Recap of our 2023 Spring Accountability Action
AIM’s first big, in-person action since 2020!
Sunday, March 12, was AIM’s first big, in-person action since 2020! We joined together–schools, tenants’ associations, congregations and nonprofits–to move our elected officials on the AIM people’s agenda, to address issues of racial and socioeconomic justice in our community.
The choir (Photo by David F. Choy)
Minister Ayize (Photo by David F. Choy)
In opening, Rabbi Eliana Fischel of Washington Hebrew Congregation asked each of us to stand as she called out the reasons for why we gathered that afternoon, whether it was the need for affordable childcare or the need for housing. “We stand here today like the Israelites stood thousands of years ago. Our community, our holy covenant, our power comes from each of you. Our power derives from the commitment we have to each other and the commitment we have to a vision of a community, of systems that serve us all fairly.”
Rabbi Eliana Fischel of Washington Hebrew Congregation
Getting to this stage of specific political movement was several years of intense, deep, and dedicated work from AIM leaders in schools, congregations, and neighborhoods. It started with our listening sessions with more than 1500 people during the winter of 2021-2022 where we asked people, “What gets in the way of you and your family thriving?” The sessions identified the issues that are now AIM People’s Agenda: affordable housing, early childhood care, access to affordable dental care, stronger tenant protections, addressing vandalism and theft in neighborhoods, safe youth spaces, and exposing how climate impacts low-income housing.
AIM leaders worked together in “issue action teams” to research the issues, speaking with experts and practitioners, and understanding the power structures. At the action, these leaders shared compelling stories about why these issues were important, proposed specific solutions, and asked our elected officials for commitments to address these issues. Ms. Kibret and Ms. Musa spoke to the need for affordable early childcare options; Ms. Alvarez and Ms. Tomar spoke to the need for dental care and proposed a dental pilot program akin to the “jornada de vacunas” work across Central America; Ms. Insah Sadio spoke of the need for safe youth places up-county, while Ms. Forcha spoke about the waitlist for MPDUs. Ms. Reyes, Ms. Lindo-Brigeforth, and Ms. Vasquez suggested solutions for strengthening tenants’ rights. And Ms. Lemus and Ms. Cole connected the experience of tenants with the impacts of climate asking our county to proactively seek and procured federal dollars and ensure those dollars are prioritized for multi-unit, low-income housing.
The action on March 12 was preceded by small group meetings with the County Executive and each of our 11 County Councilmembers; in these meetings we shared the AIM agenda, listened to their priorities and identified how we can work together. These small groups were followed by multiple conversations with political staff to iron out the specifics of implementation.
All of this work showed its colors on March 12 when our elected officials shared a resounding commitment that they will work with us to move forward on each of these issues.
Our elected officials (Photo by David F. Choy)
Organizing is the craft of bringing together people to engage as one body with our systems of power. It is a necessary act to ensure that our democracy works for all of us. And it is part of a long-held tradition that AIM partner organizations have been committed to for the past 22 years and will continue to do in the future.
As Bishop Darlingston Johnson of Harvest Intercontinental Ministries shared in his call to action,
“In the Epistle of James, we read, ‘Faith without works is dead.’ That is, good intentions and optimism, while being important, are powerless by themselves to help bring about the positive changes circumstances require to help people.
This is exactly what we are doing, as AIM, when we decide to organize and to act as a collective, together as one, on behalf of our neighbors and ourselves. We are using the huge power we have when we act together to ensure that no one in Montgomery County be denied these basic rights to medical care, affordable housing, safety, adequate work and good education.
These actions- like today’s- is part of a 22 year tradition and ritual of gathering. Of gathering together as brothers and sisters to fight in order for our democracy to work for ALL- OF- US!”
AIM Action March 12, 2023 (Photo by David F. Choy)
Local coverage of the March 12 Spring Action
Local coverage of our Spring Action — "The Power of Our People"
