Boxed out by GOP gains, NC progressive groups seek to reignite resistance | Opinion – Yahoo News
They gathered in the community center of Pullen Memorial Baptist Church in Raleigh on Tuesday night like the remnants of a battered army trying to regroup and rally.
The occasion was a meeting of the newly formed Peoples Coalition, a collection of 16 North Carolina progressive groups committed to promoting economic and social justice. The theme was mobilizing against the actions of the Republican-controlled General Assembly.
The warm-up music included Gil Scott-Herons early 1970s song, The Revolution Will Not Be Televised. Many in the crowd of about 75 people were old enough to remember when it was an activists anthem.
The Rev. Nancy Petty, Pullen Memorials pastor, opened the meeting with a moment of silence for the three adults and three children killed Monday in the Nashville school shooting and all victims of gun violence. Earlier in the day, the state Senate voted to override Gov. Roy Coopers veto of a bill that makes it easier to buy a handgun. That contrast expressed a gulf much wider than the 1.5 miles between the church and the Legislative Building.
Petty said the pandemic had halted in-person meetings and slowed progressive activism, but she said that lull is over. We are back and we are ready to be back, she said.
Petty noted that this year marks the 10th anniversary of the Moral Monday protests that united advocacy groups in opposition to actions by the legislature. She said it was time to reignite that resistance. Many North Carolinians, she said, are coming together as a Peoples Coalition refusing to let our lawmakers pass their dangerous agenda without a struggle and a fight.
Other speakers also spoke against the actions of Republican lawmakers, but the prospects for blocking those actions are bleak. Republicans, now in their 13th year in power, gained seats in the last election and are one vote shy of veto-proof majority.
Meanwhile, the election also gave Republicans a 5-2 majority on the state Supreme Court, replacing a 4-3 Democratic majority that had supported voting rights and rejected gerrymandered election district maps. Its likely the newly constituted court will approve new voting restrictions and redrawn district maps that will heavily favor Republican candidates in 2024.
Story continues
Sailor Jones, associate director of Common Cause North Carolina, alluded to those setbacks in addressing the audience. This time, my friends, the courts will not save us, Jones said. Who will?
We will, the audience responded, but it sounded more like a wish than a promise.
Yet a counter movement has to start somewhere. The Peoples Coalition hopes it is starting in the capital city. They plan to hold more town hall meetings around the state.
State legislative leaders from both parties were invited, but did not attend, though two Democratic state lawmakers did state Sen. Lisa Grafstein of Wake County and state Rep. Greg Ager of Buncombe County.
Grafstein, a civil rights lawyer, told me after the meeting that Democrats eventually will regain a legislative majority as voters respond to Republican overreach, much as they did to the Supreme Courts abortion ruling.
I genuinely do believe we will get it back, she said.
But, for now, belief is about all that progressives have.
Associate opinion editor Ned Barnett can be reached at 919-829-4512, or nbarnett@ newsobserver.com
Excerpt from:
Boxed out by GOP gains, NC progressive groups seek to reignite resistance | Opinion - Yahoo News
- Why Medicare for All is off the table for progressives, for now - Axios - May 9th, 2024 [May 9th, 2024]
- Fetterman: Progressives who dont vote will own tragedy of second Trump term - The Hill - May 9th, 2024 [May 9th, 2024]
- Pistol-Packin' Progressives - WSJ - The Wall Street Journal - May 9th, 2024 [May 9th, 2024]
- John Fetterman will speak at Florida Democratic Party gala. Progressives want it cancelled. - The Philadelphia Inquirer - May 9th, 2024 [May 9th, 2024]
- Mass. AG Campbell to helm progressives reproductive rights working group - MassLive.com - May 9th, 2024 [May 9th, 2024]
- Medicare for All absent from progressives' agenda - Axios - May 9th, 2024 [May 9th, 2024]
- Opinion | The progressives won again - Alabama Political Reporter - May 9th, 2024 [May 9th, 2024]
- Kennedy: Biden's In A Bit Of A Pickle With Progressives In His Party Right Now - FOX News Radio - May 9th, 2024 [May 9th, 2024]
