Our Community, Our Future Event Great Success
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Kingston Community Members view Coal Ash Stories. Photo by SOCM member, Shelby Wright
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With the Kingston coal ash spill of 2008 still on their minds, residents of Kingston, TN gathered on February 5th for a SOCM and Working Films co-hosted event, titled 'Our Community, Our Future' where they learned more about the proposed major modification to the coal ash landfill in their backyard.
The event was a great success with more than thirty community members turning out. Top among their concerns was the public hearing (held by TVA and TDEC as an open forum for questions and comments) which was held about a month earlier, was poorly advertised and, therefore, poorly attended. To that end, concerned and impacted community members signed a petition and wrote letters to TDEC officials asking for another public hearing.
Prior to this event, SOCM staff and members joined leaders of the Kingston Community Advisory Group to meet with TDEC officials and officially ask them for another public hearing.
As of Friday, February 20th, Patrick Flood, Director, Hazardous Waste Program, Solid Waste Management Division, TDEC and SOCM Board President, Patrick Morales are continuing to have conversations about the possibility of a further public hearing. We will keep you updated with the outcome.
Submitted by SOCM member Stephanie Langely
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A Social SOCM: helping build SOCM's media presence online
 In the promotion efforts behind SOCM's 'Our Community, Our Future' Kingston Coal Ash Event (see article above), social media proved to be a powerful tool. Facebook promotions drew a sizable proportion of the attendees to the event, video interviews of SOCM members introduced the public to the issue and our membership, and our live-tweeting of the event kept people from across Tennessee updated about the event's progress as it happened. In all, SOCM's videos, pictures, posts and tweets reached....
Graphic and article submitted by SOCM intern, Micah-Sage Bolden
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Unity Church of Life, a progressive faith center in Murfreesboro, will be hosting a benefit concert on March 6th. The evening will showcase original music from talented local songwriters Rick Bennett, Susan Dickerson, and award winning pianist Joseph Akins. Unity is located at 130 Cannon Street in Murfreesboro and the event will begin at 7:00 p.m.
Unity of Murfreesboro was founded 15 years ago by Rev. Felicia Search. It began as a study group that met on a weekly basis. As it grew, it moved to various locations, including the back room of a bookstore and a modest space in a local strip mall. In 2005, they were able to purchase a building that previously housed an air conditioning company, and through hard work, dedication and support from congregants and the community, created a sanctuary for worship services, a full kitchen, two classrooms and an office.
Unity congregants have given generously of their time, talents, treasures and the Unity meeting space to support many organizations that work with the local community including SOCM. They have also been instrumental in providing opportunities for local residents to hear renowned speakers such as Michael Dowd, author of "Thank God for Evolution", a book that was endorsed by no less than six Nobel Laureates.
According to their current minister (and SOCM member), Rev. Shirley Bowman, they are in danger of losing their current home, which would have a great impact on both the congregation and the community. This concert is to help raise funds to prevent this from happening. Unity is an essential Murfreesboro institution. They've always strongly supported SOCM, so let's show some solidarity back - join us in celebrating this local spiritual community!
Tickets are $15 in advance / $20 at the door. For tickets and information, please call Rick Bennett at 615-904-0456 or contact our Middle TN Organizer, Mike Cannon at mike@socm.org or call 615-398-1776.
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Graphic submitted by Unity Church of Life
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I Love Mountains Day
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Photo by SOCM member, Shelby Wright
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On the 12th of February, I was able to join Adam Hughes, our East TN Organizer, Mike Cannon, our Middle TN Organizer, Micah-Sage Bolden, our SOCM intern and Shelby Wright, SOCM member and our volunteer photographer, in a day-trip up to Frankfort, KY to participate in the 10th annual "I Love Mountains Day", hosted by our friends and allies, Kentuckians for the Commonwealth (KFTC). What a great day it was! Thanks to the coordinating efforts by KFTC, they had a successful turnout in numbers with likely 200 folks present in the bitterly cold weather, and more importantly, I think, was the large number of younger folks who joined with us marching to the capitol steps.
These '20 something's' were from various parts of Kentucky, mostly students that I talked to, from different colleges and universities in Kentucky, but also folks from other parts of the country who were attending school in Kentucky. This reaching out to the youth successfully is an example of the potential strength, knowledge and experience, we, SOCM, have in the universities within our newest chapters.
KFTC used the SOCM model in their initial development, and now we have their experience to learn and gain from.
Submitted by Patrick Morales, SOCM Board President
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SOCM Members Rally Behind Kingston at TVA Board Meeting
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Graphic for SOCM booklet designed by Cumberland Co Chapter Chair Jean Cheely
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The TVA Board of Directors meeting, February 12 in Chattanooga, was attended by a group of SOCM members. Traditionally, the first agenda item in the meeting is to hear three minute presentations from anyone who wishes to speak - a listening session.
