Deadline to apply: January 10, 2020

There are six vacancies, each with a two-year term from February 2020 to February 2022.

Applicants should be members of the organization and agree with our core tenets. Board members serve 2-year terms. Board members should be willing and able to attend almost all Board of Directors monthly meetings, and should also be willing to engage on our online planning platform, accept special assignments and serve on at least one of our two standing committees: Finance & Operations or Policy & Elections. Board meetings occur on the fourth Monday of every month.

If you are interested in serving on the Board, please fill out this nomination application by January 10, 2020. All applications will be reviewed by the Annual Member Meeting Planning Committee. If your nomination application is approved, you will be placed on the ballot and will be voted on by Athens for Everyone members via absentee ballot and at the Annual Membership Meeting scheduled for February 15, 2020.

At this time, we are especially looking for individuals who have experience with, formal expertise in, and/or interest in learning more about one or more of the following: 

• Fundraising

• Accounting and bookkeeping

• Social media

• Database management

• Nonprofit management

• Nonprofit law

• Local government

We also welcome folks to apply who have experience in or display interest in the following:

• grassroots organizing, radical economic thought, and electoral politics 

• expertise in economic issues, especially as they relate to racial and gender disparities

• leftist, feminist, and anti-racist social movement history and activism

• lobbying 

• local and regional politics 

• leadership development 

• interest in or demonstrated experience with our platform.

Fill out your application here.

If you have any questions about serving on the Board, please contact Erin Stacer at contact@athensforeveryone.com. We welcome the opportunity to talk with you more and help you with your application.

There are ways to support the work in Athens, too. The Athens Immigrant Rights Coalition are supporting migrant peoples at varying levels. Their mission is in  “asserting justice for Athens area immigrants, regardless of legal status…“

Here’s how you can get involved:

U-lead Athens: Help un/underdocumented students achieve a post-secondary education. Provide weekly tutoring for ACT, SAT, ACUPLACER, and coursework. Donate to help provide college scholarships and provides DACA renewals.

Point of Contact(s): Jobeth Allen: jobethal@gmail.com         

Betina Kaplan: betinakaplan@gmail.com

Donate here

Community Support Network: “Provides emergency assistance and emotional support to families in crisis because of immigration detentions and deportations”

Point of Contact: Comsupfam@gmail.com 

Donate here

Dignidad Inmigrante En Athens: “DIA demands that fundamental rights to education, work, housing, and family (love), be safeguarded for all human beings, regardless of their migration status, race, or gender”

Point of Contact: Beto Cacao Proinm@gmail.com 

AIRC Rapid Response Team: Rapid Response Teams can come to the aid of immigrants people when ICE threatens to displace them. First responders who arrive at the scene can serve as legal observers. Once documenting positions are filled allies who arrive can decide how to leverage their privilege to protect at-risk migrant populations.

Point of Contact: Stephanie Flores sflores1122@gmail.com

Donate Here  

AIRC Drive Pool:  “The Neighborly Drivers Pool connects allies who have a car and a day off to folks who need rides in the immigrant community” Please read more about the drive pool here. After reading the info, fill out your contact information here if you would like to volunteer yourself as a driver. 

Point of Contact: Eleanor Davis athens.neighborly.drivers@gmail.com

Dear Athens for Everyone members and supporters,

I’m excited to announce that this month, I’ll begin the role of Organization Coordinator of Athens for Everyone. This organization was founded on a commitment to social, economic, and racial justice in Athens, Georgia, and I want to maintain this commitment while striving to work together with our allies to explore and communicate what this means for us together as a community.

Ours is a community with a 38 percent poverty rate, a history of discrimination and racial terror, and a palpable struggle between the narrow interests of the wealthy and powerful few and those who are struggling to get by. But Athens is also a community with a budding organized labor movement, longtime advocacy for living wages thanks to the leadership of organizations like Economic Justice Coalition, strong literacy and mentorship programs for youth thanks to local hallmarks like DESTINED Learning Center, and a rich legacy of Black history elevated by  organizations like the NAACP and Association for the Study of African American Life & History. Athens for Everyone has victories to celebrate, too: We won Sunday Bus Service after countless hours of knocking on doors and canvassing the community to learn what people wanted. We advocated alongside the Athens Anti-Discrimination Movement to win legislative victories against discrimination in bars. We worked with state and local organizations to defeat the 2016 state school takeover amendment. And we collaborated with Dignidad Inmigrante en Athens and the Athens Immigrant Rights Coalition to end the Sheriff’s cooperation with ICE that was tearing apart immigrant families. Athens certainly has the energy, talent, and heart to struggle for freedom and justice.

