Now you can check out some of the discussions from the event and hear for yourself how power and agency are at the root of economic justice for our communities.
Last week, educators, students and lawmakers, from Community Change president Dorian Warren to democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris, gathered in Northeast Washington, D.C.’s Union Market to share “bold” ideas for […]
“My name is Isaias and I am Undocumented and Unafraid.” This is the usual greeting for many undocumented immigrants in meetings to assert our presence. The whole room applauded in […]
New Attacks on Healthcare from the Right are Wrong No one should have to choose between paying medical costs and exhibiting grandparental love when the Affordable Care Act (ACA) has […]
Implementing strict work requirements for safety net programs—particularly the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)—has been a recurring goal for many GOP leaders and the Trump administration. Concerned observers breathed a […]
What Kansas City Is Doing About The Readiness Gap “Approximately 65 percent of our children are not receiving the proper education that would close the readiness gap and eliminate any […]
Where to go When There’s Nowhere to Go: How Covenant House is Fighting to Solve the Youth Homeless Crisis, One Kid at a time Dash was a first year college […]
My Story I grew up in the southeast area of Washington, DC and I attended Eastern Senior High School. The year was 1971, I was 15 years old and in […]
My longtime boyfriend, always the carnivore, asked me the other day why I hardly ever make meatloaf. I shrugged and said “You know I don’t really eat meat.” “But your […]
As spring graduation draws near, college seniors are faced with several time-sensitive responsibilities. From securing their grades, to paying graduation fees and all remaining tuition balances, to the grueling process […]
And the Young Shall Save Us So many economic protections are at stake with this new Congress. The most consequential midterm elections of our lifetime awaited our robust participation last […]
Today is a historic day for Florida. The most significant voting rights act in the state’s history and the most significant expansion of the franchise since the civil rights act […]
Last week, Community Change partners from across the country united in Washington, D.C. on the campus of Gallaudet University, to share, learn, and discuss what organizing will look like as […]
Roquesha Oneal is an everyday leader, a woman of fortitude and generosity. She resides in Detroit with her 15-year-old child with a disability and enjoys visits with her two adult […]
Cutting “Food Stamps” is Child Abuse Every Sunday Jose “Frankie” Benjamin-Nay, an 18-year old Puerto Rican-American, darkens the doors of Mount Zion Baptist Church to provide technical support for the […]
Beyond the Ballots – Keeping the Momentum The U.S. midterms was a big deal for many communities and candidates alike. Whether people agreed with the overall decisions made within their […]
SNAP Benefits Guarantees Family’s Food Thirty-seven-year-old LeAnn is married with five children and five stepchildren (who live with their grandmother). She has a Master’s degree in business administration but can […]
I’ve only had the chance to vote in two presidential elections: 2012 and 2016. My first election was monumental. I was a part of making history. I remember the overwhelming […]
With only days left until the midterm election is finally over, one question lingers in the minds of Democratic operatives working in battleground states across the country. Will Latino turnout […]
Tia Simpson stood in front of nearly 40 journalists pleading her case for clean and affordable water. The 34-year-old Flint resident endured the aftermath of being exposed to the city’s […]
PA Group Strives to Bust Myths About SNAP—and People Who Use It Lisa Raditz cringes when she overhears some of the comments people make about SNAP recipients based on common […]
En la Florida los votantes estan bien activos. Este 6 de noviembre muchos dicen que van a unir el voto por Andrew Gillum para gobernador. Dicen que van a votar […]
Why we vote I’ve been asked a lot lately “why I knock on doors” to encourage people to vote. Mainly because of my background in social justice work. I’ve used […]
The work of community organizers is daunting. Late nights. Endless knocking on doors. Rallies and protests to protect our healthcare, ensure we all have enough food to eat and keep […]
Vivir diez años sin poder tener un seguro de salud fue realmente difícil. Durante ese tiempo, y como madre soltera con un salario modesto, debí escoger entre darle techo y […]
With so much at stake in this election, in Florida and across the nation, registering to vote before the Oct. 9th deadline is so important. That’s why former First Lady […]
Young people are organized and highly motivated to make a difference this year towards an inclusive Florida. Students like Brandon Dasent are changing the political landscape. Although Dasent won’t be […]
I’m at Netroots Nation along with hundreds of political activists who are passionate about creating stronger communities for all. I took this opportunity to ask my fellow activists from Florida […]
This Land is Our Land is a series about diversity in the American outdoors. You can read part one here. Today, approximately eighty percent of park visitors are white, and […]
With life changing decisions on the ballot, young people in Florida are gearing up for the 2018 elections to hold everyone accountable and make profound changes in our state’s Constitution. […]
“There’s no reason we should be debating about food,” Curtis Vlalock of Philadelphia said as he approached the Rayburn House Building, along with others who would agree. The Center for […]
Whether you care about voting rights, affirmative action, LGBTQ rights, immigrant rights and especially a woman’s right to control her own body, filling retired U.S. Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy’s […]
Bounce Milwaukee closed on May Day in observance of Voces de la Frontera’s “Day Without Immigrants” strike and rally.
