Greene County Democrat

Tag: Martha Morgan

  • No Kings Rally held in Selma

    Part of the No Kings Rally in Selma

    Special to the Democrat by John Zippert, Co-Publisher

    On Saturday, June 14, a multi-racial group of over one hundred people gathered on the west side of the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma for a ‘No Kings’ Rally to protest the actions of the Trump Administration that harm low- and moderate-income people and help the richest people in our nation. The rally was sponsored by the Save Ourselves Movement for Justice and Democracy (SOS), Alabama New South Coalition (ANSC), and Indivisible.
    The Selma Rally was one of 13 events held in Alabama and among 2,100 held nationwide which involved 5 million people protesting Trump. This was the largest protest of an American President in history. It was held on the same day as Trump’s birthday parade in Washington D. C.
    The focus of the rallies was opposition to Trump’s immigration and deportation policies; the budget cuts in his reconciliation bill on Medicaid, Medicare, SNAP (Food Stamp and Nutrition Programs), Education, Social Security, and other programs; as well as his attacks on Democracy, Voting Rights and the Rule of Law. Another criticism is Trump’s effort to cut the social safety for vulnerable people to give massive tax cuts to the top one percent of people, multi-millionaires and billionaires in our country.
    Former State Senator Hank Sanders of Selma was the moderator of the No Kings Rally and said that the Selma site was chosen by the sponsors of the rally because of its historical significance to the enactment of the 1965 Voting Rights Act and the continuance of Democracy in the United States. ”We have no room for a dictator or a self-proclaimed king in America,” he said.
    Isabella Compas of the Alabama Council for Immigrant Justice (ACIJ), who said she was a child of immigrants, spoke against the actions of the Trump Administration and ICE for rounding up undocumented people from farms, working places, churches, and schools who have committed no crimes. She said that families were separated, and people were sent to detention centers in deplorable conditions. Many have been deported without due process or the chance to get legal assistance. Trump is hurting the economy by taking workers out of the fields, processing plants, hotels and construction sites where they are working to support their families without providing replacement workers.
    Martha Morgan, a retired University of Alabama law professor reported on the many legal challenges to the Trump Administration’s illegal and un-constitional actions. She reported that there are trackers on the Internet monitoring all of the legal actions against Trump. There have been 220 lawsuits so far, 73 have been successful at the initial level. Many are under appeal to appellate courts, and most may eventually reach the Supreme Court, which although aligned 6-3 with conservative members has decided some cases against Trump.
    Another speaker was Annie Pearl Avery, a veteran SNCC civil rights worker, who march across the bridge on Bloody Sunday in 1965. She said, “We cannot give up fighting or Trump will set us back to before the Civil Rights Movement.”
    Faya Rose Toure spoke at the rally holding some Confederate flags that the Daughters of the Confederacy had placed at public places. Faya Rose said she goes around pulling up the flags. “The Confederate flag is a symbol of defiance against the government. Trump would li8ke to take us back to slavery and Jim Crow. We are here today because we cannot allow him to take us back.”
    John Zippert with SOS and the Greene County Health System Board of Directors spoke on the implications of the Trump Medicaid and Medicare budget cuts which will eliminate health care coverage for 15 million people and lead to the closure of many more rural hospitals.
    Azali Fortier, a sophomore at Spellman College and native of Selma, spoke of the concerns of young people facing budget cuts in education for Pell Grants, scholarship, research grants and the banning of books about Black studies. “ We are also worried about the budget cuts on the safety net programs and the attacks on democracy,” she said.
    Charles Flaherty of Marion, Alabama, said this was his first protest rally in fifty years, about the same basic democratic rights, but it will not be my last.
    Near the end of the rally, Hank Sanders asked people at the rally to say where they were from and why they came. For half of the people, including some young people, said this was the first public political rally they had ever participated in. There were several Federal workers who were dismissed and others who were fearful of losing their jobs, under Trump’s directives. Several veterans in the group expressed that they were having problems with securing health care and other benefits from the Veterans Administration
    At the end of the rally, the sponsors urged the attendees to call and write their Senators and Congresspersons about their concerns about budget cuts and attacks on democracy. People were urged to write letters to the editor of their local newspapers. The people were also urged to talk to their neighbors and friends about attending the next rally against Trump to make it even larger and more impactful.
    The next rally in this series is scheduled for July 17, 2025, the “Good Trouble Lives On” to commemorate the work of the late congressman and Civil Rights leader, John Lewis, on the date of his death. The Transformational Justice Coalition will be the national sponsor. More information will be available on their website and the NoKIngs.org website as well.

  • National and local leaders gather in Selma to strategize on protecting Democracy and Civil Rights 

    Photo No. 1 (cutline) : John Zippert, Co-publisher of the Greene County Democrat and Chair of the Board of the Greene County Health Sysytem speaks about healthcare issues at

     Photo No.2 (Cutline). From right to left: Allison Hamilton, executive director of the Alabama Coalition for Immigrant Justice; Faya Touré, American civil rights activist and lawyer; John Zippert, board chair of Greene County Hospital/Greene County Health System; Maya Wiley, president and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights; Derrick Johnson, president and CEO of the NAACP; Congresswoman Maxine Waters (CA-43).; Jocelyn Frye, president of the National Partnership for Women & Families; Juan Proaño, chief executive officer of the League of United Latin American Citizens; Fatima Goss Graves, president and CEO of the National Women’s Law Center; and Martha Morgan, professor emerita of law at the University of Alabama School of Law.

