I used to cover this activist group when I was a newspaper reporter in Newark, N.J. a LOONG time ago. It always had GREAT King Day events. I see the tradition is continuing.

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PEOPLE’S ORGANIZATION FOR PROGRESS

POST OFFICE BOX 22505
NEWARK, NEW JERSEY 07101-2505
(973) 801-0001
 
 
For Immediate Release
 
For Further Information Contact:
Lawrence Hamm (973) 801-0001
 
 
NINETY-FOUR ORGANIZATIONS SPONSOR
STATEWIDE PEACE CONFERENCE
SCHEDULED FOR JANUARY 20 IN NEWARK, NJ
 
 
“The People’s Peace Conference on the U.S. War in Iraq and Our Communities” sponsored by The Peace Coalition will be held Saturday, January 20, 2007, at the Rutgers School of Law, 123 Washington Street in Newark, New Jersey.  The conference program will start at 9:00 a.m. and end at 5:00 p.m.  Registration for the conference will begin at 8:00 a.m.  The conference is open to the general public and admission is free.
 
The theme of the conference is “Breaking The Silence: The Grassroots Speak.”  The Peace Coalition is the organizer of the conference.  The coalition is made up of ninety-four (94) organizations that have decided to become sponsors of the conference.  It is composed of a broad spectrum of activist, human and civil rights, community, religious, civic, student, labor, peace, media and other grassroots groups.
 
“The Peace Coalition has three basic demands around which the conference is being organized.  We want an immediate end to the war, the troops brought home now, and the money being spent for the war to be redirected toward domestic needs,” POP chairman Lawrence Hamm stated.
 
“One of the main purposes of the conference is to educate the community about the relationship between what is happening with this unjust war and what is happening in our communities.  We will discuss the relationships between the war abroad and repression at home, and increased military spending and decreased spending for domestic programs and how this is affecting our communities,” stated Rev. William Howard, Pastor of Bethany Baptist Church in Newark.
 
“The war is affecting every person in this country.  Everyone who wants peace should attend this conference.  Hopefully, the conference will show ordinary people what they can do to bring this war to an end,” said Annette Alston, President of the Newark Teachers Association.
 
“I would especially encourage African Americans, Latinos, and other people of color to attend.  We must also make our voices heard on this issue.  Just as Dr. Martin Luther King spoke out against the war in Vietnam we must speak out against this unjust war in Iraq,” stated James Harris, State President of the New Jersey State Conference of the NAACP.

 
“It is our collective hope that the conference will produce an action agenda that can organize and mobilize our communities to bring about the kind of pressure needed to help bring this war to a quick end,” said Jerry Harris, President of the New Jersey Black Issues Convention.  
 
Some of the members of The Peace Coalition include (but are not limited to) the People’s Organization For Progress (POP), Board of Deacons of Bethany Baptist Church, NJ State Conference NAACP, General Baptist State Convention of NJ, Newark Teachers Association, NJ Human & Civil Rights Association, Mayor Wayne Smith of Irvington, Assemblyman Craig Stanley, NJ Peace Action, NJ Millions More Movement Coalition, Black Women’s History Conference, Mothers of Murdered Sons & Daughters (MOMSAD), New Jersey Black Issues Convention, New Jersey African-American Political Alliance, The Black Ministers’ Council of New Jersey,  Association of Black Law Students at Rutgers-Newark School of Law, Martin Luther King Committee of Elizabeth, Clinton Hill-South Ward Improvement Association, South Orange-Maplewood Martin Luther King Holiday Committee, Women In Support of the Million Man March (WISOMMM), Black Telephone Workers For Justice, NJ State Industrial Union Council, WBAI Radio, and City Belt magazine.
 
The conference program will include morning, midday, and afternoon convocations, workshops, a plenary assembly for voting on resolutions, and a speakout session that will give participants an opportunity to express their views on the war to the whole conference.
 
More than 50 activists, grassroots organizers, religious leaders, and elected officials will serve as speakers, presenters, and workshop panelists at the conference.  The workshop topics include, The War and our Rights, The Impact of the War on Our Communities, How Do We Stop the War in Our Streets, The Role of Religious Institutions in Ending the War, Building the Student Anti-war Movement, Preventing Future Wars of Aggression by the United States, and How Do We End the War in Iraq.
 
Guest speakers and panelists will include among others Rev. William Howard, Pastor, Bethany Baptist Church, Lawrence Hamm, Chairman, People’s Organization For Progress, Annette Alson, President, Newark Teachers Association, James Harris, State President of the NJ State Conference of the NAACP, Jerry Harris, President of the New Jersey Black Issues Convention, Congressman Donald Payne, author and activist Amiri Baraka, and Madeline Hoffman, Executive Director, NJ Peace Action.   
 
“We hope that the outcomes of the conference will include major anti-war protests, voter registration drives and economic sanctions campaigns that will take place in the state during the next few years,” Hamm said.
 
The conference is also being dedicated to the memory of Damu Smith, an African American peace activist, who founded Black Voices for Peace.  Mr. Smith, suffering from cancer, died last year.  Towards the end of his life he campaigned for an end to the U.S war in Iraq.
 
“We are trying to uphold the legacy of Damu Smith by increasing African American participation in the peace movement through this conference,” Hamm said. 
 
A complete list of the conference sponsors appears on the flyer which is attached below.  For registration and additional information interested persons can call (973) 801-0001.
 
