Tar Heels Join the Fight Against Inequality

The two of us were reminded this month how nothing beats getting far away from the office and meeting a room full of smart, engaged students to see that Americans care deeply about inequality. It matters to all of us, all around the country.

It started last fall when we committed to visit Chapel Hill, North Carolina on April 11 for a forum at UNC on economic and social inequality. Originally, our plan was to talk to students about the great progress made during the Obama administration and what we each learned about partnering to advance policy from our very different places: Mary Beth, working from the inside, served as a senior advisor in the Labor Department, and Dorian, working from outside the administration, was a critical academic advisor on a range of pressing issues. We were drawn to the students’ interest in looking at economic and social inequality together since too often they’re mistakenly split into separate tracks.

Now, though, it’s the spring, and we’re caught in a very different moment, reexamining so much of what’s around us. Along with many others, we find ourselves defending, instead of building on, the Obama legacy that promoted fair wages, opportunities for all, LGBTQ equality and many other priorities. We wake up each day to fight the dismantling of policy progress and to stand up for the rights of immigrants, people of color, Muslims, and other members of our communities.

Our moderator that evening, Rebecca Kreitzer, a UNC Public Policy faculty member, asked great questions about Black Lives Matter, the over-incarceration crisis, low-wage workers and other issues that are overshadowed by impulsive, insulting tweets-of-the-day. While these issues of inequality are just as real for millions of Americans as they were 6 months ago, they struggle for air in the new media and political environment.

The students who attended genuinely energized us both. They were hungry to learn more about the issues and enthusiastic about how they could get involved. About 50 students stayed behind after the discussion to talk with us one-on-one, about how they can get more involved.

And the students were ready with questions!...really insightful ones that show they’ve been looking beyond the tweet storms and staying engaged in the economic and social issues that matter. They asked about democracy and how to make our political and economic systems live up to our ideals of the American Dream. Something is in the water in The Tar Heel state, and it’s the spirit of political resistance, engagement and transformation.

How poignant it was to discuss this in North Carolina where debates have raged for more than a year about the humanity of LGBTQ people. HB2 is a sad chapter in the state’s history. Instead of focusing on actual issues (job creation, good schools, public safety), politicians made this one up out of thin air, and singled out a vulnerable minority group for harm in the process. (Seriously, what group of constituents in North Carolina last year said PLEASE make bathrooms the top priority in the state legislature? Who in this business-savvy, basketball-crazy state thought it would be worth the cost in lost jobs, major sporting events and the reputation of being common-sense, fair-minded people?)

The students we met recognized HB2 as a loss to all citizens, not just those facing immediate discrimination, because it stripped municipalities of the democratic right to pass their own ordinances (whether on LGBT rights or minimum wages). Local governments are one of the nation’s important laboratories for policy change. But that progress is endangered when a single party overrides democratic principles and disregards the wishes of citizens.

We left UNC optimistic and heartened by students who recognize recent setbacks to equality, and who raised their hands last week and told us, “Yes, we want to do something about it!” They didn’t need the two of us to inspire them to get involved—they only needed some guidance and a point in the right direction. They are hungry fro more ideas, more information, and more places to plug in.

And they’re not alone. People all over the country, in cities, suburbs and rural areas, and yes, college campuses, are engaging in numbers literally never seen before. And even more people want to get engaged but need more information. So here’s some of the information we shared last week to UNC students—facts about social and economic inequality and ways to get involved. Together, let’s use this information to rally, meet with elected officials, show solidarity, and reach across our differences to expand the we of “We the People.”

· Racial Equality Under Trump - In just two months, the Trump Administration has already made it harder for African Americans to buy a house, to vote, to enjoy clean air and water, and to retire with dignity.

· In This Moving Interview, Young Queer Immigrant Shares How His Mother Sacrificed to Ensure His Safety - In the video, Javier reflects on anti-LGBTQ rhetoric he heard in school growing up before moving to the U.S. and the dangers facing LGBTQ people in Guatemala. And he talked about the apprehension that has been rippling through the Latino community in the U.S. after the election of Donald Trump, whose presidential campaign was marked by virulently anti-immigrant rhetoric.

· Activists fight North Carolina law barring cities from raising minimum wage – The Guardian story on the Fight for 15 in North Carolina

· Economic Inequality In North Carolina – The North Carolina Justice Center provides valuable data and reports on inequality in the state as well as policies that advance opportunity and prosperity.

· Economic Policy Institute – EPI provides detailed and user-friendly inequality data on states and metropolitan areas around the country.

· North Carolina NAACP – Led by Rev. William J. Barber II, the largest State Conference of the NAACP in the South has for many years lead “Moral Mondays” bringing together residents from across the state to stand up for social justice.

· Rise Up On May 1st to Fight for Immigrant Rights— on May 1st, immigrants and all Americans will stand up to be “Torchbearers” to show that this country doesn’t work without immigrants and to protect immigrant families and neighbors from anti-immigrant vitriol and policies.

· A policy agenda to break down opportunity barriers An op-ed in The Washington Post by Jared Bernstein – former Chief Economist to Vice President Biden.

Mary Beth Maxwell is the Senior Vice President for Programs, Research and Training at the Human Rights Campaign, where she leads the organization’s public education and programmatic efforts covering a wide range of issues affecting LGBTQ people. She has been a leader for 20 years in the work to expand worker voice and update labor standards for our 21st century economy.

Dorian T. Warren is President of the Center for Community Change Action (CCCA) and Vice-President of the Center for Community Change (CCC). A progressive scholar, organizer, and media personality, Warren has worked to advance racial, economic and social justice for over two decades.