Moral Mondays Prayer
The Poor People’s Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival opened a season of nonviolent direct action on July 12 with Moral Mondays backed by a fusion coalition of impacted people of all races, clergy and moral leaders and organizations determined to save democracy, including SEIU, MoveOn, the Sunrise Movement and the Rainbow PUSH Coalition.
Bishop William J. Barber II, DMin, co-chair of the Poor People’s Campaign, and coalition members held a news conference Monday outside the U.S. Supreme Court building in Washington, D.C. They are demanding
- An end to the filibuster;
- Full passage of all provisions of the For the People Act;
- Expansion and protection of Voting Rights Act and
- A $15/hour minimum wage by Aug. 6, the 56th anniversary of the VRA.
William Barber II
The Rev. Dr. William Barber II
“What is happening in the Senate is an attack not just on Black people, but on everyone, especially poor and low-wage people, and on democracy itself,” Bishop Barber said. “And so we ask the GOP and Sens. Manchin and Sinema: Which side are you on? Are you on the side of democracy and the U.S. Constitution? Or are you on the side of autocracy, dark money and the corporate elite?”
The coalition supporting the period of moral witness is a growing list that includes: the PPC’s 42 state coordinating committees, SEIU, MoveOn, the Institute for Policy Studies, the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, the Transformative Justice Network, Forward Justice, Indivisible, the Sunrise Movement, National Welfare Rights Union, Black Voters Matter, the Samuel DeWitt Proctor Conference, Red Letter Christians, and several religious denominations. In addition to the Poor People’s Campaign, the event is organized by dozens of partners, the Poor People’s Campaign’s 40+ state coordinating committees, and thousands of faith leaders.
Individual United Methodists and local congregations are involved, but neither the Poor People’s Campaign nor the General Board of Church and Society listed any churchwide agencies as participants. However, the campaign's agenda focuses on topics about which the United Methodist General Conference has adopted stances that are carried out by Church and Society. General Conference is the only body that can speak for the entire denomination.
Bishop Barber previously said that women will lead the July 19 actions in Washington; the July 26 actions will focus on senators’ offices in the states; and clergy and religion leaders will lead the Aug. 2 actions, along with poor and low-wage workers.
The news conference was followed by an online program that includes Rev. Dr. Liz Theoharis, co-chair of the Poor People’s Campaign, and poor and low-income people and workers. People will call every U.S. senator and the White House to demand that our allies stay strong while we challenge our adversaries.
The news conference and online program can be viewed here.
The call for a season of consistent protest and nonviolent direct action follows a wave of policies being passed in state legislatures across the country aimed at restricting access to the ballot. It also comes on the heels of Senate Republicans’ refusal to support or debate the For the People Act.
The schedule of events is:
July 12 - Launch from DC & Mass Moral Monday Call-In Day
A massive national call-in to every US Senator combined with a live press conference from Washington DC to launch the season of action.
July 19 - A Women’s Moral Monday March on Washington
On the anniversary of the Women’s Convention at Seneca Falls, nonviolent moral direct action in DC led by women from all over the country.
July 26 - Moral Monday Actions in States Across the Nation
Targeting all Senators regardless of party, people in at least 45 states will engage in nonviolent moral direct action.
August 2 - Moral Monday in DC: Faith Leaders + Poor & Low-Wage Workers
Nonviolent moral direct action focused on the US Senate and led by a mass number of clergy and religious leaders with poor and low-wage workers.
During this season, we'll be also hosting A Season of Prayer and Protest to Save Our Democracy each Monday for a 30-minute prayer service. These will take place 10:00-10:30am each Monday. Topics for Weekly Moral Monday Mandate Prayer:
- July 12 – Systemic Poverty
- July 19 – Systemic Racism
- July 26 – Ecological Devastation/ War-based economy
- August 2 – The False Moral Narrative of Religious Nationalism.
Jennifer R. Farmer and Sidney Bagley write for Spotlight Public Relations. Insight Editor Cynthia B. Astle contributed to this report.