Monday, 31 December 2007 15:04

Highlights and Accomplishments Summary: 1997-2007

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Since 1997, Stand Up! has waged a sustained and consistent campaign advocating for equal civil and human rights, to which the people of Washington, DC are entitled.

STAND UP! for DEMOCRACY in DC (Free DC)
Highlights and Accomplishments Summary: 1997 - 2007

Since 1997, Stand Up! has waged a sustained and consistent campaign advocating for equal civil and human rights, to which the people of Washington, DC are entitled.  Teach-ins, candidates’ forums, debates, educational literature, petitions, rallies, lobbying, direct action and lawsuits are some of the tactics that we have employed.  Our accomplishments include:

Stand Up! worked in coalition with grassroots groups, churches and individuals to mobilize more than 200 volunteers to travel to North Carolina to help defeat then-U.S. Senator Lauch Faircloth (R-N.C.) in 1998, because of his role in the congressional takeover of the DC government;

Stand Up! is a winner of the United Nations Association of the National Capital Area’s “Human Rights Community Award;”

Stand Up! worked in coalition with Cease Fire-Don’t Smoke the Brothers, the NAACP/DC, the American Friends Service Committee-MAR/Washington, DC Peace and Economic Justice Program, the Near Northeast Citizens Against Crime and Drugs, the National Black Police Association and the Umoja Party to oppose attempts to overturn DC’s law against the death penalty;

Stand Up! continues to work with groups such as the American Civil Liberties Union of the National Capital Area and Empower DC to oppose Congress’ attempt to overturn DC’s gun control laws;

Stand Up! organized a Memorial Day service to call attention both to local veterans who fought for democracy abroad while being denied equal rights at home, as well as to the neglected DC World War I Memorial where the service was held;

Stand Up! organizes an on-going “FREE DC Budget” education, outreach and direct action campaigns to end congressional control and review of DC’s local budget;

Stand Up! volunteers collected more than 1,000 signatures in DC and Arlington, Virginia, in favor of a “FREE DC budget” and presented them to Congress.  The unwanted attachments to DC’s budget were reduced from more than 100 to less than 40 – as we continue to work to end congressional review;

Stand Up! worked in coalition with Democracy First, AFSC-MAR, and the DC Statehood Green Party to successfully lobby the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) meeting in DC, to condemn the U.S.’s denial of equal voting representation for DC residents;

Stand Up! members served as plaintiffs in the historic Adams, et al. v. Bush (formerly Clinton) lawsuit for local self-determination, argued by the late attorney George S. LaRoche;

Stand Up! members served as defendants in many successful DC democracy protest trials;

Stand Up! organized against the federal imposition of school vouchers;

Stand Up! challenged the undemocratic “Control Board” and its decisions, filing an amicus brief to support the DC Council’s lawsuit challenging the Control Board’s closing of DC General Hospital;

Stand Up! helped organize to win the 82% District-wide victory for Referendum A for an elected District Attorney for DC – which is still awaiting congressional action;

Stand Up! worked in partnership with the Close Up Foundation’s Great American Cities Programs to help urban public school students learn ways to effect change in their school and communities;

Stand Up! helped organize the Democracy Action Project’s Democracy Summer which brought high school students from all over the country to lobby their congressional members on important issues, including full democracy for DC residents;

Stand Up! helped organize the “Just Vote No” campaign against legislation that ended a fully elected public school board;

Stand Up! advocated to bring the “First-in-the-Nation” Presidential Primary with the DC Democratic State Committee to the District to focus national attention on DC’s lack of equal rights;

Stand Up! continues to oppose the war in Iraq – exposing the hypocrisy of sending DC members of the armed services to “fight for democracy” when they do not have democracy in their own home town;

Stand Up! marched in every DC Emancipation Day parade observing the end of chattel slavery in DC – using our slogan “First Freed-Last Free,” and co-sponsored teach-ins with the DC Emancipation Day Celebration Committee, African American Holiday Association, AFSC-MAR and Empower DC;

Stand Up! sponsored several candidates’ forums – including one for mayoral candidates with the League of Women Voters of the District of Columbia;

Stand Up! – in coalition with the DC Black History Celebration Committee and the DCDSC – held a gala reception in honor of Dr. Dorothy I. Height, to thank her and the National Council of Negro Women for their extraordinary commitment to Stand Up! and a FREE DC!

Stand Up! continues to lead the opposition to the “DC One Vote” legislation in Congress to give the District a single vote in the U.S. House of Representatives (and none in the U.S. Senate) while also giving an additional seat to Utah with an extra electoral college vote and the abolition of the position of DC Statehood Representative.  Stand Up! continues to point out how such “representation” would continue to leave the District in a position of inequality while leading to a dead-end for full representation and democratic rights; and

Stand Up! continues the mission for full democracy for DC residents – including recognition of our long-standing petition for statehood.

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Stand Up! for Democracy in DC (FREE DC) was founded in 1997 to help 700,000 residents of our nation’s capital achieve full and equal citizenship rights through DC Statehood. Checks and/or money orders may be mailed to Stand Up! (FREE DC) via our Executive Director, Anise Jenkins, at 635 Edgewood Street NE, #708, Washington, DC 20017 or via Dorothy Height Station, Post Office Box 2152, Washington, DC 20013-2152. THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR SUPPORT!

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