Topics vary from individual property matters to companies vying for contracts as well as organizations with a message. Our collective message was about the Kingston proposed coal ash disposal site on an island in the confluence of three of Tennessee's most beautiful rivers (What could possibly go wrong?)
Together, there were four of us speaking on different aspects of the Kingston issue.
SOCM member David Wasilko as well as Daniel Stephenson each spoke of their concerns as Kingston residents for the health of the rivers, the residents, and future families.
Jean Cheely, SOCM member and Cumberland County Chapter Chair, spoke of the lack of media coverage and public awareness of the 2010 sinkhole collapse and this proposed permit change. She encouraged board members to actively pursue transparency in the facts and become fully aware of the liability of this action.
Angela Garrone, with Southern Alliance for Clean Energy (SACE), outlined the history of the failure of the landfill, attempted mitigation, and the personal effect on community members.
Together, we painted a holographic picture of the threat being posed by TVA trying to take the least inexpensive of disposal for the most toxic wastes while keeping the public unaware. If TVA management is whitewashing the news by their influence with local media, is their board also being misled? NOT if we can help it.
SOCM Green Collar Jobs Co-Chair, Lauren Bush, also presented an awesome report of employment statistics and finances using renewable energy sources.
Of the 25 to 30 total presenters, we were well represented.
Submitted by Jean Cheely, Cumberland County Chapter Chair
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Call to Action - Put the People First Annual Lobby Day
Our state has the highest number of minimum wage jobs in the country. Public education and other essential services face constant budget cuts, and our basic democratic rights are under attack at the ballot box, at work, in our health care decisions, and in local control and municipal governance. As if we needed another reminder, the defeat of Insure Tennessee during last week's extraordinary session shows that business as usual will not cut the mustard this year.
Put the People First (PP1, of whom SOCM is a member) needs the broadest coalition of community groups to come together and send a strong message to newly elected and incumbent legislators to stop the attacks on working people, public schools, and our democracy. They're building a moral movement of every resident of our state. They (and we) demand economic justice, education justice, health justice, real criminal justice reform, and our democratic rights!
Join PP1 at the state capitol on Tuesday, March 17th for their annual lobby day, which includes programming throughout the day, with a key action beginning after 12 noon.
You can support PP1 in their efforts in Tennessee and/or s tay tuned to their Facebook page for more info! |
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Join SOCM!
Your community needs you. |
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E3 Committee Call
Anti-Racism Transformation Team Committee Call
Wednesday, Mar. 4
7:00 p.m. ET / 6:00 p.m. CT
Friday, Mar. 6
7:00 - 9:00 p.m. CT
Unity Church of Life, 130 Cannon Street, Murfreesboro
(click link for more details)
Saturday, Mar. 7
7:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. ET
Knoxville Convention Center, 701 Henley Street, Knoxville
(click link for more details)
Maury County Chapter Meeting
Monday, Mar. 9
7:30 -9:00 p.m. CT
St. James Church, 306 Bluegrass Ave., Mt. Pleasant
Social Justice Committee Call Wednesday, Mar. 11 6:00 p.m. CT / 7:00 p.m. ET Jackson Chapter Meeting Thursday, Mar. 12 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. CT Westwood Garden Center, 1 Westwood Garden Drive, Jackson
Cumberland County Chapter Meeting
Monday, Mar. 16
3:00 - 5:00 p.m. CT
Art Circle Library, 3 East Street, Crossville
Put the People First Annual Lobby Day
Tuesday, Mar. 17
Throughout the day
Capitol Hill, Nashville
(click link for more details)
Green Collar Jobs Conference Call
Wednesday, Mar. 18
8:00 p.m. ET / 7:00 p.m. CT
Knoxville Chapter Meeting
Monday, Mar. 23
6:00 - 7:30 p.m. ET
SOCM Office, 2507 Mineral Springs Ave., Knoxville
Rutherford County Chapter Meeting
Tuesday, Mar. 24
7:30 - 9:00 p.m. CT
Unity Church of Life, 130 South Cannon Ave., Murfreesboro
See our Calendar on www.socm.org for more information about these events.
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Gallatin Coal Ash Event
March 25
Following our Kingston Coal Ash event, on March 25th in Gallatin, SOCM and our allies will hold a free community event to discuss the on-going concerns around TVA's Gallatin Fossil Plant. This event will be open to the public and will feature a screening of
Coal Ash Stories
by our partner Working Films. Please check out our website for further details when they are available. |
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"I think Twitter is best when it sparks conversations elsewhere. To use YouTube and Facebook and all the tools we have available to us today to respond and also promote and answer and engage is awesome."
Jack Dorsey
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