- Dem Lawmaker Speaks Fierce Logic On Trump That He Wants Progressives To Hear - HuffPost - May 9th, 2024 [May 9th, 2024]
- Progressives are wrong on Hamas rape denials - Newsday - March 11th, 2024 [March 11th, 2024]
- Pramila Jayapal State of the Union preview: Joe Biden needs to speak to progressives. - Slate - March 11th, 2024 [March 11th, 2024]
- Schiffs big win sinks powerhouse progressives - MSNBC - March 11th, 2024 [March 11th, 2024]
- Progressives Explain What They Want Out Of Biden's Big Speech - Crooked - March 11th, 2024 [March 11th, 2024]
- Declaring the end of progressive San Francisco is a bit premature - 48 hills - 48 Hills - March 11th, 2024 [March 11th, 2024]
- Schiff Beats Out Split Progressives On Glide Path To California Senate Seat - TPM - March 11th, 2024 [March 11th, 2024]
- Progressive Wins and Losses in Texas' Super Tuesday Primary - Progress Texas - March 11th, 2024 [March 11th, 2024]
- Progressives Win Two Texas District Attorney Races - Yahoo! Voices - March 11th, 2024 [March 11th, 2024]
- AOC walks tightrope between moderates, progressives during State of the Union speech - wpde.com - March 11th, 2024 [March 11th, 2024]
- State of the Union 2024: Progressive 'Squad' turns up heat on Biden with demands ahead of speech - Washington Examiner - March 11th, 2024 [March 11th, 2024]
- Sen. John Fetterman says 'progressives left me' as he urges action to secure border: 'There is a crisis' - New York Post - January 22nd, 2024 [January 22nd, 2024]
- Fetterman continues his feud with progressive Democrats and says they 'left' him - Washington Examiner - January 22nd, 2024 [January 22nd, 2024]
- The quandary for progressive Jews - New York Daily News - January 22nd, 2024 [January 22nd, 2024]
- Why these progressives want ex-Rep. Andy Levin to run against Biden - Detroit News - January 22nd, 2024 [January 22nd, 2024]
- Letter: I favor conservatives over progressives - The Dispatch Argus - January 22nd, 2024 [January 22nd, 2024]
- Progressives in Iceland intensify campaign against Israels genocidal war in Gaza - Peoples Dispatch - January 22nd, 2024 [January 22nd, 2024]
- Editorial: Biden must resist call to appease progressives - Boston Herald - January 22nd, 2024 [January 22nd, 2024]
- Can Gov. Hochul stand up to progressives | Commentary | oleantimesherald.com - Olean Times Herald - January 22nd, 2024 [January 22nd, 2024]
- Green energy was 2023's biggest loser. Will Biden and progressives wake up in 2024? - Fox News - January 6th, 2024 [January 6th, 2024]
- What progressives get wrong about Winston Churchill - The Spectator - January 6th, 2024 [January 6th, 2024]
- Divided progressives are the best friends a Conservative leader could have - Toronto Star - January 6th, 2024 [January 6th, 2024]
- Burlington Progressives Pick Two More Candidates for March Ballot - Seven Days - January 6th, 2024 [January 6th, 2024]
- Are Young People Actually Progressive? - New York Magazine - January 6th, 2024 [January 6th, 2024]
- Democrats and progressives react to Gov. Scott's State of the State - WPTZ - January 6th, 2024 [January 6th, 2024]
- Let's Seize This Opportunity to Destroy Harvard! - The Intercept - January 6th, 2024 [January 6th, 2024]
- Is nothing good enough? Phoebe Maltz Bovy on why some progressives are mad at the young Israeli refusing to serve ... - The Canadian Jewish News - January 6th, 2024 [January 6th, 2024]
- Progressivism's Breakdown over Israel and Jews | Joshua Davidson | The Blogs - The Times of Israel - January 6th, 2024 [January 6th, 2024]
- Normalising the far right: a warning from Austria - Social Europe - January 3rd, 2024 [January 3rd, 2024]
- AIPAC vs. The Squad: Pro-Israel Group to Spend $100M to Target Progressives in 2024 - Democracy Now! - January 3rd, 2024 [January 3rd, 2024]
- Opinion | For Wisconsin progressives, 2023 was a very good year - The Capital Times - January 3rd, 2024 [January 3rd, 2024]
- Abundance Progressives: A New Ideological Shift - BNN Breaking - January 3rd, 2024 [January 3rd, 2024]
- Progressives need to get real about Trump, democracy and the Supreme Court - The Hill - December 30th, 2023 [December 30th, 2023]
- Democrats get ready to ditch the progressives - The Times - December 30th, 2023 [December 30th, 2023]
- Actor Brett Gelman joins Eretz Nehederet to skewer US progressives - The Times of Israel - December 30th, 2023 [December 30th, 2023]
- MICHELLE GOLDBERG: What's driving former progressives to the right? - Indiana Gazette - December 30th, 2023 [December 30th, 2023]
