As Jews around the world observe the High Holy Days, I want to take a moment to share a teaching that I believe is relevant to all of us doing the work of justice.
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Announcing the ECCO School of Prophetic Action!
Dear Friends,
I am very excited to announce that we are embarking on a powerful new initiative: The ECCO School of Prophetic Action!
What is the ECCO School of Prophetic Action?
A series of in-person, interactive trainings that will give our community the skills and knowledge we need to win justice on the North Shore. These trainings will be a great way to connect with ECCO’s diverse community, learn critical skills, and gain the training you need to make an impact on housing, immigration, police reform, and other issues.
The training’s name, coined by our partners at Brockton Interfaith, speaks to the work we will be doing: Cultivating our prophetic voice, skills and strategy so that we can act powerfully together.
What will the training focus on?
This series will give you practical skills to make your organizing as effective and powerful as possible. The list of training topics is being finalized now, but skills will likely include:
Sharing your own personal story as a way of building authentic relationships and inspiring others to action
Recruiting and developing new leaders into strong teams
Doing power analysis to develop strategy & influence decision makers
Turning out large numbers of people to hearings and public actions
Leading powerful meetings with community leaders and politicians
Integrating antiracist practices into our work.
Who is the training for?
Whether you are new to ECCO, haven’t been involved in a while, or are a seasoned team leader this space is for you. Please also invite members of your congregation and community who have wondered how to get involved in ECCO’s work - this is the moment! I cannot wait to dig into learning, connecting, and honing our skills together.
When and where will the training take place?
When: 6-8 PM Wednesdays Nov. 2, Nov. 9, Nov. 16, Nov. 30, Dec. 7, and Dec. 14.
Where: ECCO congregations across our network. Exact locations to be shared soon. We will ask that participants be masked during the training sessions to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
Register today at Bit.ly/eccotraining!
Lynn Residents Sign This Petition: Tell Mayor Nicholson to Increase ARPA Funds for Housing!
We at ECCO know from our research that housing is the #1 concern for families struggling in Lynn right now. And we need to make our voices heard around the clock! Any Lynn resident can sign our petition for the ARPA funds to be used to invest in housing solutions that serve directly impacted communities.
If you live in Lynn, go to www.eccoaction.org/lynn-housing to sign a petition demonstrating community support for putting ARPA funds into housing - and share it with your friends and family!! Every signature brings us close to our goal.
ECCO staff and board members at the Boat Cruise ©Fincah Atamian-Matos/MCAN
In a Space of 24 Hours
This week, in a space of 24 hours, I had the privilege of attending not one but two gatherings that reminded me of why I am so proud to be part of ECCO – the ECCO Boat Cruise and the Work and Family Mobility Act bill signing at the State House. In combination, these two events remind me that the ECCO community is not only effective in pursuing justice but also joyful, connected, and caring across so many lines of difference.
The Boat Cruise
On Sunday, there was the ECCO Boat Cruise, which was a memorable opportunity to connect with people across ECCO's diverse community and dance ourselves ragged through conga lines, a soul train, and all manner of line-dancing.
We are so grateful to everyone who made this year's cruise possible, and helped us create the most diverse and most financially successful boat cruise in recent history, raising over $9000 for ECCO! Thank you!
In particular, we want to thank our Boat Cruise sponsors for making the cruise so successful. See our list of sponsors here.
Witnessing History in the Making
ECCO staff and leaders at the Drivers’ Licenses Bill Signing
Less than 24 hours after our Boat Cruise, ECCO leaders and staff had the honor of attending the State House signing ceremony for the historic Work and Family Mobility Act bill, which will allow trained drivers to get drivers' licenses regardless of immigration status. Together, our coalition partners and legislators chanted "Si se puede? Si se pudo!" "Yes we can? Yes we did!"
Looking around the room, it was truly inspiring to realize that this bill only passed because of the commitment and collaboration of thousands of local leaders over 20 years. It reminds me that even when change sometimes seems impossible, with perseverance and good organizing, we can win in the long run. I hope we can hold this memory close and remind ourselves of this victory when things get hard.
Click here to read Marlon and Aviva from ECCO speak about the meaning of this victory in El Planeta newspaper.
Victory in the House!
The Massachusetts House of Representatives voted 120-36 in favor of the Work and Family Mobility Act.
Big Victory at the State House!
