9th Annual JWJ Awards Raise $18K
Monday, June 27, 2011
(Metropolitan Washington Council, AFL-CIO)DC Jobs with Justice celebrated their 9th annual “I’ll Be There Awards”
last Thursday in a packed Samuel Gompers room at the AFL-CIO. The crowd of over
100 came out to honor labor and community activists, including artist and
activist Head-Roc, who wrote a song in support of workers at Giant Foods;
immigrant rights’ organizer Sarahi Uribe of the National Day Labor Organizing
Network; students at University of Maryland who have been organizing in support
of striking Daycon workers; and Knetra Byrd, Franklin Carter (photo), and Eric Marshall, UFCW members who
came out of the shop to fight Walmart in DC. Other highlights of the evening
included performances by local artists. SongRise, an all women’s social
justice a cappella group, got the crowd clapping for their renditions of
“Union Maid” and "Don't Let Nobody Turn Me Around." Salvadoran-American poet
and performer Quique Aviles, whose mother was a union hotel housekeeper, shared
spoken word pieces reflecting the experiences of immigrant workers in DC. The
event raised over $18,000 to support the work of DC Jobs with Justice.