-END-
 
THE PEOPLE’S PEACE CONFERENCE
THE U.S. WAR IN IRAQ & OUR COMMUNITIES
“BREAKING THE SILENCE: THE GRASSROOTS SPEAK”
SATURDAY, JANUARY 20, 2007 9:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M.
REGISTRATION BEGINS 8:00 A.M. ADMISSION FREE
RUTGERS SCHOOL OF LAW-NEWARK
123 WASHINGTON STREET, NEWARK, NJ
SPONSORED BY
THE PEACE COALITION:
People’s Organization For Progress (POP), NJ State Conference NAACP,
General Baptist State Convention of NJ, Inc., Board of Deacons of Bethany Baptist Church,
Newark Teachers Association, NJ Human & Civil Rights Association,
Mayor Wayne Smith of Irvington, Assemblyman Craig Stanley,
Association of Black Law Students at Rutgers-Newark School of Law (ABLS),
Martin Luther King Committee of Elizabeth, NJ Peace Action, Enough Is Enough Coalition,
NJ Millions More Movement Coalition, Black Women’s History Conference,
Mothers of Murdered Sons & Daughters (MOMSAD), WBAI Radio, City Belt,
New Jersey Black Issues Convention, New Jersey African-American Political Alliance,
Clinton Hill-South Ward Improvement Association, Street Warriors, Inc., CWA Local 1037,
South Orange-Maplewood Martin Luther King Holiday Committee, Mt. Teman A.M.E. Church,
The Black Ministers’ Council of New Jersey, Teaneck Peace & Justice Coalition,
Women In Support of the Million Man March (WISOMMM), Boycott Crime Committee,
Anti-Lynching Campaign, Ras Baraka Civic Association, Kidnapped African Descendants (KAD),
Reconstruct Economics for African Liberty (REFAL), George Tillman Civic Association,
Black Telephone Workers For Justice, Coalition For Peace Action, School of African Philosophy,
Veterans for Peace-Chapter 21, Africa Newark International, Inc., My Father Knows Best,
National Action Network-NJ Chapter, Harlem Tenants Council, United Youth Council,
Antiracism Committee-Unitarian Society of Ridgewood NJ, Cuba Solidarity-NY,
Peace & Justice Committee-Unitarian Society of Ridgewood NJ, Morristown Peace Vigil,
Northern New Jersey-National Organization for Women (NOW), Onyx Society,
American Students of African Descent Association (ASADA), Nubian Queendom,
International Youth Organization, Central Jersey Coalition Against Endless War,
Rev. Malachi D. Rountree Ministries, New Black Panther Party-Newark NJ Chapter,
Justice For Michael Anglin Coalition, Parents Advocacy & Service Academy (PASA),
December 12th Movement, NJ Solidarity – Activists for the Liberation of Palestine,
National Black Independent Political Party, The Essex Green Party, Socialist Party of New Jersey,
National Organization For Women of New Jersey, Secondary Parent Council of Newark,
Striving Together Equals Progress (S.T.E.P.), Rutgers-Newark National Lawyers Guild,
Black Cops Against Police Brutality (B-CAP), Quest Ink, Inc., Uhuru, NJ Labor Against War
Dr. Benjamin Chavis Muhammad & The Hip Hop Summit Action Network, Urban Issues Institute,
Central Ward Family Support Center, Brotherhood Academy, Inc.-Essex County,
B.T.Kwanzaa Group-Roselle NJ, Social Responsibility Committee-Central Unitarian Church,
Martin Luther King Association-Columbia HS, NJ State Industrial Union Council (IUC),
Jersey City Peace Movement, International Action Center, Troops Out Now Coalition,
Unitarian Church of Montclair, NJ State Council of Urban League Executives, Stop Shootin’, Inc.
Organization of African American Unity, Jamel Holley Civic Association, National Action Network, Inc.
International Concerned Family & Friends of Mumia Abu Jamal, National Million Woman March,
Interreligious Foundation For Community Organization (IFCO)/Pastors For Peace, The Civic Formation, Inc.,
National Association of Kawaida Organizations (NAKO), Centro Hispano-Americano of Plainfield
Join Another Mother In This Effort To Save Lives (J.A.M.E.L.), NJ Chapter-The World Can’t Wait 
TO REGISTER CALL(973) 801-0001 ADMISSION IS FREE
STOP THE WAR!  BRING THE TROOPS HOME NOW!  FUND PEOPLE’S NEEDS NOT WAR!
 HONOR MARTIN LUTHER KING, STAND UP FOR PEACE & JUSTICE!
STOP THE WAR IN IRAQ, STOP THE WAR IN OUR STREETS!
 
  PEOPLE’S PEACE CONFERENCE SCHEDULE
 
8:00 – 9:00 A.M. REGISTRATION & CONTINENTAL BREAKFAST

8:45 – 9:00 A.M. ROLL CALL OF SPONSORING ORGANIZATIONS

9:00 – 10:00 MORNING GENERAL SESSION

10:00 – 12:00 P.M. WORKSHOPS:

            THE WAR & OUR RIGHTS

            THE IMPACT OF THE WAR ON OUR COMMUNITIES I

            THE IMPACT OF THE WAR ON OUR COMMUNITIES II

            HOW DO WE END THE WAR IN IRAQ

            HOW DO WE STOP THE WAR IN OUR STREETS

            THE ROLE OF RELIGIOUS INSTITUTIONS IN ENDING THE WAR

            BUILDING THE ANTI-WAR STUDENT MOVEMENT

            PREVENTING FUTURE U.S. WARS OF AGGRESSION
 
12:00 – 12:30 P.M. LUNCH SERVED

12:30 – 1:30 P.M. MIDDAY GENERAL SESSION

1:30 – 2:30 P.M. PLENARY SESSION: RESOLUTIONS FOR ACTION

2:30 – 3:30 P.M. AFTERNOON GENERAL SESSION

3:30 – 4:30 P.M. SPEAK OUT AGAINST THE WAR

4:30 – 5:00 P.M. CLOSING REMARKS