Yesterday the Massachusetts House of Representatives voted 120-36 in favor of the Work and Family Mobility Act, which would grant undocumented immigrants access to driver's licenses in MA!! Although the fight for licenses isn’t over yet, this is a HUGE triumph for people power. Members of the ECCO community have been working toward this moment for more than sixteen years. This victory belongs to all of us.
It is hard to even describe how transformative licenses would be. It would mean that members of our community could finally get to work, take their family members to the hospital in emergencies, and get their kids to school without fear on the roads.
ECCO Leaders at the State House in 2018 Fighting for Drivers' Licenses at the Children's March
What Happens Next with This Bill
Thanks to all your work and support the vote makes a veto-proof majority very likely, so that even if Gov. Baker vetoes the bill it should be able to pass. But we aren't at the end of the road. Next, the bill heads to the State Senate for a vote. We'll let you know of action steps you can take to support.
Please come and let's get together in community over zoom on Sunday!
¡La lucha sigue! The fight continues!
Isabel Lopez
ECCO Racial Justice Organizer
Housing Justice, Rebirth, Resurrection, and Redemption!
Passover and Easter blessings / How to take action on housing justice!
To the Christians in the ECCO community, I hope you experienced a blessed Easter. To our Jewish community members, chag Pesach sameach, may you continue to have a joyful Passover.
Both Passover and Easter tell stories of dramatic reversals. One moment we face death and despair, and then next miraculous return to life, whether by resurrection or redemption from enslavement. Though it is easy to think of our holiday stories as ancient history, I see them as an invitation toward imagining that a new world is possible. In the Passover Seder, we say aloud, “In every generation, everyone must feel as if s/he were going forth from Egypt.” In other words, we must see ourselves in the story and work toward liberation wherever we find ourselves.
Rev. Channing E. Phillips (Left), Rabbi Arthur Waskow, and Topper Carew on April 4, 1969, the night of the first Freedom Seder. At Freedom Seders, Jews of many racial backgrounds come together with Black Christians and Muslims to celebrate Passover as a call to liberation in modern times. Courtesy of Rabbi Waskow
At the ECCO Community Meeting last week, it was a blessing to hear the success stories that members of our ECCO housing research teams shared that remind us that ORGANIZING WORKS in addressing housing injustice. Together, we identified common struggles and common potential solutions across Essex county and made plans to continue educating ourselves and our communities on these issues. We also received several important calls to action for the upcoming weeks.
Whatever festivals you celebrate, I hope they - and the rebirth that is Springtime - can strengthen you with a sense of hope and possibility, and inspire you to take action to manifest the world as it should be. See below to join us as we take action together!
ACTION: Lynn Unarmed Crisis Response Briefing - Let's Pack the Room!
When: Wednesday, May 4, 2022, 6:00-8:00PM
What: A briefing on the vision, the need and the benefits of independent unarmed crisis response. Join us to hear Mariela Ruiz-Angel, Director of the Community Safety Department of Albuquerque, New Mexico share her experience of building a separate city department of unarmed crisis responders that works. Hear also from members of the Lynn Racial Justice Coalition, leaders from Lynn community outreach and mental health organizations, and Lynn residents share their perspectives on why Lynn needs an independent unarmed crisis response team. Also, bring your questions for the Q&A period. Ultimately, join us to pack the room to show that we care about this issue and want to see an independent unarmed response team in Lynn now!
Where:
If you are a Lynn resident, to pack the Sanctuary room, join us in person at Bethel AME Church located at 72 Silsbee Street in Lynn. Masks are required.
If you are not a Lynn resident or prefer to join virtually, to pack the Zoom room, join using this Zoom Link (meeting ID: 881 1795 5020; Passcode: 238435).
The meeting will also be live streamed to the Bethel AME Church Facebook Page
Continue our housing campaign work with your local team!
Below is a list of the upcoming local team meetings for housing. To be connected to your local team leaders contact Rabbi Margie: mklein@eccoaction.org. If you are already connected to a local team and waiting for zoom information, it will be provided a few days before the meeting.
Salem: Monday 5/2, 7:30-9:00 PM
Beverly: Tuesday 5/3, 6:00-7:30 PM
Swampscott: Monday 5/9, 5:30-7:00 PM
Cape Ann: Monday 5/9, 6:30-8:00 PM
Marblehead: Tuesday 5/10, 5:30-7:00 PM
Hamilton and Wenham: Wednesday 5/11, 6:00-7:30 PM
Lynn: Date being determined. Contact Isabel Lopez (ilopez@eccoaction.org) or Marven Hyppolite (marven@eccoaction.org) to get looped in.
