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PeacewaysPeaceways CENTRAL KENTUCKY COUNCIL FOR PEACE AND JUSTICE February 2015 CKCPJ Dinner and Networking Fair scheduled for Feb. 22 The Central Kentucky Council for Peace and Jus ce Annual Dinner and Networking Fair is scheduled for Sun., Feb. 22, at Imani Bap st Church, 1555 Georgetown Road, Lexington. Lo- cal and regional groups that address social jus ce issues will have informa- on booths set up from 4 pm to 6 pm; dinner will follow the networking session at 6 pm. Following dinner, CKCPJ will give its annual awards: Youth Peacemaker of the Year Award, Life me of Waging Peace Award, Peacemaker of the Year CKCPJ member Steve Katz attends the 2014 Networking Fair, listening to Gina DeArth of the Award, and the Chuck Sohner Living National Action Network. Wage Award. Members of CKCPJ's Peace Ac on commi ee and the mininum wage. The Kentucky State dance is $25 per dinner; those living Lexington Working Families Cam- University Choir will perform. Audi- on a reduced income are asked to pay paign will describe their planning for ences of the KSU Choir describe their $10. Please make reserva ons by call- the Global Day of Ac on for Military music as "a treat that will warm your ing 859-488-1448 or email peaceand- Spending and eff orts to increase the heart." Suggested dona on for a en- jus [email protected]. Who Stands to Benefi t from fected are assured that their wages will not Louisville’s New Minimum Wage become stuck. By Jason Bailey The fi nal ordinance did not increase An estimated 45,000 workers in teenagers. Fifty-seven percent are women, base pay for tipped workers from the cur- Louisville/Jefferson County who would 60 percent work full-time, and 28 percent rent $2.13 an hour, where it has remained otherwise make less than $9 an hour will have a child in the household. since 1991. The ordinance does require have higher wages once the new metro Fifty-nine percent of those workers with that tipped workers’ total wages, including government minimum wage ordinance— family income below the poverty line will tips plus base pay, be at least equal to the the fi rst such local law in the South—is benefi t. Forty percent of affected work- new local minimum wage. The original fully implemented in two and a half years. ers are employed in either restaurants and ordinance had increased the base pay for In addition to the workers who will food services or retail trade. tipped workers to 45 percent of the new directly benefi t, another 13,500 who make Those workers benefi tting will get minimum wage, or $4.55 an hour for a slightly above $9 an hour could also smaller increases than the estimated $10.10 minimum wage. receive a small raise when wage scales are 62,500 who would have received a raise Source: KCEP analysis of 2013 American adjusted upward, based on the experience from the original $10.10 proposal. But Community Survey data. of minimum wage increases elsewhere. because the fi nal ordinance also added a • Of the workers affected, an estimated clause to adjust the minimum wage annu- Jason Bailey is the director of the 88 percent are at least 20 years old and ally by growth in the consumer price index Kentucky Center for Economic Policy. more are over the age of 50 than are in the years after 2017, those workers af- THE NEWSLETTER OF THE CENTRAL KENTUCKY COUNCIL FOR PEACE AND JUSTICE, FEBRUARY 2015 PAGE 1 Peaceful Protest CKCPJ secretary Mary Ann Ghosal was visit- ing family near Furguson, Missouri, when she photographed graffi ti that called for peace near businesses that were burned and looted. The demonstration photos were taken in Lexington, where all protests were peaceful THE NEWSLETTER OF THE CENTRAL KENTUCKY COUNCIL FOR PEACE AND JUSTICE, FEBRUARY 2015 PAGE 2 The Central Kentucky Council for Peace and JusƟ ce Board of Directors: Rebecca Ballard DiLoreto, From Selma to Stonewall David Christiansen (co-chair), Bilal El-Amin, by Roberto L. Abreu, M.S. Mary Ann Ghosal (secretary), Marion Gibson, Heather Hadi, Randolph Hollingsworth, Rahul Over the last weeks, our nation has ing the extra layer of oppressions that LGBTQ people of color experience, Karanth, Steven Lee Katz (treasurer), Susan witnessed the brutal killings of black Lamb, Richard Mitchell, Bruce Mundy, Kerby men at the hands of policemen. As a and ways in which all members of the Neill, Steve Pavey, Nadia Rasheed, Alexandria result of the hard-to-believe decisions LGBTQ community can be allies to Sehon, Rabbi Uri Smith, Teddi Smith-Robillard, by grand juries not to indict, exposing people of color. Janet Tucker (co-chair), Craig Wilkie. Peaceways how the “justice” system repeatedly • Active listening (listen for under- Staff : Margaret Gabriel (editor), Penny Christian, Gail Koehler, Betsy Neale, Jim Trammel (proof- fails to protect people of color in