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