WASHINGTON D.C.— The Center for Community Change hosted a partners and leaders convening to discuss strategies and to develop collective actions opposing the harmful cuts proposed in the Farm Bill, […]
Voting is the most basic and important right an individual has in a democracy. As voters, we elect people to represent our communities and if a majority of voters do […]
Exactly one month ago, the world watched as Americans took to the streets to march for their lives and demand that legislators enact common sense gun reform. Sparked by youth […]
As we are memorializing the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. this week during the 50th anniversary of his assassination, we are reminded that the Center for Community Change’s […]
This piece originally published in the Memphis Commercial Appeal. When President Lyndon B. Johnson launched the War on Poverty in 1964, his audacious goal was to end poverty in the […]
The Resistance is older than the United States. It is older than hashtags, livestreams, and Facebook invitations. The Resistance began the moment colonizers stepped off their boats and claimed North […]
In the aftermath of the Parkland shooting, the focus of lawmakers has largely shifted from finding a solution for the thousands of Dreamers who have been left under threat of […]
This November, Michigan has a critical choice to make for the future of families struggling to get by. Attacks on immigrants, a lack of good paying jobs and the exploding […]
Several weeks ago, a gentleman came to a Progressive Leadership Alliance Nevada (PLAN) meeting and asked for help restoring his right to vote. After 12 years, he was now eligible, […]
trigger warning: death, gun violence This year, February 14th fell on both Valentine’s Day and Ash Wednesday. The scene here in Las Vegas showed people in the streets with ashes […]
I am a community organizer in West Virginia. At the end of 2017, I traveled for a week with friends and colleagues through Appalachia and the Rust Belt, seeking lessons […]
The aftermath of the 2016 Election was an opportunity for lawmakers to take aim at the safety net programs in the United States, putting profits over people.
The Center for Community Change turns 50 this year! Staff and extended family of CCC have special birthday messages for the organization that faces a major milestone in transformational change. […]
Back in late 2016, a grassroots coalition of volunteers accomplished a remarkable feat. More than 68,314 petition signatures were collected in Florida, triggering a Supreme Court review on a ballot […]
CCCAction empowers the people most affected by injustice to lead movements to improve the policies that affect their lives.
