Rutherford County Chapter Launches with Workshop and Party on August 17th
Members of the new Rutherford County Chapter are introducing SOCM to the community in Murfreesboro with a workshop on affordable housing and tenants' rights, and a community party at Patterson Park on Saturday, August 17th. SOCM's Board of Directors approved the establishment of the chapter at the July Board meeting, making it SOCM's eighth official chapter. Rutherford County members have been meeting and working in the community since last September and are looking to introduce SOCM to even more people with the events on the 17th.
The Housing Rights Workshop for Tenants/Renters will run from 2-3:30 p.m. CST, and will include free legal consultations for local residents. SOCM members and local attorneys will lead the workshop, covering topics such as evictions and illegal practices by landlords, fair housing law and discrimination, and how tenants/renters can work together to create better conditions. The Community Party will run from 3:30-6 p.m. CST outside at the Pavilion, with refreshments and activities for children.
All SOCM members and allies are invited to attend. Free childcare will be also be provided by the Radical Sparkle Childcare Collective, the co-sponsor of the event. Please contact Middle Tennessee Organizer Brad Wright at brad@socm.org, 615-355-9356 for more information.
Housing Rights Workshop for Tenants/Renters
2 - 3:30 p.m.
Patterson Park Community Center, Meeting Room A
512 Mercury Blvd., Murfreesboro
SOCM Community Party
3:30 - 6 p.m.
The Pavilion at Patterson Park
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Maury County Chapter Celebrates Mt. Pleasant Campaign Anniversary with August 10th Cookout
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SOCM Vice President Johnny Farris and Carla Sowell lay out plans for SOCM's campaign for affordable and clean water in Mt. Pleasant at the July 2012 cookout.
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Maury County Chapter members kicked off their campaign for affordable bills and clean water in Mt. Pleasant with a Cookout and Highest Water Bill Competition last July in Gardenia Park. They are returning there on Saturday, August 10th to celebrate a year of organizing for justice in that community. Chapter members hope to bring even more people into the ongoing fight for basic services in Mt. Pleasant. The event will include a free meal, a performance by local musicians, and an open mic for SOCM members and allies to talk about the accomplishments and challenges of the campaign.
All SOCM members are invited to attend this event. Members from across the state have been critical supporters of the organizing in Maury County all along the way.
For more information, or to assist with the event in any way, please contact Middle Tennessee Organizer Brad Wright, at brad@socm.org , 615-355-9356.
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Green Collar Jobs Committee Calls on TVA to Stabilize Solar Energy Policies
Solar jobs in Tennessee are in trouble again due to boom and bust policy changes. This year, TVA instituted a cap on its program to purchase solar power from small-scale systems, Green Power Providers. In addition, each year the purchase price for solar power will be lowered.
The program reached its cap within months this year and has been closed for new applications since. TVA is opening this program up for a small number of projects today, August 1st. We don't expect the program to be open for long.
What this cap means is that solar sales and installation companies can't make sales except for a small window of time each year. What it means for homeowners who want to invest in solar for their homes is waiting and uncertainty. Tennessee has benefitted from thousands of jobs in the solar industry, but unstable policy is going to change that.
If you'd like to see TVA better manage its solar programs, let the TVA Board know. The Board meets on Thursday, August 22nd at the TVA Towers in Knoxville and there is a public comment period in the morning. If you're interested in making a comment at the TVA Board meeting, contact Green Collar Jobs Organizer, Katie Greer, at katie@socm.org or 865-249-7488 .
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Social Justice Committee Continues Research into Negative Racial Stereotypes in the Media
Local media outlets tell a certain story about the community and have great influence in shaping public opinion and discourse. SOCM members believe that media outlets must be held accountable for the ways they contribute to negative racial stereotypes and fan the flames of racial tension in our communities.
How are communities of color being criminalized in the local media in your area?
The Social Justice Committee is working on a campaign to combat these inaccurate portrayals, and your participation is needed. Members are researching the coverage of local print publications and TV news stations, and have plans to meet with editorial boards and reporters to raise concerns and work for change. Please contact Organizer Brad Wright at brad@socm.org or 615-355-9356 to find out more.
