KFTC Blog | Kentuckians For The Commonwealth

KFTC Blog

Perry County Chapter hosts 'Singing for Democracy'

Stephanie Tyree on November 5, 2012 in Voting Rights, Kentucky Voting Rights Bill, Kentucky River

KFTC members, advocates for democracy and church members came together on Sunday, November 4th for the first Singing for Democracy in eastern Kentucky. 65 people came to the Consolidated Baptist Church in Hazard to hear singing, testimony and share fellowship over a chili supper cooked by church members and Perry County chapter member Jenny Williams.

gDSC_0543Consolidated Baptist Church pastor Rev. Lowell Parker of Wheelwright, Floyd County, served as emcee for the night, introducing the speakers, distinguished guests and even singing with the church choir. The program started with a rousing rendition of the Star-Spangled Banner by Lexington singer Special K. The Consolidated Baptist Choir and visiting Rev. Jake Ravizee fueled the event with songs of praise and worship.  Evangelist Jake Ravizee has been an Ordained Minister-Evangelist and Vocalist for over 35 years. He lives in Lynch, Kentucky with his wife and three children. His years of service through prison ministries made him especially excited to be a part of this important event.

There was an impressive turnout both from local community members and from local elected officials. State Senator Brandon Smith, Court of Appeals Judge Janet Stumbo and Commonwealth Attorney Teresa  Reed all attended the event. Judge Stumbo, who is seeking election to the state Supreme Court, spoke briefly about the meaning of democracy after Rev. Parker invited her up to the podium. Her vision of democracy included memories she had of being a child in Floyd County, watching her father tally votes off the radio during election nights, and watching the impressive campaign led by KFTC in the 1980s to stop the broad form deed.

0 comments view comments

Your Vote Matters

Dave Newton on November 5, 2012 in , Voter Empowerment

VoteGen2

Last night in Hazard we had our 11th Singing For Democracy Gospel Festival, bringing together people to fight for restoration of voting rights to nearly a quarter of a million Kentucky citizens.

It was a powerful reminder that not all of us have the right to vote and it's worth fighting for.

Collectively, our votes and our voices are powerful, so please use them.

In Kentucky, polls are open tomorrow (Tuesday, November 6) from 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. local time.

Please take a moment now to plan when you'll vote, make sure you know where your polling place is, review who's running, and decide who to vote for in national, state and local races.

Our website at www.KentuckyElection.org can give you much of the basic information you might need.

0 comments view comments

Power of Voice - Tayna Fogle

Dave Newton on November 4, 2012 in Voting Rights, Former Felon Voices, , Kentucky Voting Rights Bill, , Restore your right to vote, Central Kentucky, Voter Empowerment

Our friends at the Marguerite Casey Foundation and Equal Voice just put together a powerful video following one of our leaders, Tayna Fogle, of Lexington.

Power of Voice from Equal Voice on Vimeo.

Tayna Fogle is a grandmother, basketball player extraordinaire, and former addict who spent nearly part a decade in prison. In order to stand up for the issues that were important to her family, she had to bravely defend against harsh drug sentencing policies and learn to navigate bureaucratic mazes to regain her right to vote. Today she works with Kentuckians for the Commonwealth as an organizer and voting rights activist to help others do the same. Her story is appropriately called “Power of Voice.”

2 comments view comments

Eastern KY Voter Mobilization Update

Stephanie Tyree on November 2, 2012 in Voting Rights, Kentucky River, Voter Empowerment

training KFTC members from Perry and Letcher counties came together last night to hold an East Kentucky phone-banking event in preparation for election day, next Tuesday November 6.

With support from members of these two chapters, we held the largest phonebank that East Kentucky has had in at least the last three years, with 8 members, staff and volunteers calling over 300 members – every person in our database for the east Kentucky counties and the 100 people we helped register as new voters during the fall voter registration period.

0 comments view comments

Zombies, voter guides, and phone calls, oh-my.

Dave Newton on November 1, 2012 in , Rolling Bluegrass, Voter Empowerment

gDSC_0427Scott County KFTC member have been busy lately

gDSC_0413A few days ago, we gathered with Georgetown NAACP and had an evening of voter mobilization calls, calling through a list of 150 people in an evening, and making a plan to distribute 300 print voter guides. 

Last night, our allies in the Georgetown College Sociology Club organized a Social Justice workshop where students got to learn about the work of such campus groups as the Student Abolitionist Movement, Student Women and Gender Society, Campus Spectrum, Georgetown Sustainability Initiative, Ambassadors of Diversity, and Common Ground (Campus Ministry).  

0 comments view comments

Madison County Voter Mobilization Update

Carey Henson on November 1, 2012 in , Madison County, Voter Empowerment

EKU2Madison County has been at it again!  On Halloween, members pounded the pavement on EKU's campus, handing out "Zombie" election reminders and voter guides.  Many students are excited to be voting in their first Presidential Election and promised to get to the polls next Tuesday.

On Thursday night members met at the Berea office to eat a pasta dinner (with homemade sauce - YUM!) and snack on leftover Halloween candy.  We made over a hundred phone calls to voters who registered at our tabling events, and got positive responses.  Several voters appreciated that we could look up their polling place online, and many are planning to look up their ballot ahead of time by using the link on www.KentuckyElection.org.

0 comments view comments

Berea Candidate Forum in Madison County

Cory Lowery on November 1, 2012 in , Madison County

On Tuesday, October 30th, members of the Madison County chapter joined with Berea College's Student Government Association to sponsor a candidates' forum where candidates for Berea's City Council w

0 comments view comments

Northern Kentucky Chapter does first mountain witness tour

Joe Gallenstein on October 31, 2012 in Coal and Water, Community Science & Public Health, , Mountaintop Removal and Strip Mining, Northern Kentucky

Members of the Northern Kentucky chapter of Kentuckians For The Commonwealth, along with members of Northern Kentucky University's Environmentally Concerned Organization of Students (ECOS), recentl

1 comment view comments

Reflections from a first-time phone banker

Beth Bissmeyer on October 31, 2012 in , Jefferson County, Voter Empowerment

IMG_9736In Louisville, we've been having a blast making Get Out The Vote calls to our members and to people we’ve registered to vote this year. Thanks to our amazing volunteer members, to date, we have made 1494 calls! The main purpose of these calls is to make sure people know where to vote and have a way to get to their polling place. Calling these folks has been immensely rewarding as many of the people we have reached had no idea where to vote, and we were eager to provide them that information.

Making these calls might seem a little scary to people at first, but take it from first-time KFTC phonebanker Chris Hale, calling folks is easy and exciting to do!

0 comments view comments

Election Day in 1 week! - Volunteer with KFTC!

Dave Newton on October 30, 2012 in , Voter Empowerment

gDSC_0410Election Day is just 7 days away and KFTC members across the state are pitching in to educate voters and get them out to the polls! 

Right now, phone banks are our very best way to reach people to make sure they're all set to vote next Tuesday.  We're calling all KFTC members, the 4,814 people we registered to vote this year, plus thousands of other people we've been in touch with lately.  Please contact your local KFTC organizer to ask when the next phone banks are in your area and volunteer! 

0 comments view comments

Page