Jefferson County | Kentuckians For The Commonwealth

Chapter: Jefferson County

 

Since the chapter formed in 1983, we have supported and worked with allies on issues that affect you and me, including affordable housing, police abuse, sweat shops, hazardous waste reduction and recycling. Our doors are open to anyone who wants to fight for justice while building a compassionate, connected, and fun community here in our great city. With over 2,500 KFTC members across the County, JCKFTC is an anchor chapter of Kentuckians For The Commonwealth. The chapter focuses on three issues: Education Justice, Energy and Climate Justice, and democracy Justice. 

  • You can find JCKFTC members agitating and lobbying the local school board, rallying for trans students, traveling to Capiltal to lobby and rally for education bills that support students, and creating strategies to save education in Kentucky. 
  • RSVP here for KFTC's Education Justice Lobby Day & Rally at the Capital on Tuesday, February 4, 2025
  • RSVP here for KFTC's monthly virtual Statewide Education Justice meetings.
  • Share your voice by taking our digital Education Justice Survey by October 31, 2024.

  • In addition to being part of the Just Transition Coalition, the Jefferson County chapter also has a robust Energy & Climate Justice working group that meets monthly on the 4th Wednesday from 7 - 8 pm EDT. You can RSVP here for our monthly Energy & Climate Justice working group here:

  • JCKFTC members register voters across the County, including at places like Actor’s Theatre, Simmon’s Freedom School, Sarabande Books’ Annual Poetry Carnival, Carmichael’s Bookstore, and more. 


From schools to houses of faith to recovery centers, JCKFTC offers training and presentations on all of our issues. Some of the most requested trainings and presentations are on voting rights restoration, political education, voter registration training, the state of education justice, arts and activism at the intersection of climate and energy justice, and organizing for change. Email us today to begin a conversation about bringing a training or presentation to your group.

You’ll be able to find KFTC’s quarterly newspaper, Balancing The Scales, at various locations, including multiple Heine Brothers Coffee locations, the Old Louisville Coffee Co-Op, Elderserve, Goodwill, the Bishop’s Table, and more. JCKFTC members enjoy reading Balancing The Scales and contributing to the publication. You can find JCKFTC members’ Balancing The Scales articles on the KFTC Blog. 


Each 2nd Monday of the month, from 5 - 7:30 pm, JCKFTC hosts a Chapter Meeting - all are welcome and invited. We begin by sharing a meal & networking for an hour, then spend the remaining 90 minutes discussing our ongoing work & strategizing for a future where all Kentuckians can thrive. We have an average attendance of about 45 - 50 people. This is a life-changing family-friendly event. You can RSVP for a monthly chapter meeting with us here. 

We offer POWER 101, an in-person intro to organizing for change course. This two-hour organizing course covers The Transition Zone, Powerful Questions, the Accountability Pathway, and more. The chapter plans to pilot a virtual option to POWER 101 in early 2025.  
 

You can find all things JCKFTC on our LinkTree.

Recent Activities

Jefferson County members help secure nearly $10 million for affordable housing

Connor Allen and Alex Haynes on July 6, 2017 in Economic Justice, Jefferson County, Housing

It's not easy to be a person with progressive values in Kentucky.

New local jobs! Better health! Just Transition! Here's how.

KFTC staff on April 19, 2017 in New Energy and Transition, Just Transition, Big Sandy, , Central Kentucky, , Harlan County, , Jefferson County, , Madison County, , Northern Kentucky, , Perry County, , Rowan County, , Rolling Bluegrass, , Shelby County, , Southern Kentucky, , Western Kentucky, , Wilderness Trace

There is a clear path forward for creating thousands of new Kentucky jobs in the energy industry while cutting pollution, lowering electric bills and investing billions of dollars in workers and communities affected by the decline in fossil fuels.

The plan for doing that was released Wednesday by KFTC members during a press conference and with the launch of a new website (www.empowerkentucky.org).

