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Dear Justice-Seeker,

This issue of MFSAVoices is jam-packed with resources and information. So much so that it won't all fit in your email message so be sure to click view entire message at the bottom of this email to view the entire issue. Our newsletters are designed to be used all month long. So take a quick glance and take note of important dates to add to your calendar but also come back in the following weeks to work your way through the action items.  

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We continue to see the urgency of our work to make broad systemic change. Change that honors the dignity and worth of all people, puts people over money, and honors the earth and all her inhabitants. Since 1907, MFSA has been shining a light on injustice and organizing to change it.  

You make our collective work possible by your witness for justice every day in your church, community, and Annual Conference. MFSA does not receive any financial support from the United Methodist Church's giving channels. 100% of our budget is funded through your membership dues and your generosity in giving.

Pregnant Workers Fairness Act Win

Thanks to all of you who wrote emails, called your representatives, and shared the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA) with your networks. With your help, this critical legislation that MFSA helped sponsor was passed and enacted on June 27th! The law requires that employers provide accommodations for pregnancy-related medical conditions, everything from pregnancy to childbirth to postpartum recovery. There is still work to be done to fully protect pregnant people and close the gender gap, but we are excited about this milestone. Vicki Shabo shares the follow-up work after this critical win in her opinion piece linked below. 

A Summer Reflection from Executive Director Bridget Cabrera

I recently had the pleasure of preaching on the feeding of the 5,000 in the book of John at the East Ohio AC gathering of Reconciling United Methodists and East Ohio MFSA. In that sermon, I focused on our need as a Church and a society to move beyond being bogged down by fear and scarcity. The hearts of the people gathered on that mountain were softened and opened even in the midst of all the fear and scarcity that they experienced in their time. The crowd already had everything they needed. They just needed to share what they had instead of hoard it. In the end, there was even more than enough leftover, twelve baskets full of fragments of bread.  Fragments that Jesus made sure were not wasted.

Read the rest of Bridget's reflection at the button below. 

2023 Harvest of Justice: Farm Workers & Racism: The Struggle for Justice, Respect, & Fair Pay

National Farm Worker Ministries' annual educational program, Harvest of Justice, provides resources including videos, printables, social media content, and more so that you can help your faith group and community learn about issues affecting farm workers. Harvest of Justice is an opportunity to raise consciousness, commitment & contributions. The Harvest of Justice Season falls every year between Labor Day and World Food Day on Oct. 16. 

The 2023 Harvest of Justice is Farm Workers & Racism: The Struggle for Justice, Respect, & Fair Pay. From slavery to sharecropping to exclusions in labor laws, our food system is rooted in racism. Today, our nation’s farm workers continue to face challenges and risks connected to this legacy. 

This educational program features interviews with farm workers and organizers addressing the many ways racism impacts the daily lives of farm workers. The goal of the program is to raise consciousness and encourage NFWM supporters to take action alongside workers. Please share this meaningful program with your community and greater networks.

Stay tuned for our social media toolkit to be utilized between Labor Day and World Food Day on Oct. 16.  

Follow the complete 6-week program or chose what works best for your community:

At Liberty Podcast: The Supreme Cout
Overturns Affirmative Action

After the Supreme Court has overturned affirmative action, you might be wondering, "What's Next?" The implications of this decision will have negative ripple effects for decades. In this episode of the ACLU's podcast "At Liberty", Kendall Ciesemier breaks down the U.S. Supreme Court's decision to overturn affirmative action with ReNika Moore, director of the ACLU’s Racial Justice Program. Together, they discuss the history of affirmative action and what implications we might see in higher education after this Supreme Court decision. 

Catch Up on Any UMKR Webinars You've Missed!

We are taking a brief break for the summer, so there will be no UMKR and MFSA webinars this July. However, this is the perfect time to catch up on any Palestine Liberation webinars that you have missed. You can find all of our UMKR webinars under the resources page of MFSA's website. 

Peace, Justice, Unity, Love: Opening Message
from East Ohio MFSA Chapter Program

On January 21st, 2023 the East Ohio Chapter of MFSA presented a program entitled “SEEKING PEACE with JUSTICE…In Our Time.” This event was an enriching and challenging event for Lay and Clergy who seek to find ways to implement the totality of Jesus’ message. Read the article by clicking the button below. 

MFSA Organizational Racial Audit Report

You have been hearing updates for the last three years on MFSA's work conducting an Organizational Racial Audit. We are pleased to announce that we have completed the Organizational Racial Audit and want to share it with you-individuals, churches, and other organizations. 

Read the Executive Summary, Full Audit Report, and watch the Justice-Seeking Movement wide presentation of the MFSA Organizational Racial Audit Report on the new Racial Audit Report page on our website.  

Now's the Time for Action

Here are a few ways you can seek justice and work for broad systemic change:

1. We are seeing record temperature highs and wildfire smoke from Canada across the United States. Climate Change is real, and it can feel overwhelming how to address it. Check out this checklist of ways that you and your family can individually do your part to mitigate Climate Change. 
2. Due to the "exception clause" of the 13th Amendment, prisons take advantage of and overwork incarcerated workers across the country, encouraging the continued overcriminalization of Black and Brown people for centuries. Write to Congress and tell them to pass the Abolition Amendment immediately.
3. The failed policies of the War on Drugs – including harsh sentences, overcriminalization, and surveillance of Black and Brown communities – have perpetuated racial disparities in the criminal legal system and contributed to mass incarceration for decades. Write to your governor today and tell them to use their power of clemency to pardon people for marijuana-related offenses under state laws.
4. Book bans are on the rise. As a library patron, you can show support to your libraries by writing emails of support, attending library board meetings, and running for open library board positions. 
5. Trans people's rights and dignity are being targeted across the United States. Write to your elected officials in Congress, encouraging them to protect trans people's right to access good medical care.
6. Residents in Jackson, Mississippi, do not have access to clean water. Sign the Jackson Community Bill of Rights to demand that government officials are held accountable for the misinformation that led to this water crisis and supply residents with the resources they need now for access to clean water. 
7. One way to address the racial wage gap in America is by canceling student debt. Contact the Biden Administration to urge presidential action on canceling student loan debt. 
8. The U.S. Supreme ruled in favor of the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA), rejecting all the constitutional challenges, ensuring protections for Native families. The work is far from over. States still continue to remove Native children from their families and tribes at alarmingly high rates. Contact your state legislature to ensure that each state passes an ICWA law.  
9. The Florida Department of Education claims that the AP African-American Studies course taught in Florida high schools is against the law. Take action by holding the Florida Department of Education accountable and ensuring that they cannot modify or censure any of the curriculum. 
10. Sign this petition from the NAACP that demands that Congress pass swift police reform, ensuring protection for Black Americans.

In Case You Missed It

1. Access the latest recording and resources from MFSA and UMKR's webinar, "Knowing the Nakba: The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine to Create the State of Israel"
2. Visit the Racial Audit Report page on our website. 
3. Access all five sessions in the Stealing the Earth webinar series, and explore the Dismantling the Doctrine resource list.