Historic Meeting Set June 29th, 4pm to form Black-Brown Alliance in Gainesville
Newtown Florist Club Stands in Solidarity with the Latino Community Calling for an End to At-large Voting
Media Advisory
Media Advisory Contact: Rev. Rose Johnson, Ph: 770.718.1343
June 25, 2015 (Gainesville, GA) — On June 29th, 4pm at the Newtown Florist Club (NFC) office located at 1064 Desota Street in Gainesville, GA, an historic meeting between Latino and African American leaders will take place. The purpose of the meeting will be to form a Black-Brown Alliance with the Latino community and the Georgia Association of Latino Elected Officials (GALEO) to call for an end to at-large voting in the City of Gainesville.
According to Rev. Rose Johnson NFC executive director, “Something pretty miraculous is happening here. As I look back over the many decades of Newtown’s work and now see the Latino community and its persistent organizing efforts to end at-large voting, there is a clear sense that we together are reaching across space and time. Today in the 21st Century, two distinct racial minorities stand united to share our experiences of the discriminatory impact of at-large voting. It is so important that we walk hand in hand to call for concrete change. The change that we seek is to simply be able to elect the candidate of choice from the districts where we live.”
GALEO began its challenge to at-large voting two years ago appearing before the Council appealing for change by campaigning against the City of Gainesville’s at-large voting process, arguing that it violates Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 by diluting the Latino vote.
The Newtown Florist Club is a sixty-five year old social justice organization established in the 1950’s initially to serve as flower girls during funerals to comfort families grieving the loss of loved ones. As time progressed the Club was forced to respond to community needs related to social, economic and environmental justice.
The Club began its voter engagement work more than five decades ago. In 1991, members of the Club filed the first Section 2 claim challenging at-large voting in the City of Gainesville. “Although we did not prevail in the litigation, more than twenty years later we have remained persistent in our call for change. This historic meeting unites minority voters together in an unprecedented way,” Johnson added.
###
This media advisory was sent on behalf of the Newtown Florist Club to highlight the collaborative work with GALEO. The Latino and African American community stand together to end the discriminatory at-large voting in Gainesville.
About Georgia Association of Latino Elected Officials (GALEO)
GALEO’s mission is to increase civic engagement and leadership of the Latino/Hispanic community across Georgia.
CORE BELIEFS: Inclusive, Non-Partisan, Diversity, Responsive