The Criminalization of Dissent: Advocacy Under Fire

A series of dialogues on radical social welfare practice.

Description of event: Social workers and social welfare workers are committed to advocating to build a better world where human needs are met and human rights are respected. Across the country there are bills being proposed in many states that basically criminalize activities like protesting, marching, rallies, or other actions publicly challenging authority or injustice. The intent of these bills is to suppress free speech and peaceful protests by jailing protesters, making
organizations financially and criminally responsible for supporting protesters, and in some states allowing violence against peaceful protesters.

Why do we need to become involved?  What do we need to do?  

Panelists

Folabi Ojagbaju 

Folabi Olagbaju is the Democracy Campaign Director at Greenpeace USA. Folabi brings a wealth of experience as a human rights advocate and recognized leader in the global social justice movement. His work has elevated labor movement campaigning, cutting edge environmental justice organizing, and his ongoing commitment to economic and immigrant justice. Previously, he worked at Service Employees International Union (SEIU), Amnesty International USA (AIUSA) and more recently with the Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service (LIRS). Folabi holds a doctorate in political science from George Washington University.

Rachel Gilmer

Rachel Gilmer is a Black feminist organizer with over 10 years of experience in advocacy, programs, leadership development, research and writing on issues of racial and social justice. In July 2015, Rachel joined the Dream Defenders as the Chief of Strategy. Rachel graduated from Vassar College in 2010 with a degree in American Culture and Africana Studies. As a fourth-year student, she received an award for her thesis, a critical analysis of the rise of Barack Obama as both an emerging hero of the African Diaspora and the new face of American hegemonic power. While researching the project, she received a grant to conduct fieldwork in France, where she worked with various civil rights organizations in Paris, studying the impact his presidency has had on Black French people’s view of themselves and America. In addition, Rachel is a graduate of the Politicorps fellowship, an intensive political leadership program, the Western Institute for Leadership Development and Emerge, a national program designed to prepare women to run for elected office. Prior to this role, Rachel organized on issues of racial and social justice in a variety of settings, including schools, prisons, community-based organizations and government. Most recently, she served as Director of Leadership for the Portland African American Leadership Forum where she founded a leadership development program focused on creating and supporting young, radical Black leaders and an anti-gentrification campaign, that resulted in the allotment of $20 million additional towards affordable housing in one of Portland's most rapidly gentrifying neighborhoods.

Melissa Price Kromm

Melissa Price Kromm is the Director of North Carolina Voters for Clean Elections, North Carolina's leading voice for returning power to citizens and lessening the corrosive influence of special interests in state politics. Kromm serves as lobbyist and leader of the coalition. This coalition has successfully passed the now repealed "voter-owned" public financing for select judicial and Council of State races, bipartisan electronic disclosure reform and helped stopped an effort to pack the North Carolina Supreme Court in 2016.  Recently, Kromm led efforts to stop judicial gerrymandering, and legislative appointment of judges in North Carolina, including a constitutional amendment. Before joining North Carolina Voters for Clean Elections, Kromm was part of a successful effort to pass same-day voter registration at early voting sites in North Carolina. 

Larry Bresler

Larry Bresler is the Executive Director of the Organize! Ohio, an organization that advances grassroots community organizing and assists community organizing efforts as a strategy for progressive change in Ohio. He has a Master’s Degree in Social Work from Case Western Reserve and a Law Degree from Cleveland State University. He has over 45 years’ experience in non-profit management, community organizing, and advocacy primarily focused on issues of poverty. His community organizing experience ranges from urban to rural, and neighborhood based to statewide and national campaigns. Among his previous positions have included national director of the Poor Peoples Economic Human Rights Campaign, director of a statewide health justice organization in Ohio, director of a Cleveland settlement house, Manager of Neighborhood Planning and Development for the City of Cleveland, and director of a rural interfaith human service and social justice organization in western New York State. He previously served as the co-chair of the Ohio Poor People’s Campaign, one of the state chapters of the national Poor People’s Campaign. He also has been serving as an adjunct professor at the Case Western Reserve University School of Applied Social Sciences since 2006 where he teaches and has taught a wide range of classes relating to macro practice and poverty. Bresler is a member of the Social Welfare Action Alliance national steering committee.