And we have lots more work to do!

The cash bail system makes sure  that the poor stay locked into our criminal (in)justice system. The chronically-underfunded public education system falls short of providing affirming learning environments for students of color, for students from working-poor backgrounds, for immigrant students, and for queer and trans youth. And secure jobs at fair wages are out of reach for too many people in Athens, especially Black Athenians who continue to be locked out from wealth-building opportunities. And this is just a short list. If history tells us anything, we will continue to encounter new sites for struggle and new possibilities for freedom and transformation that we can’t even name yet.

We’ve got to work in coalition – with other organizations and with folks in this community most impacted by harmful policies and institutions – to advance a politics of freedom and build a more intersectional movement.

It’s this sort of dedication to coalition-building, direct community engagement, and power-sharing that I hope to stoke in Athens for Everyone.

I’m confident that in 2019 we can strengthen our leadership development process, make activism more accessible, and commit to capacity-building so organizers have space for the mental and physical care they need to sustain the work. I look forward to working with all of you to build coalition and strengthen our political education so that our advocacy can be as bold, effective, and equitable as possible.

I am excited to continue to work and grow alongside you as we develop our policy focus for the coming year. I am excited to situate whichever projects we choose in the context of freedom and justice…gender justice, economic justice, racial justice, education justice, housing justice disability justice, and environmental justice. And to communicate what we actually mean by these concepts through community outreach and bold policy ideas.

I am so thankful to all of you, and I look forward to learning from and with you.

Together we can build a sustainable organizational culture and an Athens that works for everyone.

With love, in solidarity,

Briana Bivens

Pronouns: she/her/hers

org@athensforeveryone.com

www.athensforeveryone.com

Contact information for the current mayor and commission is listed here. Contact information for the new commissioners is as follows:

Patrick Davenport: patrickfordistrict1@gmail.com or (706) 201-6761

Tim Denson: timdensonforathens@gmail.com or (706) 372-0681

Russell Edwards: (706) 308-6221

Ovita Thornton: (706) 353-7633 or (706) 202-4437

or you can fill out the Agenda Comment Form here (select J for the agenda item number).

Don’t know who your commissioner is? Use our handy map!

Athens-Clarke County is working on a new list of SPLOST (special purpose local option sales tax) projects, and a citizens advisory committee begins meeting this week. But on December 4, in their last voting meeting, the previous mayor and commission voted to designate or set aside a big chunk of those dollars for projects including a $72 million judicial center and a $44 million affordable housing fund without hearing from that committee. We absolutely support funds set aside for affordable housing in some fashion, but housing is a racial economic justice issue and pushing forward this plan without the input of community members is wrong. At the new mayor and commission’s first meeting, this Tuesday, there will likely be a vote to reconsider these designations and not bypass the citizens advisory committee. Please ask Mayor Kelly Girtz and your commissioner to support this vote.

You can also show up to the meeting at City Hall on Tuesday, January 8, at 6 p.m. and speak for three minutes during the time allotted for citizen input. Free parking deck vouchers for citizens attending the meeting are available on the 2nd floor of City Hall.

Personalized calls and emails are more effective than multiple messages using the same script, so express your personal feelings frankly! Here is an example script that you can build off of or use:

Hello,

My name is [NAME], and I live in Athens. I’m contacting you because I disagree with the mayor and commission bypassing the citizens advisory committee on SPLOST. This amount of money is too significant to ignore the input of the people it will affect. I’m asking you to support a vote to reconsider those designations this Tuesday or in the future.

Thank you for the chance to share my concerns.

Please contact the mayor and commission TODAY.

TELL THEM: No SPLOST without citizen input!

Thanks for caring,

Legislative Action Network
Athens for Everyone

Want to get these alerts in your inbox? Sign up here.