Peabody: Date being determined. Contact Isabel Lopez (ilopez@eccoaction.org) to get looped in.
Join Our Cross-ECCO Housing Education Team!
Interested in working together to engage our communities in action toward just housing through education and storytelling? Join our new education team that will work together to form a plan that can be adapted across ECCO for each of our communities. Click here if you wish to join. ( If you volunteered for the team at the community meeting, you should have already received an email from us!)
Keep an Eye Out for the ECCO Clergy Sermon Swap
Throughout the month of May, ECCO clergy will be visiting each others’ congregations to share the moral imperative for affordable housing in the language of our many faith traditions. We will publish a full list of dates and locations ahead of time so that you can follow, but for now take a look at this list of participating congregations and clergy. If you have questions or want to get your congregation involved, contact Rev. Bernadette at revbernadette@eccoaction.org.
Blessings,
Rabbi Margie Klein Ronkin
ECCO Executive Director
Ramadan Mubarak / Community Meeting
This past week marked the beginning of Ramadan, the Muslim holy month of fasting, prayerful introspection, service to others, and gathering with family and community. To our Muslim community members, we wish you a Ramadan Mubarak, a blessed Ramadan.
Next week, as Muslims observe Ramadan and Jews and Christians prepare to celebrate their Spring festivals of liberation and rebirth, ECCO will come together as a community to rededicate ourselves to the possibilities of transformation that come when we work together faithfully for change.
ECCO Community Meeting
When: Tuesday April 12, 6:00-7:30 PM
Where: Virtual - click here to register.
What: Join us at the ECCO community meeting to reconnect and share exciting updates on our campaign work regarding Affordable Housing, Unarmed Crisis Response, and Immigration. We will also discuss action steps toward educating our local communities about the reality of housing injustice and the need for big change in how we think about affordable housing.
Wishing you blessings for a peaceful weekend and a Shabbat shalom,
Aviva Herr-Welber, ECCO Racial Justice Organizer
Moving Forward Powerfully! Will you join us April 12?
We completed our first big step in Affordable Housing campaign discernment. Come to the community meeting to get looped in!
We are moving forward powerfully in our local research on affordable housing!
Last week we completed our first big step: We have now held local housing team launches for Salem, Lynn, Swampscott, Marblehead, Hamilton-Wenham, Beverly, Peabody, and Cape Ann.
More than 80 of you - ECCO community members from across our congregations - attended these launch meetings. Wow! At the meetings we shared the struggles we are experiencing with affordable housing and planned together for how our campaigns, and the research we do now, can have the greatest impact. We began building a vision of what our communities would be like if we all had the housing we needed. Let’s celebrate the completion of this first powerful step!
Photo of an alleyway painted with the words “Housing is a Human Right.”
Photo credit: Megan Wilson
What's happening now?
Over the coming month local housing teams are researching! We are carrying out the research actions that we identified at our launch meetings. In each city and town we are talking to local stakeholders and potential partners to identify how we can act most effectively and in a way that is coordinated across ECCO.
Leaders on each team are also talking to neighbors, friends and congregation members and inviting them to join our local teams. We can’t win unless we keep building our power.
(If you want to get connected to a local team or you need research support, reply to this email so we can connect.)
Meanwhile, ECCO clergy members are preparing for a Sermon Swap to teach about the moral imperative for affordable housing across our ECCO community! If you are a clergyperson and want to get involved, click here.
What's coming up next?
As our local research continues, we’ll come together for the ECCO community meeting on April 12th. Register below to join us, and invite others from your community!
ECCO Community Meeting
When: Tuesday April 12, 6:00-7:30 PM
Where: Virtual - click here to register.
What: Join us at the ECCO community meeting to reconnect and share exciting updates on our campaign work regarding Affordable Housing, Unarmed Crisis Response, and Immigration. We will also discuss action steps toward educating our local communities about the reality of housing injustice and the need for big change in how we think about affordable housing.
Volunteer with ECCO: Seeking Grant-Writing Support!
Do you love to write and want to lend your skills to support ECCO’s work for justice? We are seeking community volunteers with strong writing skills or fundraising experience to participate in crafting upcoming grant proposals connected to our work. Reply to this message to let us know if you might be able to lend a hand, or know someone else who might!