- Joe Biden Is a 'Dictator' and 'Worse Than Trump': Progressive Activist - Newsweek - December 30th, 2023 [December 30th, 2023]
- Greek progressives deal ruling New Democracy severe blow in local elections - EURACTIV - October 17th, 2023 [October 17th, 2023]
- Progressives, as much as Conservatives, ought to adjust their ideas to fit actual facts - Daily Kos - October 17th, 2023 [October 17th, 2023]
- Progressives face backlash over response to Israel attacks - The Hill - October 17th, 2023 [October 17th, 2023]
- AOC and two fellow NY progressives back formal plea for ceasefire ... - New York Daily News - October 17th, 2023 [October 17th, 2023]
- Poland's voters turn fear into a stunning win for progressives - Tortoise - Tortoise Media - October 17th, 2023 [October 17th, 2023]
- Some progressives split with Biden and the Democrats on ... - The Boston Globe - October 17th, 2023 [October 17th, 2023]
- COLUMN: Schools, progressives must realize kids belong to parents - Oil City Derrick - October 17th, 2023 [October 17th, 2023]
- Scott hits Biden, progressives over response to Hamas attacks in Israel - The Hill - October 17th, 2023 [October 17th, 2023]
- Bergus: A model white progressive for Black justice in Iowa City - The Gazette - October 17th, 2023 [October 17th, 2023]
- Capitol Police Brief Progressives On Security Measures Amid Rise ... - Yahoo News - October 17th, 2023 [October 17th, 2023]
- Why Pittsburgh & Allegheny County progressives keep winning elections - 90.5 WESA - May 20th, 2023 [May 20th, 2023]
- How Progressives Won and Lost in Purple Pennsylvania - The Intercept - May 20th, 2023 [May 20th, 2023]
- Progressives gird for battle as permitting talks escalate - E&E News - May 20th, 2023 [May 20th, 2023]
- Philadelphia mayoral race 2023: What to know about the May 16 Democratic primary - Vox.com - May 20th, 2023 [May 20th, 2023]
- Bidens 14th Amendment message to progressives: It aint gonna happen - Yahoo News - May 20th, 2023 [May 20th, 2023]
- Medicare for All bill revived by House and Senate progressives - Healthcare Finance News - May 20th, 2023 [May 20th, 2023]
- Douglas Rooks: On economic issues, progressives are missing in ... - Kennebec Journal and Morning Sentinel - May 20th, 2023 [May 20th, 2023]
- Maine Media, Progressives Get Migrant Crisis Wrong - The Maine Wire - May 20th, 2023 [May 20th, 2023]
- Chicago Tonight | Spotlight Politics: Progressives Push Tax Increase ... - PBS - May 20th, 2023 [May 20th, 2023]
- Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is a Lying Crank Posing as a Progressive ... - Current Affairs - May 20th, 2023 [May 20th, 2023]
- The progressive revolution's continued control of the ecclesial ... - Catholic World Report - May 20th, 2023 [May 20th, 2023]
- A Bernie Sanders Progressive Could Be the Next Leader of One of Americas Largest Counties - The Nation - May 20th, 2023 [May 20th, 2023]
- Chicago mayors progressive strategy to be tested amid public safety, growth concerns - NBC News - May 20th, 2023 [May 20th, 2023]
- AOC says lawmakers' relationship with Zients is still a work in progress - POLITICO - May 20th, 2023 [May 20th, 2023]
- 'Red Room of Doom' put brakes on some progressive priorities in ... - The Durango Herald - May 20th, 2023 [May 20th, 2023]
- San Fran progressives BAN lesbian Asian from setting up Dem club because title had 'family' in it - Daily Mail - May 8th, 2023 [May 8th, 2023]
- Brandon Johnsons early appointments suggest hell be a pragmatic ... - Chicago Sun-Times - May 8th, 2023 [May 8th, 2023]
- Opinion | Why Warren Buffett Runs Berkshire Hathaway His Way - The New York Times - May 8th, 2023 [May 8th, 2023]
- The Right's Economic Populism Is Breaking Progressives' Brains - POLITICO - May 6th, 2023 [May 6th, 2023]
- Progressives are winning the immigration debate but it doesn't feel like it - Financial Times - May 6th, 2023 [May 6th, 2023]
- 'Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3' And The MCU's Tradition of Villainous Progressives - Observer - May 6th, 2023 [May 6th, 2023]
- Jordan Neely matters but where were progressives when 27 others were killed on the subway? - New York Post - May 6th, 2023 [May 6th, 2023]
- San Antonio, El Paso voting on progressive propositions - The Texas Tribune - May 6th, 2023 [May 6th, 2023]
- Progressives Are Declaring War on Basic Economics: News: The ... - The Beacon - May 6th, 2023 [May 6th, 2023]
- Opinion: The Hypocrisy Of Maharashtra's Progressives - NDTV - May 6th, 2023 [May 6th, 2023]