Call or email:

Rep. Spencer Frye: spencer.frye@house.ga.gov or (404) 656-0265
Rep.-Elect Houston Gaines: contact@houstongaines.com
Rep.-Elect Marcus Wiedower: votemarcuswiedower@gmail.com or (706) 254-3251

Make sure to tell your friends in other districts to call their state legislators, too. Don’t know who your legislators are? Find out here.

The new legislative session in the Georgia General Assembly hasn’t started yet, but some bills have already been prefiled,including a smart one from minority leader Bob Trammell designed to protect voting rights. House Bill 6 would remove the automatic purges from Georgia voter rolls of voters who haven’t voted or contacted the Secretary of State’s office in three years. With governor’s elections four years apart, the current law seems designed to disenfranchise low-frequency voters, who are disproportionately black or brown, young and poor. Secretary of state-elect Brad Raffensperger has said he plans to continue Brian Kemp’s war on imaginary voter fraud. Want some facts and figures on the myth of voter fraud? The Brennan Center for Justice has many resources online.

Personalized calls are more effective than multiple calls reading the same script, so express your personal feelings frankly! Here is an example script that you can build off of or use:

Hello,

My name is [NAME], calling from [CITY]. I’m contacting you today because I’m asking you to support House Bill 6, which would remove the requirement that less active voters be purged from the rolls. Ballot access is an issue that affects all of us, and thwarting the will of the people is anti-democratic. I hope I can count on you to support democracy, in this bill and in others.

Thank you for the chance to share my concerns.

Feel free to modify the script, depending on whom you’re calling.

Please contact your legislators TODAY.

TELL THEM: Support House Bill 6 to expand voting rights!

Thanks for caring,

Legislative Action Network
Athens for Everyone

Want to get these alerts in your inbox? Sign up here.

The terrible SB 452 has already passed the Georgia senate (where our local senators Bill Cowsert and Frank Ginn voted for it). Now it’s in the house. Deborah Gonzalez (D-117), Spencer Frye (D-118) and Jonathan Wallace (D-119) should vote against it there, but if they’re not your representatives, we need you to call yours.

You can also call the members of the House Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee, which is reviewing the bill, especially its chair, Alan Powell.

Call:

Rep. Alan Powell (R-Hartwell) 404-463-3793

Make sure to tell your friends in other districts to call their state legislators, too. Don’t know who your legislators are? Find out here.

You’re likely upset that Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is terrorizing our community. The Georgia Senate recently passed a bill to give ICE even more power. Senate Bill 452 (a.k.a., the Ensuring Necessary Deportations [END] Act), forces local police, courts and jails to notify the Department of Homeland Security and/or ICE when they suspect they are dealing with an undocumented person.

If an undocumented person shows up to court for something as minor as a traffic violation, they would be immediately reported for deportation. Allowing this sort of draconian consequence to reporting a crime or addressing an even minor violation will prevent undocumented people from seeking and receiving basic protections.

Requiring this kind of collaboration between local governments and ICE would not only increase fear among vulnerable communities, but also overburden an already overworked system. Three people have died in immigrant detention centers in Georgia over the past year.

Please call your legislators and tell them that the END Act does nothing but harm our state.

Personalized calls are more effective than multiple calls reading the same script, so express your personal feelings frankly! Here is an example script that you can build off of or use:

Hello,

My name is [NAME], calling from [CITY]. I’m calling today because I am strongly opposed to the END Act (Senate Bill 452), and I believe it will greatly harm our state. Not only is it cruel and unjust, but it will also strain our already underfunded and overstressed system. This bill will discourage already vulnerable people from seeking help when they truly need it, making communities less safe. Nothing about this bill will keep Georgia safer.

Thank you for the chance to share my concerns.

Feel free to modify the script, depending on whom you’re calling.

Please call them TODAY.

TELL THEM: Stop terrorizing our communities!

Thanks for caring,

Legislative Action Network
Athens for Everyone

Want to get these alerts in your inbox? Sign up here.

Join us for a lobbying training given by A4E and Sara Henderson of Common Cause Georgia.

Come to Lobbying for the People! Lobbying Training Day, and learn what to expect when we visit the Gold Dome. Sunday, February 4th, 3pm, A4E Office – 140 Tracy Street, Tracy Street Warehouses, Unit 4, Suite 10.