this standing and not for a way to defend your lack of understanding). readers). Th e views expressed in Peaceways are country, protests have taken place in those of the authors and do not necessarily refl ect multiple cities throughout the United • Don’t apologize for your white the views of CKCPJ. Administrative Manager: States, including in our very own privilege. Use it to speak with (not for) Brandi Davis Lexington. people of color about issues that affect Member Organizations: ACLU-Central Kentucky As I scroll down my news feed on them. Chapter; Ahava Center for Spiritual Living; Amnesty International, UK Chapter; Baháis of Facebook and engage in conversations • Understand how people of color have helped to pave the way for the Lexington; Berea Friends Meeting; Bluegrass with members of the LGBTQ commu- Central Labor Council, AFL-CIO; Bluegrass nity, I cannot ignore the fact that many LGBTQ community. Domestic Violence Program; Bluegrass United members of our LGBTQ community • Look around you and see who is Church of Christ; Catholic Action Center; Cen- have remained silent about the recent missing in the room. Then, invite those tral Christian Church; Commission for Peace events that affect our black brothers individuals to be part of the conversa- and Justice, Catholic Diocese of Lexington; Gay and Lesbian Services Organization; Humanist and sisters. Let’s not forget that there tion in order for all members of the LGBTQ community, including people Forum of Central Kentucky; Hunter Presbyteri- are many members of our LGBTQ an Church; Islamic Society of Central Kentucky; community who are men and women of color, to have a voice. Jewish Federation of the Bluegrass; Kentuckians of color. Therefore, I cannot help but • Know that for LGBTQ people of for the Commonwealth; Kentucky Coalition to think, “Why are we silent? Have we color, experiences regarding race are Abolish the Death Penalty, Central Kentucky forgotten the signifi cance of Stonewall more complex than simply just black Chapter; Kentucky Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights; Kentucky Resources Council; and the power of protesting injustice or white. • Just because people of color do Lexington Fair Housing Council; Lexington and oppression? How do black Fairness; Lexington Friends Meeting; Lexington LGBTQ members of our community not discuss the impact of racism in Hispanic Association (Asociacion de Hispanos feel when they do not feel supported their lives on a daily basis, it doesn’t Unidos); Lexington Labor Council, Jobs with by their LGBTQ friends?” After all, mean that their everyday realities as Justice Committee; Lexington Living Wage LGBTQ individuals know all too well people of color are not shaped by the Campaign; Lexington Socialist Student Union; Maxwell Street Presbyterian Church; Newman the devastating consequences of op- continuous institution and perpetua- tion of racism, especially when it goes Center at UK; North East Lexington Initative; pression and the importance of speak- One World Film Festival; Students for Peace and ing up against injustice. unaddressed. Earth Justice (Bluegrass Community and Techni- With this said, I would like to pro- • Know that while white members cal College); Peacecraft; Th e Plantory; Progress vide some guidelines for acknowledg- of the LGBTQ community have the (student group at Transylvania University); conƟ nued on page six, Stonewall Second Presbyterian Church; Shambhala Center; Sustainable Communities Network; Union Peaceways delivery Church at Berea; Unitarian Universalist Church If you receive Peaceways via USPS or approximately $15 per year. CKCPJ appre- of Lexington; United Nations Association, Blue- if you obtain a pick-up copy, we encour- ciates contribu ons to off set mail delivery grass Chapter. age you to arrange to receive the pub- expenses. If you have contributed to us lica on via email. In order to reduce its fi nancially, we will con nue to mail you a carbon footprint, produc on costs, and paper copy of this newsle er. If you have resource usage, CKCPJ has gone digital, not mailed us a check, you MUST opt-in therefore the default delivery method to receive Peaceways in the mail either by of Peaceways is now electronic, which using bit.ly/PWdelivery or by calling 859- Peaceways is published ten times a year by the also allows readers to see the photo- 488-1448. If you are not receiving e-mail Central Kentucky Council for Peace and Jus- graphs in the issue in color. The cost to no fi ca ons, but would like to, register/ tice, 501 West Sixth St., Lexington KY 40508. create, print and mail one annual sub- update your profi le informa on through Deadline for calendar items for the March issue is Feb. 10. Contact 859-488-1448 or scrip on using both delivery methods is bit.ly/Signup4peaceways. Thank you! email [email protected].