Chantel Barcenas had an identity crisis when learning she was not a U.S. citizen. An Obama-era policy helped her find a sense of purpose — all now in flux
This article originally appeared in the Huffington Post. By Paige DeLoach When I visited home for the first time after the 2016 election, my mother spoke to me in a […]
This article originally appeared on the Huffington Post. Summer is a busy time for airports all across this country, but in a major tourist destination like Miami, this is especially […]
This article originally appeared on MLK50. When the interim director of the Memphis Police Department linked arms with organizers of a protest that shut down traffic on the city’s Interstate […]
This article originally appeared on MLK50. On Sunday, organizers will gather at Tom Lee Park to mark the anniversary of the July 10, 2016 protest that shut down the Hernando-Desoto […]
This article originally appeared on MLK50. MEMPHIS — July 10 marks the anniversary of the largest spontaneous act of civil disobedience in the city’s modern history. The spark: The police killings of […]
This article first appeared in the Huffington Post. Growing up undocumented, one of my biggest fears was being separated from my family. I remember the anxiety and worry I felt […]
This article first appeared on Equal Voice. I wasn’t trained in this. I didn’t go for school for this. Nobody pays me for this, and nobody expects me to be […]
This article first appeared on the Huffington Post. In 2011, the Florida legislature attempted to pass an Arizona-style “show me your papers” law at the behest of Republican Governor Rick […]
Saturday Night Live has always taken politicians to task with their own way of friendly banter and jesting. And sometimes they take aim at the average citizen, as they did […]
Originally published by The Undefeated. Did a Saturday Night Live sketch last week hint at a future hard to envision in today’s bitter political climate — a future in which […]
During the last weekend in July, I found renewed hope and optimism for the future of our country. I joined 70 students from across the country who are interning this […]
Wendi C. Thomas is a writing fellow for the Center for Community Change. [View the story “And #StillIRise: #PeoplesConvention takes over Pittsburgh” on Storify]
Originally published on the Huffington Post. PITTSBURGH – Police have one standard for black people and another for white people – and as proof, comic W. Kamau Bell played at […]
Originally published on Rooflines, a Shelterforce blog. Jenean F. and her husband worked hard to achieve the increasingly elusive American Dream. She was a stay at home mom and he […]
Originally published on Equal Voice. What does it say about the value of Black lives when too many of those lives are in crumbling schools, drinking poisoned water, finding themselves […]
Written by OneAmerica organizer Carly Brook. Originally posted on the OneAmerica blog. Reliable access to transportation is the single most important factor in escaping poverty. This issue agitated and resonated […]
Originally published by The Progressive. With the walk-out that led to the resignation of a university president and chancellor, the University of Missouri’s black football players showed their power to […]
In 2014, there were 8.1 million undocumented immigrants employed in the United States. These hard-working men and women live in constant fear of arrest and deportation which would rip their […]
When America celebrates Women’s Equality Day today, perhaps she will post pictures of her inspirational inhabitants on Instagram, or write a long heartfelt post about female empowerment on Facebook, sprinkling […]
By Connie Heller Pictured to the left: A portion of a quilt created by Connie Heller in honor of Trayvon Martin. A better world is possible. A world in which […]
This week we have seen a phenomenal shift in the conversation around race and poverty. We are beginning to see a movement’s narrative take hold in the public debate and […]
Last Thursday, July 9th, over 150 Asian American and Pacific Islander college students from across the nation convened at the White House for the 2015 White House Initiative on Asian […]
Although the White House Conference on Aging is held only once every ten years, Monday’s event was a crucial time to address issues for older Americans, especially as they retire […]
Kate Casa contributed to this article. It was the mid-1960s and Arnie Graf, a 19-year-old student at the mostly segregated University of Buffalo, found himself witnessing discrimination in a very […]
This blog was originally published on MomsRising.org. When my sister-in-law was pregnant with her first child, she drove me crazy, calling me at all hours to tell me about every little […]
This post was originally published on the Coalition on Human Needs blog. By: Rev. Kelly Wilkins Pictured to the left: Mayor Bowser, Kelly Wilkins and CEO and General Manager of […]
When I was growing up, I was a “latch key” kid, a popular term for a child who has to come home and lock himself in after school because no […]