PS- Check out this great recent article about ECCO and Rabbi Margie in the Jewish Journal!
In Solidarity,
Aviva Herr-Welber, ECCO Racial Justice Organizer
Are you registered for your local housing meeting?
We're looking forward to meeting with you over the next couple of weeks!
Next week begins our series of local housing team meetings! In these meetings ECCO community members will come together to discuss the barriers to affordable housing in our towns and cities and explore the best strategies to make affordable, multi-family housing possible in our communities. We will leave the meetings ready to do the research we need so that we can advance our fight FOR affordability and AGAINST the legacy of racist housing policy that has maintained wealth gaps and segregation in our area.
We need your voice in this conversation in the town/city where you live or worship! Please see the list below and make sure that you are registered for your upcoming meeting. These initial meetings will be virtual, with the opportunity to meet in person in future if team members desire.
ECCO Leaders with our MCAN partners at the National Faith Forum in DC this week. We received training and made plans toward our housing campaign!
Upcoming Meetings - Register and Share!
Marblehead Local Housing Meeting
When: Monday, March 7th 3:00-4:30 PM
Where: Zoom. Register here to receive the link.
Hamilton-Wenham Local Housing Meeting
When: Tuesday, March 8th 6:00-7:30 PM
Where: Zoom. Register here to receive the link.
Swampscott Local Housing Meeting
When: Wednesday, March 9th 3:00-4:30 PM
Where: Zoom. Register here to receive the link.
Lynn Local Housing Meeting
When: Thursday, March 10th 6:00-7:30 PM
Where: Zoom. Register here to receive the link.
Salem Local Housing Meeting
When: Sunday, March 13th 7:00-8:30 PM
Where: Zoom. Register here to receive the link.
Cape Ann Local Housing Meeting
When: Friday, March 18th 3:30-5:00 PM
Where: Zoom. Register here to receive the link.
Beverly Local Housing Meeting
When: Tuesday, March 22nd 7:15-8:45 PM
Where: Zoom. Register here to receive the link.
Peabody Local Housing Meeting
When: This meeting is in the process of being booked. Contact aviva@eccoaction.org to get involved!
Looking forward,
Aviva Herr-Welber
ECCO Racial Justice Organizer
Action, Fasting, and Prayer for Licenses!
Our legislators are set to vote on the Work and Family Mobility Act, and it seems like the vote will be this Wednesday! Now more than ever is the moment to take action for Drivers' Licenses for All in Massachusetts. Below you'll see opportunities to be a part of our big push by showing up with us outside the State House Wednesday, making calls tomorrow, and fasting and praying in solidarity with undocumented people across our communities.
We turned to the licenses fight originally so many years ago, deeply discouraged by the fight for citizenship at the federal level. We thought we'd try instead for the smallest crumbs in our state- just drivers' licenses. We had no idea how hard it would be. It's been such a long road seeking champions for this bill among car insurance companies, police chiefs, legislators...but now we are on the precipice of a change. I hope you'll join in making calls tomorrow, and in taking action outside the state House on Wednesday morning or fasting and praying with us in solidarity if you (like me) are working and can't make it.
ECCO Leaders Participate in an Action for Drivers' Licenses Led by our Partner Movimiento Cosecha
Tuesday Virtual Action Hour with Driving Families Forward
When: Tuesday, February 15th, 6-7 PM
Where: Zoom - register here: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZEkceurrDMoHdBrwe0wOggaJC8EG7O-xlV_
What: Join our coalition partners at Driving Families Forward to generate supportive calls and emails into the State House on this last day before the vote. Can’t make it? You can use the coalition's click-to-call and click-to-email tools to call and email your legislators!
Even if you already know your legislator is supportive of this bill, give them a call now to express gratitude, support for the bill in its current form, and encourage them VOTE YES. If they’ve been on the fence or resistant, your call is especially important now!
Wednesday: Gather Outside the State House to Show Support
What: Join us at an action led by our coalition, Driving Families Forward, to show strong and positive support for this bill in front of the State House! RSVP here to let us know if you will join us.
When: Wednesday, February 15th, 10:00 AM. Please check the Facebook page of the Driving Families Forward Coalition for updated details and any changes, or contact aviva@eccoaction.org. There is a small chance the date of the vote will change, and our gathering will be on the morning of the vote. If you RSVP below and there is any change we will let you know.