Read an excerpt of A4E Member Leandra Nessel’s Excellent Guide To Lobbying!

So you want to lobby your senator or your state representative but have no idea where to start? I was in the same predicament a few weeks ago, but thanks to Athens for Everyone and their Legislative Action Network, I now know what to do and want to help others who want to start lobbying.  Here’s the guide I made:

How to Be a Citizen Lobbyist

First things first, don’t be afraid. You can do this. The legislators are just people, and it’s THEIR JOB to listen to you. The prospect of citizen lobbying may seem terrifying at first, but in my opinion it’s sort of like riding a roller coaster: the anticipation is more terrifying than the actual reality and as soon as the ride is over you want to go again.

Second, if you’re nervous, find a group to go with. There’s a reason for the saying there’s strength in numbers. It’s because… well, there really is strength in numbers. It’s much less overwhelming navigating the different floors and the mezzanines (oh God, the mezzanines!) of the Capitol when you have compatriots standing with you, when they literally have your back.

Don’t be intimidated by the sheer number of people who are there on any given day. When I went, we walked in and it was wall-to-wall people. Student groups are always visiting, and  there are also a lot of professional lobbyists walking the halls. But I’m happy to report that a lot of grassroots, non-profit lobbyists are there as well.  Our guide for the day, a non-profit lobbyist herself, said that she has seen an encouraging surge in grassroots and citizen lobbying!

Read Leandra’s full report here!

10. A4E Delivered Over 200 Signatures Calling for a Civil Rights Committee

In 2017 members of A4E and the Athens Anti-Discrimination Movement pushed the Mayor and Commission to make progress on the fight against discrimination in Athens. On July 6th we delivered a banner signed by over 200 Athenians as well as a letter endorsed by the Georgia ACLU, Georgia Equality and many local organizations calling for the creation of a Civil Rights Committee. (Read more…)

Current status: Although the Mayor did create a Task Force on Diversity and Inclusion, what Athens needs is a permanent Civil Rights Committee formed or comprehensive civil rights legislation passed. We must continue this fight.

9. We Rallied For Healthcare, and Against Deportations

Last year A4E co-hosted the Rally for Callie and No More Deportations events in downtown Athens.

On May Day, A4E stood in solidarity with the Athens Immigrant Rights Coalition (AIRC) and Dignidad Inmigrante en Athens (DIA) in their call to end all deportations. Approximately 200 people marched together through the streets of downtown Athens, led by 20 children.

In July, A4E and allies hosted the Rally for Callie, standing against the Senate’s proposed healthcare bill that would have left millions uninsured. The Senate’s dangerous bill collapsed under public pressure.

(Read more…)

8. We Coordinated Citizen Lobbying

Citizen Lobbying is one of our most powerful tools. In 2017 we both formed LAN (Legislative Action Network) and Athens for Everyone members went to the capitol to lobby against Voter Suppression, Anti-Protest,Campus Sexual Assault and Anti-Immigrant  legislation. We also lobbied against Campus Carry and the Sanctuary Campus bill. Additionally, we advocated passionately for a Citizen Redistricting Commission and a Civil Rights for All Georgians bill.

7. We Developed Our Bystander Intervention Training Workshops

Kate Dahlstrand of A4E’s ASAP (Athens Sexual Assault Prevention) campaign along with 86 Hate founders Madeleine Dahl and Alyssa Donnelly created a workshop designed to empower service industry workers to take action to prevent sexual harassment and predatory behavior in their workplaces. (Read more…)

6. We Held Jody Hice Accountable for Not Holding Town Halls in Athens

Our “Representative” Jody Hice has refused to hold a town hall in Athens for his entire time in office, so Indivisible GA10 and A4E decided to hold this most basic form of democratic conversation for him. Although he chose not to attend “due to scheduling conflicts,” Athenians spoke passionately at the podium about the issues that Congressman Hice has the responsibility to address such as healthcare, civil rights and military de-escalation. (Read more…)

5. A4E Won a Vital US-29 Bus Route Through TSPLOST

For two years, A4E has advocated for a new bus route along US-29 which would serve the Veteran’s clinic, the DMV and several majority Latinx communities. This became even more urgent after Trump’s election made immigrants, who are often unable to get licenses to driver, face an even greater risk of deportation.

