose strikingly similar stories are separated by over 30 years. None of them were believed, and each of them was criminalized for fighting back. This film is free and can be viewed online anytime during these 4 days. Click on this link, scroll down to “purchase ticket”, register by entering your email address, create an account and click on preorder. A link to the movie will be sent to you.

Oct. 27th, Wed 7-8:15PM: Feminist Futures Webinar: Resistance and Defiance.  For more information and to sign up visit here. Nov. 3rd, Wed 7-8:15PM: Feminist Futures Webinar: Women’s Work and a Feminist Economy. To sign up visit here. Sponsored by Women’s March Coalition.

Oct. 28th, Thurs 7-9 PM: Maryville Huddle Meeting: 2030 Goals and guest speaker Alex Wyss, Director of Conservation at TN Nature Conservancy on How The Nature Conservancy is committed to conserving lands, waters and ocean by 2030 globally and in East Tennessee .Zoom link https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89545888666?pwd=ZlMyQ2pBYVQwMG5pblNVdGt5RTdwUT09. Meeting ID: 895 4588 8666, Passcode: 061690.

Nov 2nd, Tues 6PM: Town Hall on State Education Funding. Location: Student Union Ballroom, 1502 Cumberland Ave Knoxville. Also online through TN Dept Education’s Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/TennesseeEducation . For information and a list of committees and other meetings: www.tn.gov/education/tnedufunding It is important for the public to pay attention to these meetings because the steering committee is composed of all Republicans.

Nov 3rd, Wed Noon. Virtual Blount County Watershed Alliance Meeting. For information contact jkonkel@blounttn.org .

ABOUT Huddlers: On January 21st, 2017, the first day of Trump’s presidency, millions of women from across the country took to the streets for the first Women’s March. From there, the Women’s March Coalition and Huddles were formed. The Maryville Huddle East Tennessee organized a community, issue-based Huddle to sustain the movement ignited on that day. To find or establish a Huddle near you, go to womensmarch.com.

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