Where: Directly in front of the State House, 24 Beacon Street, Boston. Use the RSVP form to let us know if you need a ride (we have a bus with limited seats traveling from the North Shore) or if you can drive others.
Fasting and Prayer on Wednesday
What: Many of ECCO's immigrant leaders will be fasting and praying for licenses on Wednesday and we invite you to join us in solidarity if you are able, to give each other strength and keep us focused on the struggle. Whether it's a half or a full day, fasting is an action we can take together as we cry out for justice and for licenses.
When: Wednesday, February 15th
Where: Wherever you are, join us and share with others about what you're doing! Use the same RSVP formto let us know if you will be fasting with us.
¡La Lucha Sigue!
Angela Arce
Former ECCO Board President and Member of Immaculate Conception Parish, Salem
Licenses Reported Out of Committee: Let’s Get on the Phones!!
ECCO Leaders and Organizers at an Action for Drivers' Licenses Led by our Partner Movimiento Cosecha
Read MoreWelcome, Marven, ECCO's New Organizer!
We are thrilled to announce that ECCO has hired Marven Hyppolite as a full-time racial justice organizer, thanks to a generous grant from member congregation UU Church of Greater Lynn. Marven will be working with leaders across ECCO, focusing on organizing Black communities and young people of color on the North Shore.
Marven Hyppolite, ECCO’s new organizer!
Marven comes with a wealth of experience as a longtime community leader in Lynn and beyond. Marven grew up in Lynn as an active member of St. Mary’s Hatian community. After graduating with honors from UMass Dartmouth, Marven served for five years as a caseworker and district liaison for Congressman Seth Moulton, focusing on immigration, housing, social security, and labor issues, and was a threetime candidate for city council in the city of Lynn. He serves on the Executive Committee of HarborLight Community Partners, our close ally on affordable housing work, and is a member leader at Neighbor to Neighbor, ECCO’s close ally in Lynn.
Please join me in welcoming Marven to the ECCO community by sending him an email at marven@eccoaction.org. He looks forward to connecting with you soon!
Save the Date: ECCO Annual Meeting on December 9th
The days are growing shorter. Everything is flavored with pumpkin pie spice. A cold chill infuses the air. It can only mean one thing:
The ECCO Annual Meeting is upon us!
ECCO Annual Meeting
When: Thursday, December 9th, 6:45pm-8:45pm
Where: Zoom - Register to get the link
What: Join us to connect with one another, celebrate the work we have done together this past year, and commit to supporting ECCO’s work in 2022.
RSVP: Click here to RSVP.
In exciting news, we will also be hearing the ECCO Core Strategy team’s vision for campaign work in the coming year, which they are developing in collaboration with leaders of color from across ECCO over the coming month.
We hope to see you there!
How Our Trip to the White House Changed My Life (July 7th)
This past weekend, my daughters and I joined Dr. Alexandra Pineros Shields to make the journey to celebrate the Fourth of July at the White House and President Biden’s party for essential workers.
Our family at the White House - from left, me, Fernanda (18), and Federlin (15)
I am an undocumented person from a poor country and a poor community. I never thought I would be able to visit the White House, the most important place in the United States. I still feel like I am in a dream from which I do not want to wake up. I still can hardly believe that I got to meet and speak with the most important man in the world and tell him that we need a path to citizenship so my brilliant and beautiful daughters can go to college.
Meeting President Biden was an honor and a privilege. But it also taught me that I, too, am an important person. People try to tell people like me that we are nothing - because we do not speak good English or do not have money. Our trip to the White House reminded me that I am a person who is working my hardest to provide for my family and send my children to college. I am an essential worker that has made a difference in this country. I am a leader in ECCO, working for the rights of all in my community. I now feel free, and believe that anything is possible.
This journey that ECCO made possible was life-changing for my daughters too. My 18-year-old daughter Fernanda said, “Living such an experience made me realize I should be an immigration lawyer, now more than ever, so I can use my knowledge to help undocumented immigrants.”
The journey also inspired my 15-year-old daughter Federlin, who shared,
There are so many families that are suffering because they cannot receive healthcare or cannot have a good job because they do not carry a piece of paper that says they belong. There are so many people that feel afraid that their family members might be taken away. I know what that feels like.
From my visit to the White House I learned that we are all equals. We should all receive the same opportunities, because we came here for a better future. Today, I know what my purpose is - to create a United States of America where we all belong, where no one has to live in fear, and we all have opportunities for a better life.
