2015 Murphy Events

“How Should We Reform Criminal Justice?” Speakers: Michael Javen Fortner, Academic Director of Urban Studies at Murphy Institute and author of Black Silent Majority: The Rockefeller Drug Laws and the Politics of Punishment and Marie Gottschalk, professor of political science at the University of Pennsylvania, author of Caught: The Prison State and the Lockdown of American Politics, and member of the New Labor Forum editorial board. Co-Sponsored with Dissent Magazine. (December 10, 2015)

“Solidarity Economies: Worker Coops”  Speakers: Amy B. Dean, Editorial Board Member, New Labor Forum; Fellow, The Century Foundation; Co-author, a New New Deal: How Regional Activism Will Reshape the American Labor Movement, Roger Green, Director, Dubois-Bunche Center on Public Policy, Medgar Evers College; collaborating on a conversion of hospitals to cooperative ownership models, Adria Powell, Executive Vice President, Cooperative Home Care Associates, Melissa Risser, Attorney, Urban Justice Center’s community Development Project; co-founder of 1worker1vote.org (December 4th, 2015)

“Participatory Budgeting in New York City” Speakers: Celina Su, Political Science, CUNY; Jumaane Williams, City Council Member, District 45; Nando Rodriguez, Brotherhood/Sister Sol, 2015 District 7 Winning Project; Gianpaolo Baiocchi, NYU-Gallatin, co-founder Participatory Budgeting Project; Moderator, Josh Lerner, Director Participatory Budgeting Project (November 18, 2015)

“Black Lives Matter/Fight for Fifteen: A New Social Movement” Speakers: Jelani Cobb, journalist, historian, Director of the Africana Studies Institute, UConn, Hillman Judge; Kendall Fells, Fast Food Forward- SEIU/Fight4$15; Alicia Garza, National Domestic Workers Alliance, #SayHerName, #BlackLivesMatter; Introductory remarks by Frances Fox Piven, Distinguished Professor, CUNY, Consortial Faculty, Murphy Institute. Co-sponsored with the Sidney Hillman Foundation (October 19, 2015)

“Dreams Deported: Immigrant Youth & Families Resist Deportations” Kent Wong, UCLA Labor Center,  Denise Romero, Brandworkers & Dream Summer Alumni, Sonia Sendoya, Special Project Coordinator, Internationals Network, Moderated by Ruth Milkman (October 5th 2015)

“Labor, the Working Class and the Democratic Party” Speakers: Larry Cohen, Making Progressive Politics Work, and former President, Communications Workers of America , Randi Weingarten, President, American Federation of Teachers,  Juan Gonzalez, reporter for Daily News and co-host of Democracy Now!  Basil Smikle, Executive Director, New York State Democratic Party , Moderated by Ed Ott, Distinguished Lecturer, The Murphy Institute (September 18, 2015)

“ClothesLined: Stopping Walmart’s Dirty Supply Chain Moves” Speakers: Stephanie Luce, The Murphy Institute,  Stephanie Ehmsen, Rosa Luxembourg Stiftung – NYC  Office, Ashim Roy, Asia Floor Wage Alliance, Erica Smiley, Jobs with Justice, Moderator, Kalpona Akter,  Bangladesh Centre for Worker Solidarity, Sunrith Ham, Cambodian Labor Education Center, Sheheryar Kaoosji, Warehouse Workers Resource Center, Organization United for Respect at Walmart, Annanya Bhattacharjee, Garment Workers Union/Asia Floor Wage Alliance

Co-sponsors: The Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung—New York Office, Jobs With Justice, and the Asia Floor Wage Alliance (June 25, 2015)

“Better Wages and Corporate Accountability for Workers in the Global Supply Chain” Speakers: Steven Greenhouse, former New York Times labor journalist, Judy Gearhart, Executive Director, International Labor Rights Forum, Jeff Hermanson, Director of Global Strategies, Workers United-SEIU, Sarah Labowitz, Co-Director, Center for Business & Human Rights, NYU Stern School, Atish Saha, Bangladeshi photojournalist, prize winning series “The Ghosts of Rana Plaza” Moderator: May Chen, Murphy Institute for Worker Education and Labor Studies (May 28th, 2015)

