Reverend Al Sharpton and national religious and civil rights organizations endorse Occupy the Dream
Contact:
Nicole Kirby
410.225.3494 x529
866.OCCUPY1
nicolekirby@occupydream.org
www.occupydream.org
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 7, 2012
BALTIMORE—Reverend Al Sharpton, National Action Network, Progressive National Baptist Conventions and AME Zion Church today announced their endorsement of the Occupy the Dream movement.
“The evolution of Occupy the Dream is a reaffirmation of the legacy of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.,” Sharpton said. "The National Action Network stands in full support of this call for economic justice for all."
About the endorsers:
National Action Network
http://nationalactionnetwork.net/about/
National Action Network is one of the leading civil rights organizations in the nation, with chapters throughout the United States. Founded in 1991 by Reverend Al Sharpton, NAN works within the spirit and tradition of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. to promote a modern civil rights agenda that includes the fight for one standard of justice, decency and equal opportunities for all people regardless of race, religion, national origin and gender.
Progressive National Baptist Conventions (PNBC)
http://www.pnbc.org/PNBC/History.html
The centerpiece of the PNBC witness is one of social justice and human liberation as a mandate of the Gospel. In essence, the PNBC has become a living African American Christian organism, vibrant with energy and committed to the social gospel for the transformation of U.S. society.
AME Zion Church
http://www.amez.org/news/amezion/aboutourchurch.html
The African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church Corporation is a major faith-based organization serving more than 1,000,000 members. The AME Zion Church has made the salvation of the whole person—mind, body and spirit—its top priority. At the crux of its ministry is racial justice, peace and harmony, thus earning it the title, the Freedom Church.
About Occupy the Dream
Occupy the Dream was born when members of the African-American faith community joined forces with Occupy Wall Street to launch a new campaign for economic justice inspired by the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Faithful to its philosophical origin, the “Occupy the Dream” coalition has called for a National Day of Action on Martin Luther King Day—Monday, January 16, 2012—when it will “Occupy the Federal Reserve” in multiple cities nationwide, focusing attention on the gross injustice visited upon the 99% by the financial elite. This will be the first of several actions by the OTD movement.
Occupy the Dream is led by Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis Jr. and Rev. Dr. Jamal Bryant of the Empowerment Temple Church. Chavis was the North Carolina state youth coordinator of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference under Dr. King and has worked closely with hip-hop impresario Russell Simmons in recent years. Reverend Bryant is the pastor of Empowerment Temple in Baltimore, a growing church with a congregation of over 10,000.
On the web: http://www.occupydream.org
On Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/OccupyTheDream
On Twitter: http://twitter.com/OccupyDreamOWS