I am forever grateful to ECCO for allowing us to represent our immigrant community on this journey. I feel that God has placed angels in my path, and they are ECCO Director Dr. Alexandra Pineros Shields and Immigrant Organizer Isabel Lopez. My daughters and I hope to work with you in the coming months and years to continue this important work.
If you would like to donate to support our work of liberation and justice, please click the button below. I hope you will consider becoming a monthly sustainer at whatever amount works for you - this keeps ECCO's overhead costs low and sustains the work long-term. To do so, just click the first box to make your contribution a recurring donation.
In gratitude,
Yocelyn, Fernanda, and Federlin
Yocelyn and I Are Headed to the White House July 4th Celebration! (July 3rd)
Last week, our partners at Faith in Action invited ECCO to send an immigrant essential worker to the 4th of July White House Celebration in Washington, DC.! The White House plans to highlight the central contribution that immigrants, regardless of legal status, made to communities across the nation during the COVID-19 pandemic. Immigrants served on the front lines of this national crisis by providing care work, food, service, health care and other valuable labor to help the U.S. persevere, despite many vulnerabilities and risks to their own health and well-being, and while being denied most forms of public assistance.
Of all the affiliates across the country, Faith in Action called ECCO to represent the immigrant community. This honor and vote of confidence in our leaders and our organizing efforts is humbling. It makes me deeply proud of and grateful for the inspiring work that YOU, the entire ECCO community, have accomplished! We are setting a standard for our national network!
So, today, I am accompanying ECCO leader Yoselyn and her two daughters to the White House Celebration on July 4th! Yocelyn is from the Domincan Republic, and has been a key leader in our immigration advocacy, including testifying at the Essential Workers Act Roundtable Discussion with Senator Elizabeth Warren in February!
Yocelyn's invitation to the White House
Yocelyn and her daughters (age 18 and 15) are beyond ecstatic! Having lived with the feeling of being trespassers due to their immigration status, this invitation signals to them that they BELONG, that they are SEEN, and that they have DIGNITY!
I know that we still have a lot of work to do to achieve immigrant justice and human rights in our state and in our country, but at this moment, I am awed to witness the power of our collective organizing. We are showing our people that even though they may sometimes FEEL pained and powerless, we are deeply powerful when we work together, raise our voices and call out injustice to create a shared vision for a better future.
Be assured that we will bring the strength and vision we have created collectively at ECCO to speak TRUTH to POWER this 4th of July at the White House.
To support our continued work to raise up the voices of our immigrant leaders, please consider making a donation to ECCO.
With Trust in Our Collective Power,
Alexandra Pineros Shields, Ph.D.
Executive Director
Solidarity with the Jewish Community, Rabbi Stabbed in Boston Yesterday (July 2nd)
As you may have heard on the news, yesterday a Boston rabbi named Shlomo Noginski was forced out of his car at gunpoint in front of his synagogue and then stabbed multiple times. Though the incident has not yet been called a hate crime, it has understandably sent a shockwave of fear through the Jewish community amidst recent spikes in antisemitic attacks.
As president of ECCO and on behalf of our board and staff, I speak loudly and clearly to our Jewish siblings to say: We are with you. We are here for you and are ready to support you in prayer and in action.
Shiloh House, Where Rabbi Noginski Was Stabbed
At a moment like this, it is so easy for any community under attack to turn inwards. And yet, we affirm that we are stronger when we turn toward one another in solidarity to fight oppression. We are stronger when we work together for a just world and we are stronger when we fight antisemitism and hatred in all its forms.
To our non-Jewish community members, we invite you to reach out to Jewish members and neighbors to see how they are doing and let them know you have their backs. It is through connection and community-building that we weave Beloved Community and create safety and security for all.
In solidarity and in prayer for a Shabbat Shalom,
Rev. Andre Bennett, ECCO President, Minister for Youth and Young Adults at Zion Baptist Church in Lynn
Community Meeting tomorrow @ 6 ; Immigrant Justice Vigil a Success! (June 29th)
I am writing to remind you that our community meeting is this Wednesday evening at 6pm on zoom. Register here, and read more details below! But first, I want to take a moment to celebrate the powerful immigrant leadership I witnessed last night.