“Blood Fruit” Fundraiser: filmmaker Sinead O’Brien.  A documentary that tells the inspiring story of women grocery workers in Ireland who struck to end import of South African fruit during apartheid—and won! Proceeds to support Murphy Institute Scholarship fund. (May 22nd, 2015)

“The Right to Stay Home: Justice for Migrants & Sending Communities” David Bacon, an illustrated presentation about immigration and the labor movement. Co-sponsor, Graduate Center, CUNY (May 13th, 2015)

Film Screening: The Hand that Feeds by Robin Blotnik and Rachel Lears

Gritty story of immigrant sandwich makers organizing at Hot and Crusty restaurant in New York City. Filmmakers and worker-organizers on hand to discuss the campaign.  Co-sponsored with Workers Unite Film Festival (May 8th, 2015)

“Violence & the City” Speakers: Frances Fox Piven, Distinguished Professor of Political Science, CUNY Graduate Center, Marie Gottschalk, Professor of Political Science, University of Pennsylvania, Ruth Gilmore, Professor of Earth & Environment Sciences and American Studies, and Director of the Center for Place, Culture and Politics, CUNY Graduate Center, Mimi Abramovitz, Bertha Capen Reynolds Professor of Social Policy, Silberman School of Social Work, Hunter College, Lawrence Mead, Professor of Politics, New York University, Paul Jargowsky, Professor of Public Policy and Director of Center for Urban Research and Urban Education, Rutgers University-Camden, John Mollenkopf, Distinguished Professor of Political Science and  Director of the Center for Urban Research, C UNY Graduate Center. (May 8th 2015)

“Organizing 2.0” A skills sharing conference for community activists and organizers to develop skills in online organizing, advocacy campaigns, and grassroots fundraising. Co-sponsors NY AFL-CIO, NYC Central Labor Council (April 10 & 11 2015)

“Facing Gentrification; Reclaiming Community” Speakers: Sharon Cromwell, Political Policy Analyst, SEIU Local 32BJ, Monique “Mo” George, NYC Chapter Director of Organizing, Community Voices Heard, Andrew Padilla, East Harlem Documentary film maker, Fitzroy Christian, CASA: Community Action for Safe Apartments Leader, member of the Real Affordability for All Coalition, Moderator: Eddie Rosario, AFSMCME Local 375/DC37. (March 24, 2015)

“Identity Politics: Key to New Coalitions for Radical Change” Speaker: Barbara Smith, Black Feminist Organize,  Joo-Yun Kang, Director, Communities United for Police Reform, Gerry Hudson, Executive Vice President, SEIU, George Gresham, President, 1199SEIU opened the panel,  Moderator: Alethia Jones, 1199SEIU UHE Education Director,  Chirlane McCray, First Lady of NYC attended and offered remarks (March 13, 2015)

“Messaging: A Crucial Step to Mobilize Voters” Speaker: Eli Valentin, Political Advisor and Consultant. Co-sponsors: New York City Central Labor Council and the Latino Leadership Institute (February 28th 2015) 

“Is There a Future for Low Income Housing in New York City?” Speaker: Brent Meltzer, Assistant Commissioner, NYC Department of HPD, Ismene Speliotis, Executive Director, Mutual Housing Assoc. of NY, Carlton Brown, president, Full Spectrum Construction, Lavon Chambers, Greater NY LECET, Moderator: Eve Baron, Urban and Community Studies Studies Program Manager, The Murphy Institute (February 20, 2015)

“Petitioning: First Step in Running for Public Office”, Speaker: Jerry Goldfeder, Special Counsel at Stroock & Stroock & Lavan, LLP,  specializing in election and campaign finance law, government relations and public integrity defense.  Co-sponsors: New York City Central Labor Council and the Latino Leadership Institute (February 7th 2015) 

“The Impacts of Economic Injustice on Vulnerable LGBTQ Communities”, Speakers included: Amber Hollibaugh, Queer Survival Economies, Kenyon Farrow, National/International Director of AIDS Action Group, former QEJ Executive  Director, Rebecca Lurie,  Director of Economic Development CWE, Jessica Gonzalez-Rojas,  Executive Director of National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health, Reina Gossett, SRLP &  former QEJ,  co-sponsored with Barnard College’s Queer Survival Economies, Two-day conference  (January 23-24, 2015)

A conversation about workers, communities and social justice

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