A4E allies on the citizen’s advisory committee of TSPLOST argued passionately for our US-29 route to be included in the referendum, and it was one of the major reasons we endorsed TSPLOST and helped it win a landslide victory last November.

4. We Organized a “Call-In” Against the Sheriff’s Office Illegal Cooperation with ICE

When word got out that the Sheriff’s Office has been illegally cooperating with ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement), members of A4E, AIRC and other concerned Athenians met with Sheriff Edwards. When the Sheriff was unwilling to reverse the illegal policy, A4E organized a massive call-in. An overwhelming number of calls were made in support of immigrants on December 6. There were so many calls the Sheriff’s office was forced to make a public statement defending their decision, which was roundly criticized on social media. Since then, the ACC Board of Education has also added their voices to the fight, speaking out against the Sheriff’s actions.(Read more…)

Next steps: DIA is organizing a protest on January 10 at City Hall and A4E will be delivering a written petition (if you haven’t signed yet, please do!). This is an ongoing story and we will keep you updated.

3. A4E Organized the Largest Protest in Athens’ History on January 20, 2017

Stretching seven blocks, over 4,500 Athenians paraded through downtown Athens on January 20 for the Day of Resistance march in response to Donald Trump’s presidential inauguration. It was an outpouring of love, anger and solidarity. Speakers called for unity and action to restore our democracy and protect our most vulnerable residents. (Read more…)

Athens for Everyone is proud for our role in this historic event, but also humbled and grateful that we live in such a caring and passionate community. It was a moment we will never forget.

2. We Won Living Wages For All Year-Round ACC Local Government Employees

Members of Athens for Everyone and the Economic Justice Coalition (EJC) have been tirelessly advocating for living wages for all county government workers and this victory was finally won on July 1 of 2017.  Starting July 1st, all year-round employees got a raise to at least $11.60 an hour, meaning some 85 county employees received an hourly bump of $2.38. This win made a very real difference to a lot of very real lives.    (Read more…)

A4E continues to advocate for a state-wide $15 minimum wage. We hope that this ACC win is a sign of things to come for all workers in Athens, and across Georgia.

1. The Unprecedented Elections of Progressive Candidates to GA State House

Athens, a bright blue dot in a red sea, has been represented by two Republicans in the State House for decades thanks to gerrymandering. No more. In the special elections this November, progressives Deborah Gonzalez and Jonathan Wallace flipped districts 117 and 119, winning two spectacular victories in part of a wave that is spreading hope across the entire county.

Athens for Everyone campaigned passionately in the month leading up to this election. We knocked on over 500 doors and made almost 1200 phone calls after encouraging both candidates to adopt their final bold, winning platforms that include Medicare-for-all, $15 an hour minimum wage, and marijuana legalization and ending mass incarceration.  Our gratitude and admiration goes to Deborah Gonzalez and Jonathan Wallace and their campaign teams, who worked tirelessly and made the most incredible night in ACC political history possible. (Read more…)

We Are Strong. And We’re Getting Stronger.

We enter 2018 still fired up from our victories in 2017. When the people unite and work hard together, there is no limit to what we can accomplish in our city, our state, and our country.

We are unstoppable. A better world is possible!

2018, here we come!

Athens for Everyone
January 4, 2018

Applicants should be members of Athens for Everyone and agree with our core tenets. Board members serve 2-year terms. Board members should be willing and able to attend almost all meetings, both regular and special, and should also be willing to engage on our Facebook group, accept special assignments and serve on at least one of our standing committees (Finance & Operations or Policy & Elections) or initiatives (ASAP, GAIN, Education, Housing). Regular board meetings are once a month.

If you are interested in serving on the Board, please fill out this application by Monday, January 15. If your nomination application is approved, you will be placed on the ballot for the annual membership meeting vote to be held on February 24.

Athens for Everyone’s goal is to have a board that is as diverse as our city is, and that represents all the different areas of the progressive and activist community whose goals we share. We’re looking to give as much organizational and political power as we can to historically and presently oppressed communities. A diverse Board is key to our movement and has the best chance of effectively bringing about the change we all need.