The Social Justice Committee will meet on Saturday, August 24th, from 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. CST, at Hobson United Methodist Church at 4590 Clarksville Pike in Nashville. Any SOCM member is welcome to attend.
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Knoxville Yard Sale Rescheduled for August 16, 17
 We've decided to reschedule the Knoxville Yard Sale for Friday, August 16th and Saturday, August 17th so more people can attend. We'll be in the front parking lot of the Knoxville office building from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Come by and check out our selection of electronics, furniture, clothes, and housewares at great prices. All sales will benefit SOCM.
If you have something to donate, please call the Knoxville office at 865-249-7488 or email Casey Self at casey@socm.org. Last year, we raised about $900 with donations from members.
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Upcoming Training and Conference Opportunities
The Alliance for Appalachia will be holding an Appalachian Organizer Training, August 23-25, at Breaks Interstate Park in Southwest Virginia. The training will cover topics ranging from:
- Choosing and framing an issue in your community
- Handling conflict in a group
- Choosing and implementing the tactics your group needs to win
- Media training
There are only a limited number of available spots and they are filling up. For more information, click here or contact E3 organizer Parker Laubach at parker@socm.org or 865-249-7488. Scholarships are available. If you have been looking for a place to learn the basics of organizing, this is a great place to start.
In Knoxville, the Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church will be hosting the first ever Tennessee Fracktivist Conference, September 13-15. This is a great opportunity to meet activists from throughout the state and become involved with the movement to end extreme fossil fuel extraction in Tennessee!
There will be workshops on everything as basic as Fracking 101, to fracking 'research' Initiated by universities (a case study of UT-Knoxville), to air/water testing at active well sites, and so much more! For more information or to register, click here.
Organizer Parker Laubach and members of the E3 Committee will be attending both the Alliance for Appalachia training and Fracktivist conference. If you are interested in more information on either, contact Parker at parker@socm.org or by calling the SOCM office.
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SOCM Hiring Part-Time Communications Assistant
SOCM is currently hiring a part-time Communications Assistant to help with membership materials, online work, multimedia production, and more. This is a 20-hour a week position. Click here for the full job description.
Feel free to contact Communications Director Casey Self at casey@socm.org or 865-249-7488 if you have questions.
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Join SOCM!
Your community needs you. Click on the link above to pay membership dues or click below to donate to SOCM and designate your donation as membership dues.
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ART Team Conference Call
Monday, August 5 5 - 6:30 p.m. CT Mt. Pleasant Campaign Anniversary Cookout
Saturday, August 10
5:30 - 8 p.m. CT
Gardenia Park, Mt. Pleasant
Maury County Chapter Meeting
Monday, August 12
6:30 - 8 p.m. CT
Location TBD, Mt. Pleasant
Bedford County Chapter Meeting
Tuesday, August 13
6:30 - 8 p.m. CT
Chamber of Commerce, Shelbyville
Roaring River Chapter Meeting
Wednesday, August 14
7 - 8:30 p.m. CT
Location TBD, Cookeville
Knoxville Yard Sale
August 16-17
8 a.m. - 3 p.m. ET
SOCM Office, Knoxville
Housing Rights Workshop and Community Party
Saturday, August 17
2 - 6 p.m. CT
Patterson Park Community Center, Murfreesboro
Rutherford County Chapter Meeting
Tuesday, August 20
6:30 - 8 p.m. CT
Unity Church of Life, Murfreesboro
E3 Committee Conference Call
Tuesday, August 20
7 - 8 p.m. ET
Contact Parker Laubach at parker@socm.org for call in information. Social Justice Committee Meeting Saturday, August 24 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. CT Hobson United Methodist Church, Nashville Knoxville Chapter Meeting Monday, August 26 6 - 7:30 p.m. ET Lawson McGhee Public Library
Justice for Trayvon Martin- Rallying Call for Action
Saturday, August 3
3 - 5 p.m. ET
Krutch Park, Knoxville
TVA Board Meeting
Thursday, August 22
TVA Towers, Knoxville
Appalachian Community Organizers' Training
August 23-25
Breaks Insterstate Park, Breaks, VA
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"Don't judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds that you plant."
- Robert Louis Stevenson
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