Jackson Free Press

Join the ACLU and the Jackson Free Press for a Freedom Party outside at 930 Blues Cafe on Friday, June 30, featuring performances by Willie King and other local artists. Admission: $5 for ACLU members and board members: $10 for non-members; $15 for couples; students and volunteers get in free! Call 601.355.6464 for details. Starts at 5:30 p.m. Come visit the JFP table! Win "I Get It Once a Week" T-shirts! Register to vote! Come on out, y'all.

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Threats to reproductive freedom and justice have never been so systematic and coordinated, and the lives and health of Mississippi women never faced such peril. The Jackson Area National Organization for Women (NOW), along with the Mississippi ACLU and the MS Reproductive Freedom Coalition are organizing an action around the upcoming hostile visit by Operation Oppress America (this is what they actually do), during the week of July 15-22, 2006. Year after year anti-choice bullies travel across the country terrorizing clinics, their staff and patients and each time, the pro-choice community continues to show support for women, feminist issues and safe legal access to reproductive health care, free of government and religious intrusion. As an organization with a strong pro-choice foundation, NOW stands firm on reproductive freedom. We are committed to preserving a woman’s right to choose. July 15-22, 2006, Jackson, MS will be invaded by ‘Operation Oppress America’ and several other self-righteous, right-winged Christian fundamentalists, who use a nationwide network of churches to organize a series of actions against abortion providers and harass women visiting the clinics. They have chosen the Jackson’s Women Health Clinic-the only provider in Mississippi. The battle for reproductive freedom is a human rights struggle that includes all matters of equality and social justice. Reproductive justice connects the similarities amid sexism, poverty, racism, xenophobia and homophobia in achieving undivided human rights. Pro-choice activists throughout the state have been organizing to combat this action. We have organized Reproductive Freedom Summer 2006: Providing a Peaceful Presence, a week long of scheduled pro-choice events to show support to the clinic, its staff and most importantly, the courageous patients. Please take the time to circulate my request to others who may be of assistance to our cause. Jackson Area NOW is dedicated to upholding a woman’s fundamental right to choose whether or not to become a parent with reproductive health options that are safe, affordable and accessible. I hope you will join us this July in making history by participating in the largest pro-choice demonstration in Jackson, MS. I appreciate your time and look forward to standing side-by-side with you while we show the nation that the last clinic in Mississippi will not fall.

Jackson Area NOW

Jun 23 2006

ACLU Freedom Extravaganzaa, June 30, 2006, 5 to 9 p.m. Jackson, MS-- On June 30th, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Mississippi will sponsor its Annual Membership Meeting at 930 N. Congress Street in Jackson, from 5:00 to 9:00 p.m. This year’s meeting will be an outdoor “Freedom Party” to celebrate the human rights, civil liberties and civil rights that all human beings are entitled to at birth and to raise awareness about violations of these freedoms. The purposes of this event are to 1) thank all of our members, donors and supporters; 2) to raise awareness about important human rights, civil rights and civil liberties issues and 3) to recruit members who want to join in the fight to protect these rights. There will be tables with information about all sorts of issues like “What To Do If Your Stopped By The Police” , “Voting Rights for Ex-Felons”, the “USA Patriot Act”, “Youth Rights”, and the rights of “Gay/Lesbian/Transgender people”. This year’s events will feature music, spoken word and other presentations by local artists and activists from throughout the state. Local social justice organizations including MIRA (Mississippi Immigrants Rights Alliance), the Youth Justice Project, the MS State Conference NAACP and Rainbow Whole Foods Co-Op will set up tables to share information about their work. Arts and crafts vendors will be in attendance as well. Performers will include: Alabama Blues artist Willie King, many of the performers from the 930 Blues Café and a host of hip hop, R&B and folk artists from across the state. We will also honor elected officials and members of the Mississippi Reproductive Freedom Coalition, who worked tirelessly during this year’s legislative session to defeat a potential ban on safe abortions in Mississippi. The cost of the event is $5 for ACLU members, $10 for non-ACLU members, $15 for two and free for students. If you are interested in setting up a vendor table, click here; organizations wishing to set up a table, click here, and bands/artists may apply here. This event is co-sponsored by the Jackson Free Press, Mississippi Link, and others!

DonnaLadd

Jun 24 2006

Donna, just to be clear: It starts at 5 and not 6, right? Thanks--and I'll be there! Cheers, TH

Tom Head

Jun 24 2006

On reading the above posting by NOW, I was interested to note that " Jackson area NOW is dedicated to upholding a woman's fundamental right to choose whether or not to become a parent" It takes real courage to kill an unborn baby because you "choose" not to become a parent. What a tragic joke......

R.A.

Jun 28 2006

RA, you have to remember that the right to choose includes birth control, and our access to it is decreasing more and more. I understand your wording of "kill an unborn baby" but women also need many to understand "just give us our pills without a bunch of drama." :)

emilyb

Jun 28 2006

R.A.-Consider the path to abortion: no- comprehensive sex-ed, limited access to contraceptives. Pharmacies refusal to stock/dispense ec/birth control pills.No privacy, No freedom. No one should be making decisions that involve my uterus and womb except my doctor and I.

Jackson Area NOW

Jun 29 2006

Just got back from the party about 30 minutes ago. Thanks to all of you for doing such a fantastic job with this! I had a great time. :o) Cheers, TH

Tom Head

Jun 30 2006