As we review applications we will also be looking for individuals who have experience with, formal expertise in, and/or interest in learning more about one or more of the following (in no particular order):

• community organizing
• interest in or experience with our aspirational goals and strategies, including grassroots organizing, radical economic thought, and electoral politics
• expertise in economic issues, especially as they relate to racial and gender disparities
• leftist, feminist, and anti-racist social movement history and activism
• lobbying
• fundraising and accounting
• grant writing
• computer programming/coding/software engineering
• local and regional politics
• leadership development
• social media
• interest in or demonstrated experience with our platform.

Fill out your application here.

If you have any questions about serving on the Board please contact Eleanor Davis, Chris Dowd, Kelly Happe, or Jesse Houle. We welcome the opportunity to talk with you more and help you with your application.

Tuesday night saw three spectacular victories for progressive politics in Athens, Georgia, and for Athens for Everyone. Democrats Deborah Gonzalez and Jonathan Wallace, both of whom are Athens for Everyone members, flipped formerly Republican State House seats in districts 117 and 119.

Clarke County also voted 3-to-1 for TSPLOST, a 1% sales tax that will fund much needed transportation projects. Athens for Everyone campaigned for both candidates and the TSPLOST, both online and in the streets, with our members putting in hundreds of hours phone banking and going door to door. We could not be more proud of our members’ hard work and our donors’ vital support.

Athens votes for TSPLOST in a landslide

Transit has been a core issue for Athens for Everyone since our inception. Three Athens for Everyone members served on the TSPLOST committee, deliberating for months on the details of the initiative and advocating that it include the maximum number of progressive projects.
 By winning in a stunning landslide, TSPLOST proves we choose to be a bikeable, walkable city, with transportation choices that empower us all. Athens won sidewalks, bike lanes, and the project A4E’s called for most passionately: a bus route up US-29, serving the DMV, the VA clinic, and the largely Latinx community of Pinewoods.

Bold, Progressive Platforms Win in Districts 117 and 119.

From the beginning, Athens for Everyone encouraged and supported Gonzalez and Wallace in adopting their final progressive platforms. With their support of Medicare-for-all, $15 an hour minimum wage, marijuana legalization and ending mass incarceration, and protecting immigrants from right-wing attacks, Gonzalez and Wallace showed us that candidates win when they stand up for bold progressive policies.

Grassroots Beats GOP Cash in Gonzalez Victory

Deep-pocketed Trump supporters and our city’s technically Democratic (though now removed from the county committee) mayor, Nancy Denson, united to back Gonzales’ opponent Houston Gaines. But despite a massively expensive campaign, these conservative forces were soundly defeated by a passionate grassroots Get Out The Vote effort. Athens for Everyone campaigned for and promoted Gonzalez tirelessly. Our members committed hundreds of hours engaging voters on foot and on the phone.

Stunning Upset by Wallace

 In a district where Trump beat Clinton by 8 points last Fall, we were proud to deploy our resources to help achieve a decisive victory in House District 119 where many hoped for a runoff at best. 
Jonathan Wallace’s campaign also had several Athens for Everyone members in leadership roles. His campaign, like the other two, proves what can be achieved with progressive vision, dedicated organization, and hard work. At his victory celebration, Wallace thanked Athens for Everyone, saying “they had a ton of canvassers out working for us!”

This is Your Win.

Your donations helped make our contribution to this victory possible. Not only do they provide for resources such as office space, they also enable us to work with state-of-the-art and up-to-date data on the Athens Clarke-County electorate, which is essential to making the most of our efforts. Money alone cannot buy progressive change, though – as a volunteer-run organization, by far the most important contribution Athens for Everyone makes to our local political contests is the vision, dedication, and tireless work of our members.

Often politics feels like a force of nature, as if it were physics or the weather that pushes elections blue or red. At Athens for Everyone, we know that victory is built one dedicated activist at a time. The conservatism in Athens politics, long out of step with our proudly progressive residents, is on its way out. Bold progressivism will triumph. Athens for Everyone is proud of the supporting role we played in Tuesday’s ecstatic victories. We now look toward our local elections in May and the possibility of a truly progressive local government.

Want to become part of a movement?

Join or donate today.