Freedom Fest May 3, 2008

Kentucky Jobs With Justice, in partnership with Building Communities and Families and many other community organizations, will host a Freedom Fest on Saturday, May 3rd to inspire educational and political empowerment for underrepresented communities in Louisville that are ostracized during the Kentucky Derby. This program is a powerful collaboration of student leaders, community activists, scholars, educators, and socially aware performing artists, all combining their talents and resources to serve the needs of families under the theme of “Self Determination Through Unity.”

We will present a day of awareness and atonement as we combine art, activism and information to inspire growth and change within the urban community so that people will be willing to fight back against the institutions and systems that are oppressing us politically by denying the right to vote to former felons; that is oppressing us educationally by re-segregating our schools after the Supreme Court decision in June 2007 that demands that Jefferson County schools not use race to desegregate our schools; and that oppresses us economically by shutting down our community on the most financially lucrative weekend of the year.
The Freedom Fest main goals are:
● Voter Empowerment: It is evident in these current times that voting is more important than ever. With the current climate of politics growing more young and ethnic, it is critical to encourage new and young voters to participate in the political process. And with Ken tucky’s primary election slated for May 20th, this program will serve as an opportunity to mobilize people to go to the polls, to organize folks in support of a constitutional amendment in Kentucky that will allow for the immediate restoration of voting rights of former felons upon completion of their sentence (Kentucky is one of only two states in the country where ex-felons do not automatically get their voting rights returned to them when their time is served), we will have street soldiers walking the neighborhoods registering people to vote in the general election since the deadline to register in the primary will have passed and we will include an edutaining segment with arts and entertainment as well as a speakout.
● Economic Empowerment
● Racial Profiling
● Inspire youth of color to major in Science, Technology, Engineering & Psychology
● Uplift Fallen Humanity – Each one teach one

This day-long program is expected to draw over 500 community members of all ages. Our objective is to highlight various community deficiencies and make available the many solutions and action that can be taken to remedy these conditions.

Official Website: http://kyjwj.org