KFTC's statement on immigrants, refugees and Muslims

KFTC Executive Committee on March 8, 2017 in Economic Justice, Big Sandy, , Central Kentucky, , Harlan County, , Jefferson County, , Madison County, , Northern Kentucky, , Perry County, , Rowan County, , Rolling Bluegrass, , Shelby County, , Southern Kentucky, , Western Kentucky, , Wilderness Trace, Immigrants' Rights

We the people …

Kentuckians For The Commonwealth (KFTC) has a vision of a Kentucky where “discrimination is wiped out of our laws, habits and hearts.” While discrimination already hurts many members of our communities, the current state legislature and our national government are taking aim at some of our most vulnerable neighbors: immigrants, refugees and religious minorities, especially Muslims. As we always have, KFTC is standing up for the targets of discrimination and working hard toward wiping discrimination out of our laws, habits and hearts. 

We voice our solidarity with immigrants, refugees and religious minorities who are coming under increased attack in this current political climate.

Panel encourages courageous solutions to economic issues

Ryan Fenwick on March 8, 2017 in Economic Justice, Jefferson County, Racial Justice

University of Louisville Brandeis School of Law featured Dr. Jessica Gordon Nembhard, Professor Ariana R. Levinson and Sadiqa Reynolds for a lunch time panel discussion about cooperatives. Dr. Gordon Nembhard is an expert on the history of black-owned cooperatives. Her book, Collective Courage, is a groundbreaking study of the history of African American owned cooperatives. Prof. Levinson is an internationally recognized labor and employment law scholar with a background as a labor lawyer. She has recently published articles on worker and union cooperatives. Sadiqa Reynolds is the first female CEO of the Louisville Urban League. She was previously the Chief for Community Building for Louisville Mayor Greg Fisher. The discussion, with nods to the history of cooperatives, hinged on the possibilities for building a better economy with cooperatives. 

Reflections from a Grassroots Leader

Cassia Herron on February 21, 2017 in Economic Justice, Jefferson County, Leadership Development, , Racial Justice, , We Are Kentuckians

Jefferson County KFTC member Cassia Herron represented the organization at The Rally to Move Forward in Louisville on January 21, 2017 – one of several local marches that took place across the state in solidarity with the Women’s March in Washington, D.C. KFTC organizer Alicia Hurle sat down with Cassia to learn more about her thoughts on leadership development within KFTC and how she approached having the opportunity to speak to such a large audience at what feels like a historically significant moment. Click here to listen to Cassia's speech. 


Why do you identify yourself as a community organizer?

From a grade school student who rallied my peers to challenge our prejudice teacher to a student at the University of Louisville who worked on improving the conditions on campus for students of color, I have always been a community organizer. It has been a natural position for me as my peers and colleagues have looked to me to represent a particular position or idea, to rally others in support of it and move us collectively toward action to remedy it. I have had the opportunity to receive professional organizing training from union organizers and Highlander Center trainers as well as working with Community Farm Alliance and now KFTC. Of course I’m biased, but I feel these are the best organizers in the south and certainly in Kentucky, and I’m proud to be a product of their great work.

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Chapter Feature:

Regular Meetings:

Jefferson County KFTC office
786 Shelby Street
Louisville, KY 40203
Monthly Chapter Meeting

Each 2nd Monday of the month, from 5 - 7:30 pm, JCKFTC hosts a Chapter Meeting - all are welcome and invited.

We begin by sharing a meal & networking for an hour, then spend the remaining 90 minutes discussing our ongoing work & strategizing for a future where all Kentuckians can thrive.

We have an average attendance of about 45 - 50 people & folks are welcome to bring a dish to share.

This is a life-changing family-friendly event.

You can RSVP for a monthly chapter meeting with us here.

Chapter Organizer:

Bonifacio Aleman
786 Shelby Street
Louisville, KY 40203

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