When Baltimore mom Toya Graham saw TV footage of her masked son joining rioters following the funeral of Freddie Gray, she found him on the streets and beat him. Video […]
This piece originally appeared on TalkPoverty.org. On Wednesday morning, holding a sign that read “Show me $15 and a union,” Letrice Donaldson marched with around 200 people under gray skies […]
Holà. My name is Jorge Antonio Renaud, and I am the newest member of the team dedicated to amplifying the voices and possibilities of men and women caged in American […]
Savannah Williams remembers where she was on March 7, 1965. “When Bloody Sunday happened, “ she explained, “I was at my first job working for the United States Department of Agriculture […]
At 7:30 am, about 100 airport people marched into the atrium of the world’s busiest airport chanting, “We can’t survive on $7.25.” The crowd got bigger as they rallied, with […]
Yesterday, Nancy J. Altman and Eric R. Kingson, authors of the new book “Social Security Works! Why Social Security Isn’t Going Broke and How Expanding It Will Help Us All,” […]
On Friday, January 16th, Kica Matos, Director of Immigrant Rights and Racial Justice at the Center for Community Change, delivered the keynote address at the Smithsonian Anacostia Community Museum’s 30th […]
Below is a post from Tammy Thomas Miles, Field Organizer with CCC — Each year at Thanksgiving I often take the time to reflect on all the things which I […]
Can we talk about these last few days? They have been emotional. We ended last week taking part in rallies and events across the country celebrating the long anticipated administrative […]
This piece originally appeared on TalkPoverty.org. At 6 a.m. last Thursday, a small group of people gathered at the Burger King on the corner of North Avenue and Hunt Street in […]
Field Organizer Tammy Thomas-Miles went to Ferguson, Missouri over the Labor Day weekend as part of a strategy session with other organizers. Here is Tammy’s first person account of the […]
This blog was originally posted on the Voices for Human Needs blog. On Monday night, thousands of people marched through downtown Atlanta in the pouring rain. Most of them I […]
Gary Sandusky is a Senior Field Organizer at the Center for Community Change. In 2009, Center for Community Change assigned me to work closely with the Alliance for a Just […]
On June 4, the Economic Policy Institute launched “Raising America’s Pay,” a research and public education initiative that seeks to make wage growth an urgent priority. Secretary of Labor Thomas Perez […]
Pictured here: People cheer the moment the minimum wage bill passes in the Seattle City Council. There have been a lot of minimum wage victories in the news lately. Yesterday, the […]
Originally published on the new blog TalkPoverty.org. Poverty is everywhere. More than one in three Americans—106 million people—live below or perilously close to the federal poverty line. If you pick […]
This piece was orginally published on the new blog TalkPoverty.org. Image via Baltimoreans United in Leadership Development. By: Gary Crum My name is Gary Crum and I am a proud resident […]
Last week, through the cold and the rain, the Jobs Not Jails coalition sent a strong message to their state of Massachusetts—redirect $2 billion for new prison beds to a […]
Frances Perkins, former Secretary of Labor and first woman to hold a Presidential cabinet appointment, began her career fighting poverty in some of the most impoverished communities in New York […]
By: Diana Colin Education is key to escaping poverty – that’s why Diana Colin started organizing as a student volunteer. Now she’s the California staff organizer with the Coalition for […]
After reading a New York Times op-ed by Arthur C. Brooks in which he discusses why he enjoys fund-raising, I began to think about why I give money to the […]
By: Jeannie Brown Virjeana “Jeannie” Brown is an organizer with the Montana Organizing Project working to protect and expand Social Security. She is also running for Montana’s 67th House District. […]
By: Pam Bournival Pam Bournival is a manufactured homeowner and an activist with MHAction, a program of the Center for Community Change that organizes and mobilizes the residents of manufactured home communities […]
By: Hattie Wilkins Hattie Wilkins is a great-grandmother and organizer with CCC partner Ohio Organizing Collaborative. Growing up my parents used to tell me “A closed mouth doesn’t get fed, […]
A self-proclaimed “Born-Again Feminist,” Dolores Huerta, now 83, has been a prominent community organizer and civil rights activist for most of her life. Though, she is best known for co-founding […]
I walked up the 30th identical driveway to the 30th nearly identical house with my canvassing packet and clipboard tucked neatly under my arm. I smiled at a man working […]
The best description I’ve heard of why May 1st plays such a significant role in the immigrant rights movement comes from Angelica Salas, the Executive Director of the Coalition for […]