Last week, ECCO immigrant leaders fasted to call attention to the need for a pathway to citizenship for immigration workers. On Sunday evening, our immigrant leaders joined with Jewish, Christian, and Muslim clergy to lead our “Fast for Freedom” gathering, a beautiful vigil and break-fast attended by over 50 people. There, we heard stories from immigrant essential workers, shared ritual, prayer, and song, and broke bread together. Thank you to everyone who made it such a powerful event. You can read more about it in this Lynn Item article.
ECCO Leaders Holding Signs at the Vigil that say "We Are Essential!"
Take Action: Call Your Legislators!
To build on this important event, please take a minute to call your Senators and Reps, thank them for their current support of a pathway to citizenship, and urge them to support Senator Bernie Sanders’ proposed legislation to include a pathway to citizenship for undocumented essential workers in the federal budget. Please also consider calling your state legislators and urge them to support the Work and Family Mobility Act, which would ensure that all qualified drivers could get drivers licenses.
Contact Info:
Senator Warren - (617) 565-3170,
Senator Markey (617) 565-8519
Rep. Seth Moulton (978) 531-1669)
Click here to find your state legislators and their contact info.
Please also consider taking action by donating to ECCO to support our critical immigration work.
ECCO Community Meeting
Tomorrow night is our last ECCO-wide gathering until the fall, and you don’t want to miss it! At the meeting, we will be hearing results back from ECCO’s community investment survey and learning what people of color feel are the highest priority, and hearing proposals and report-backs from our teams on how we might move forward with policing reform work and community investment.
When: Wednesday, June 30th, 6:00-7:30pm
Where: Zoom, Link upon registration
RSVP: Click here to register!
We hope to see you there!
In solidarity,
Aviva Herr-Welber
Lynn Passes Unarmed Crisis Response Unit! (June 25th)
It is with joy, gladness, thanks to God, and gratitude to all of YOU that I announce that the Lynn City Council approved $500,000 for an unarmed crisis response team in the Lynn City Budget. This is HUGE!
Lynn's Unarmed Crisis Response Team, 'ALERT,' will follow the model of the CAHOOTS program in Eugene OR, featured here on CBS
Thanks to ECCO and our partners in the Lynn Racial Justice Coalition, this will be the first unarmed crisis response team in MA, and we believe it may also be the first in all of New England, as well. With the new “All Lynn Emergency Response Team” (“ALERT”) in place, when police get called to respond to nonviolent situations, especially those involving mental health crises, trained mental health professionals and community counselors will respond, thus reducing the risk of unnecessary police violence.
There is still a long road ahead to ensure that we create ALERT as a robust program that is truly unarmed and independent. But for now, this moment is a reminder that when we come together across the diverse groups in our city, we can build the power we need to make real change.
If you are inspired by this victory and want to support ECCO to continue creating police reform around Essex County, please make a donation here.
Immigrant Action and Break-Fast on Sunday
As we celebrate this policing victory, we must also be mindful of the critical work needed to protect our immigrant siblings. This week, immigrants in ECCO and around the country are fasting to call on Congress to pass a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrant workers through the federal budget. This Sunday, ECCO immigrant fasters and their allies will gather in a powerful action for storytelling, song, and ritual as we close our fast at 7:00 PM on June 27th.
What: Join ECCO immigrant leaders in a powerful outdoor action and vigil followed by break-the-fast on the Lynn commons. We want as many folks there as possible! Please bring a dish to share or your own food to eat, depending on your personal COVID-19 comfort level.
When: Outdoor Gathering at 7:00 PM on 6/27/21
Where: On Lynn Commons, Near Benches Next to Gazebo
ECCO Community Meeting
Finally, we hope to see you next Wednesday at 6pm at the ECCO Community Meeting, where we will report back from our research and talk about how to move forward around policing and community investment. Click here to register, and find more info below.
We hope to see you soon!
In solidarity,
Reverend Annie Belmer
Police Reform Victory and Training
ECCO wins campaign to require Lynn police officers to wear body cameras!
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Support a Pathway to Citizenship for Immigrant Essential Workers!
Because of your calls and leadership, our work to create a pathway to citizenship for immigrant essential workers is getting real traction. Thanks to our efforts, 59 legislators have now signed on to the support letter organized by MCAN, our statewide umbrella. (Please keep encouraging your elected officials to sign this letter!) ECCO leaders are making a difference not only locally, but also nationally. Click here to see ECCO leader Yocelyn speak at this national town hall with Elizabeth Warren! (She begins speaking at 48:30).
