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 DC Statehood Green Party to participate in 'Funk Fenty' Rally and Concert on DC's Freedom Plaza, Thursday, May 7, 4-7 pm
THE DC STATEHOOD GREEN PARTY
http://www.dcstatehoodgreen.org
For immediate release:
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Contact:
Scott McLarty, DC Statehood Green Party Media Coordinator, 202-518-5624, cell 202-904-7614, mclarty@greens.org
Funk Fenty to Mayor Fenty: stop attacks on DC teachers and other city workers; save DC public schools and other public properties
Organized by Empower DC (http://www.empowerdc.org), Funk Fenty will feature speakers and live music by local artists
WASHINGTON, DC -- The DC Statehood Green Party will cosponsor and participate in the 'Funk Fenty' Concert and Rally planned for Thursday, May 7, 4 to 7 pm on Freedom Plaza in Washington, DC.
Funk Fenty, which will feature a line-up of guest speakers and local musicians, has been organized by Empower DC (District of Columbia Grassroots Empowerment Project, http://www.empowerdc.org). The contact for Empower DC is Parisa Norouzi, 202-234-9119 or 202-409-2291.
Freedom Plaza is located at Pennsylvania Avenue NW and 14th Street, across from the John A. Wilson Building, which houses the offices and chambers of the Council and the Mayor. The rain date for the event is Friday, May 8.
Residents from all over Washington, DC, will gather at Funk Fenty to protest Mayor Adrian Fenty's relentless attacks on District teachers, school workers, recreation department employees, firefighters, police, mental health professionals, and other employees.
Rally participants will also voice their anger over Mayor Fenty's 'land grab' sell-off of DC public schools, libraries, shelters, public housing, parks, and other city properties to favored developers at firesale prices.
Empower DC is a city-wide grassroots organization for affordable housing, the preservation of public property, quality human services, the protection of civil liberties and workers rights, among other issues. Other sponsors of Funk Fenty include DC Jobs with Justice (http://www.jwj.org), Save Our Schools (http://www.saveourschoolsdc.org), and DC Tenants Advocacy Coalition (TENAC, http://www.tenac.org).
David Schwartzman, who ran for City Council At-Large in 2008, will speak on behalf of the DC Statehood Green Party. Mr. Schwartzman made fair economic policies a top priority in his campaign, defending public properties and the social safety net and offering a tax plan that would expand services while granting relief to middle- and low-income DC residents (http://www.statehood4dc.com/schwartzman/home).
Besides Mr. Schwartzman, the list of speakers includes:
Lawrence Guyot, Civil Rights Organizer, to speak on the diminishing role of residents in local politics
Johnny Barnes, ACLU, on violations of civil liberties
Roger Newell, DC Jobs with Justice, on attacks on public sector unions
Linda Leaks, Empower DC, on cuts to housing that harm tenants
Dave Zirin, sports writer, on selling out to baseball billionaires
Debbie Hall, Big Mama's Child Development Center, on cuts in child care
Vanessa Dixon, on privatizing mental health care
Live music by local artists:
Godisheus (People Power Funk, Rock and Soul, http://www.head-roc.com)
Machetres (Latino Funk, Punk, Rock & Latin Beat)
DC Hip-Hop/Go-Go on the Wheels of Steel
DJ Earth 1ne (Classic Hip Hop LLC, Mental Salvation Radio, NOI)
DJ Soyo
Doc Night & the Hipnotix (Reggae, Rock, Funk)
Jabari Exum, Djembe Master (Hueman Prophets, Farafina Kan West African Percussion Orchestra, playing for the opening ceremony)
The DC Statehood Green Party, in coalition with Empower DC and other organizations, has spoken out repeatedly against Mayor Fenty's efforts to hand DC public schools, shelters, and other properties to powerful developers. Statehood Greens have also fought plans by Mayor Fenty to cut and privatize desperately needed social services and to end public hearings on the public schools budget.
Statehood Green leaders have accused the District's Democratic political establishment of taking orders from developers, real estate, and other corporate lobbies and campaign contributors, including the Federal City Council and the Board of Trade. The DC Statehood Green Party accepts no corporate money. See the party's press release web page (http://www.dcstatehoodgreen.org/press).
MORE INFORMATION
DC Statehood Green Party http://www.dcstatehoodgreen.org
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