DC Jobs with Justice Celebrates Local Activist Heroes
Friday, June 28, 2013(Metropolitan Washington Council, AFL-CIO)
Special honoree Roger Newell brought down the house
last
night at DC Jobs with Justice's "I'll Be There Awards" when the
impassioned activist led the fired-up attendees in a chant of "I'm not
afraid!" at the AFL-CIO. "Together we can build the kind of city we
want!" Newell (right)
shouted. "The kind of city we need! The kind of city we
deserve!" JWJ honored the longtime activist, organizer and journalist --
who's served as Co-Chair of the organization for 11 of its 12 years -- by
launching the Roger Newell Scholarship Fund, "to help local youth become
leaders like Roger," said Linda Leakes. Other winners at the 11th annual
Awards included Rabbi Bob Saks, who thanked JWJ "for enabling me to
participate in great battles for the least of us"; the GW Progressive
Student Union, which among its many recent accomplishments generated over 400
letters in 48 hours in support of a fired food service worker; the DC
Employment Justice Center, whose Executive Director, Barbara Kavanaugh, said
"has no more stalwart friend than Jobs with Justice"; and organizer,
lawyer, educator and lobbyist Ann Hoffman, who joked that "I often think
my job is just to show up wherever you say you need me" before adding that
"We've got to get back out in the streets, because that's where we
win!" The evening -- emceed by Metro Council President Jos Williams --
also featured a special presentation on the DC Transit Campaign by two young
JWJ interns, and inspiring musical performances by Candice Mills and Gordon
Sterling.
- report/photo by Chris
Garlock