Taking Back America at the Grassroots

Over 3,000 progressives have been attending this week's Take Back America conference in Washington, organized by the Campaign for America's Future. "I have been empowered to go back to my members and have courageous conversations about the movement and motivate members to be the voice for themselves," says local attendee Henrietta Jenkins, SEIU Local 500 Executive Board member and MCPS employee. "It was an awesome opportunity to listen and be a part of the progressive movement."  Adds Gladys Anaza, a SEIU Local 500 member who works at Community Services for Autistic Adults and Children (CSAAC), "Now I understand what makes a strong movement. It is not always the politicians who make things happen, but it is truly the unions that fight for the rights of working families.  I am going to go back to my peers and tell them, ' you got to be the change you believe in' because that's what I learned here."
- reported by Jaclyn Lichter