Unfortunately, some lawmakers now want to exclude immigrant essential workers with criminal records from the legislation. Now, because we know that the criminal justice system is so racially-biased, we are calling on our elected officials to pass a pathway to citizenship for all essential workers.
To create more public pressure on this issue, we will be holding a media action (also known as a press conference) in Boston next week, and hope you can make it!
Poster declaring "Immigrants Are Essential. It's Time We Acted Like It."
Press Conference: Pathway to Citizenship for Essential Workers Now!!
When: Wednesday 3/10/21 @ 11:00 AM
Where: Plaza outside JFK Building Boston, and via zoom for those who cannot join in person. Please RSVP, whether you can be with us or join on zoom!
What: Join us for a media action and ritual to call on our legislators to create a pathway to citizenship for undocumented essential workers, as part of the forthcoming COVID-19 relief package likely to pass soon in Congress. Why? Immigrant essential workers have made huge sacrifices to care for our families during COVID. Yet, despite the risks that they took and the hours they spent caring for our communities, they are still treated like outsiders and are forced to live in the shadows. Join us to declare that it is time that immigrant essential workers are honored as essential in our communities, by repaying us with the dignity of a pathway toward citizenship.
The press conference will take place in-person, and will also be broadcast via zoom. If you plan to join in person, please make sure to bring a mask and plan to practice social distancing.
RSVP: Click here to RSVP!
ECCO’s Get Off Our Necks Rally, Surrounded by Hundreds in Our Community, June 2020
There Are More of Us Than There Are of Them
By Rev. Bernadette Hickman Maynard, Bethel AME Lynn and ECCO
After last Wednesday’s mob violence in the Capitol, I was feeling hopeless. I felt surrounded by the forces of White supremacy on all sides - angry rioters, police and government officials that did little to stop them, politicians at every level that continued, even after the siege, to spread lies that encourage insurrection, and media pundits that focus on one man and not the systems of White Supremacy he represents. Then, I prayed and meditated, both at ECCO’s vigil and on my own, and came to see things with new eyes.
After praying, I remembered the Judeo-Christian scripture II Kings, Ch. 6, where the servant of the prophet Elisha comes terrified to Elisha to report that they are surrounded by enemy troops. Elisha tells his servant, “Do not be afraid...Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” Elisha then prays for God to open his servant’s eyes, and his servant looks up and finds the hills full of horses and chariots of fire surrounding them with God’s protective power.
Reading this story, I remembered that even though we are surrounded by agents of White supremacy, there are even more of us fighting for justice, dignity, and opportunity for all. Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.
I remembered that we are already making a difference here in MA and on the North Shore. Just last week, the Governor signed a police reform bill that was stronger because of OUR efforts. Though it was far from perfect, because of our vigil, the governor softened his position and gave the civilian-majority POST Commission veto power over definitions of use of force. He also accepted increased restrictions on the use of facial recognition technology. Despite its limitations, the new law creates real police accountability and protections for Black and Brown people and promotes safety for all. I can see chariots of God’s protective power. There is more in this law that benefits us than there is that benefits them.
In Lynn, we have been building the ranks of those who are with us, and have formed the Lynn Racial Justice Coalition. Thanks to our ongoing efforts with the police, City Council and the Mayor, elected and unelected officials throughout Lynn are seriously exploring how to promote racial justice in policing and other areas of the city. Mayor Thomas McGee has approved the use of city funds to hire consultants to research the establishment of an unarmed crisis response team and draft a proposal for its implementation in Lynn. The City has reached an agreement with the police union that requires officers to wear body cameras, and the Mayor has released funding for their purchase. The City is in the process of hiring a diversity, equity, and inclusion officer that will oversee diversity hiring initiatives and the implementation of the many racial justice efforts we have been fighting for. The ranks of God’s peace and justice are swelling in Lynn and indeed, there are more of us than there are of them!
We have a long road ahead, but I am no longer without hope. To quote the Negro Spiritual we sang at the vigils in front of the homes of Senate President Karen Spilka, Speaker of the House Robert Deleo, and Governor Charlie Baker, “I just can’t give up now. I’ve come too far from where I started from. Nobody told me the road would be easy and I don’t believe God’s brought [us] this far to leave [us]. ”
I am so grateful to walk this path of justice with each of you. I hope you will join me in celebrating these victories and making new ones possible by making a donation to ECCO today.
In solidarity,
Rev. Bernadette Hickman-Maynard
Pastor of Bethel AME Church in Lynn and ECCO Racial Justice Organizer