Alabama Together

Alabama Together is a grassroots community organization in East Alabama that supports progressive issues and political candidates at local, state and national levels.[1] Alabama Together was founded in December 2016;[2] it is headquartered in Auburn, Alabama. Alabama Together's work and events have received national press coverage in the New York Times[3] and USA Today.[4]

Background

Alabama Together was founded shortly after the 2016 presidential election. The organization, which grew out of a private Pantsuit Nation Facebook group, held its first official meeting in December of 2016; the meeting attracted over 100 attendees.[2][5]

Alabama Together identifies as part of The Resistance.[6] According to its mission statement,

We are Alabama Together, a concerned group of Alabama residents and voters who support democracy, transparent governance, and an inclusive society that honors all people. We support equality, economic justice, and human rights. We believe in accessible healthcare, quality public education, diplomacy, diversity, a pristine natural environment, separation of church and state, sensible gun policy, a fair immigration system, and an electoral process that is free from interference. We value public policies that are socially, economically, and environmentally sustainable. We are patriotic, informed, multigenerational, intersectional, undeterred Alabamians, and We are the Future.[7]

Alabama Together has applauded the work of Moms Demand Action, the League of Women Voters of East Alabama, Gain, the Auburn-Opelika SURJ Chapter, PFLAG, the Lee County Democratic Club, the Alabama College Democrats, the Arise Citizen's Policy Project, the Southern Poverty Law Center, the Equal Justice Initiative, the Women's March on Washington, and the ACLU.[6]

Community Engagement

Support for local candidates

In 2018, Alabama Together helped support about "a dozen women running for office for the first time, part of a surge of new Democratic candidates in the state challenging long-serving Republican incumbents."[3] It also held events supporting Doug Jones' successful campaign for United States Senator.[8] Alabama Together members Laura Mirachi and Bob Parsons are currently campaigning for seats on Auburn City Council.[9][10]

Civic forums

Alabama Together holds civic forums for officeholders and candidates for local, state, and national elective office. On August 16th, 2018, Alabama Together hosted a Civic Forum to give voters the opportunity to learn about candidates for state office and candidates for Alabama's 3rd congressional district.[11] Democratic candidate for Congress, Mallory Hagan, spoke at the event; incumbent Congressman Mike Rogers (R) refused to attend, citing unspecified scheduling conflicts.[11][12] [13] In addition to congressional candidate Mallory Hagan, participating candidates included Nancy Carlton Bendinger (D), a candidate for Alabama Senate District 27; Mary Wynne Kling (D), a candidate for Alabama House District 79; Joe Lovvorn, a candidate for Alabama House District 79 (R-incumbent); Jeremy Gray (D), a candidate for Alabama House District 83; and Michael Holden (R), a candidate for Alabama House District 83.[13]

In April 2017, Alabama Together also organized a civic forum and invited Congressman Mike Rogers (R). At the time, Representative Rogers had not held a public forum in Lee County in over two years, even though it is home to approximately 140,000 of his constituents and to Auburn University.[5] Alabama Together spent months repeatedly reaching out to Representative Rogers, sending emails, writing letters, making calls, and leaving messages with his local and D.C. offices.[14][15] Alabama Together offered five meeting-date options during the congressional recess and offered to send the questions ahead of time, but Representative Rogers refused to acknowledge the invitation.[5][14] The forum continued in his absence,[5][14] and residents and voters addressed a video camera with their concerns about Representative Rogers' failure to represent the interests of his constituents.[14][16] Representative Rogers refused to participate in a similar event in Montgomery in February 2017.[14][15]

Marches and other community events

Alabama Together helps organize political marches, including a March for Science, in Auburn, Alabama in April of 2017.[5] [17] Alabama Together also participated in Pride on the Plains, the first municipal pride events ever held in Auburn and Opelika, Alabama; Pride on the Plains was covered in the New York Times.[18]

References

  1. ↑ "Alabama Together". www.alabamatogether.org. Retrieved 2018-08-18.
  2. 1 2 Jackson, Lily (April 10, 2017). "Alabama Together: A refined Pantsuit Nation". The Auburn Plainsman. Retrieved 2018-08-18.
  3. 1 2 Okeowo, Alexis (June 2, 2018). "No One Really Understands the South". Retrieved 2018-08-18.
  4. ↑ "Marchers for Science protest 'alarming' anti-science trends". USA TODAY. April 22, 2017. Retrieved 2018-08-18.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 Blankenship, Allison (April 20, 2017). "Alabama Together works to give residents a voice". The Auburn Villager. Retrieved 2018-08-18.
  6. 1 2 "AL Together Community". www.alabamatogether.org. Retrieved 2018-08-18.
  7. ↑ "Alabama Together". www.alabamatogether.org. Retrieved 2018-08-18.
  8. ↑ "Justice Event for Doug Jones Supporters". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 2018-08-18.
  9. ↑ Blankenship, Allison (July 26, 2018). "Laura Mirarchi seeks Ward 7 council seat". The Auburn Villager. Retrieved 2018-08-18.
  10. ↑ Nelson, Carla (July 19, 2018). "Complete list of candidates running in city of Auburn municipal election". Opelika-Auburn News. Retrieved 2018-08-18.
  11. 1 2 Nelson, Carla (August 15, 2018). "Alabama Together to host forum Thursday". OANow.com. Retrieved 2018-08-18.
  12. ↑ Brodbeck, Shanna (August 8, 2018). "Letters to the editor: Open letter to Mike Rogers". The Auburn Villager. Retrieved 2018-08-18.
  13. 1 2 "Alabama Together to host candidate forum for AL House District 3". opelikaobserver.com. August 15, 2018. Retrieved 2018-08-18.
  14. 1 2 3 4 5 Tutor, Phillip (April 27, 2017). "Want to talk to Rep. Rogers? Good luck". The Anniston Star. Retrieved 2018-08-18.
  15. 1 2 Willoughby, Sam (April 18, 2017). "U.S. Rep Mike Rogers' constituents hold their own 'town hall'". The Auburn Plainsman. Retrieved 2018-08-18.
  16. ↑ "Alabama Together". YouTube. Retrieved 2018-08-18.
  17. ↑ "March for Science sweeps downtown Auburn". The Auburn Plainsman. Retrieved 2018-08-18.
  18. ↑ Lieberman, Rebecca (June 29, 2018). "Love and Pride in Alabama: A Photo Album". The New York Times. Retrieved 2018-08-18.
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