    As our nation commemorated the 60th anniversary of Bloody Sunday, national and state leaders, civil rights organizations, and community advocates convened in Selma, Alabama, for a powerful and urgent discussion about protecting democracy and advancing civil rights in the face of unprecedented threats.

    The event, “Saving Democracy: Our Civil Rights Strategies for this Unprecedented Moment,” was co-hosted by Hank Sanders  and Faya Rose Touré (The Bridge Crossing Jubilee), The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, and a coalition of national and local organizations. The convening reaffirmed the movement’s commitment to defending democracy and mobilizing against voter suppression, attacks on civil rights, and systemic barriers to justice.

    Maya Wiley, president and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights: “As we confront an onslaught of attacks from our own federal government on the very civil and human rights it is obligated to protect and uphold, we are working united and unwavering against the attacks on our freedom and potential. This regime is abusing power — violating laws and dismantling its role as a shield — to turn the government into a weapon against us. They are stripping resources from our schools, our health care, and kids who can’t afford college, all while trying to discourage us from using our voice to make demands of the government.

    These efforts to erase our progress and dismantle our civil rights are direct attacks on our power to shape our future and ensure opportunities for our families. The promised land is not a promise, and democracy is a demand. Real power starts in our communities. When we organize locally, build coalitions, and mobilize for change, we create the foundation for national progress. Our coalition knows this is a fight for the promise of America and a multiracial democracy that works for all of us, not just a powerful few. Just as those who marched across the Edmund Pettus Bridge 60 years ago showed us, when we organize and join together, we can face anything. Our coalition will continue that fight until freedom is won.”

    Hank Sanders, Founder of the Selma Bridge Crossing Jubilee: “We have to know our strengths if we are to engage effectively in this great struggle to maintain and improve this imperfect democracy. We know that we have been through greater struggles with less resources and triumphed. We must remember that we are not just in a terrible storm but going through the storm. There is something better on the other side. Know your strengths!”

    Fatima Goss Graves, president and CEO of the National Women’s Law Center: “At a time when our nation’s president incredulously tries to undo baseline civil rights protections and stoke fear in anyone fighting for justice, it is critical we double down on our commitment to gender and racial equality. We must not turn our backs on decades of progress secured by people who risked their lives fighting for equality, freedom and a fair shot for all. Diversity, equity and inclusion are not dirty words — and we will continue to challenge a president desperate to normalize racism and misogyny throughout his administration.”

    Derrick Johnson, president & chief executive officer of the NAACP: “Selma is a physical reminder of the history that must inform our future. No matter who occupies the Oval Office or holds the gavel on Capitol Hill, the NAACP will not accept regression as our reality. I was proud to stand alongside our colleagues in the fight for civil rights to remind us that race is merely a tool to distract from the perils of power, hungriness, and greed. We cannot be distracted. We must remain determined. Let’s continue the work to ensure democracy truly works for everybody.”

    Juan Proaño, chief executive officer of the League of United Latin American Citizens(LULAC): “LULAC’s fight for voting rights and immigrant justice is a fight for our democracy. On the 60th anniversary of Bloody Sunday, we’re reminded that the same forces that once attacked Black Americans’ votes now target the Latino vote and vilify immigrants. LULAC stands strong, ensuring minority voices and power are felt in every election. We will not stand by as ICE and Border Patrol invade our schools, hospitals, and places of worship. The SAVE Act and attacks on sensitive locations are tools of intimidation meant to silence us. We will not back down. We’ll fight these policies in court, protest in the streets, and hold those responsible accountable. Our right to vote, learn, earn, heal, and pray is non-negotiable. The time to act is now.”

    Jocelyn Frye, president of the National Partnership for Women & Families: “The ability to access high quality, affordable health care shapes every aspect of our lives, from our physical wellbeing to our economic security to our sense of personal freedom and dignity. Yet, the Trump administration is systematically attacking our health care system by enacting massive cuts to federal agencies, making it harder to collect information on health disparities, targeting programs like Medicaid that provide care to those in greatest need, and undermining abortion access. Our calls to action — to consistently make clear that health care is a civil rights issue; lift up the stories of the people who are harmed when they cannot access much-needed care; push policymakers to mandate the collection of data that can show racial, gender, and other disparities and to make infrastructure investments for more health care facilities; and proclaim that health care should never be treated as a precious resource that is only available to the privileged and the wealthy.”

    Martha Morgan, professor emerita of law at the University of Alabama School of Law and member of the steering committee of SOS (Saving OurSelves Movement for Justice and Democracy): “In Alabama, the attacks on democracy and justice are ongoing and groups like SOS are issuing calls to action to continue defending our rights in the field of education. In 2024, the Republican controlled legislature enacted laws aimed at the heart of both higher education and K-12. First, it banned public funding for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs and restricted the teaching of so-called ‘divisive concepts’ at all public colleges and universities. Public colleges and universities responded by ending or recasting their DEI programs and closing campus spaces for student groups. The ACLU of Alabama and the Legal Defense Fund have filed a lawsuit on behalf of several courageous professors and students at University of Alabama campuses, and the NAACP and the legal battle is underway. A second 2024 law guts funding for K-12 education by allowing families to receive $7,000 to send their children to private school and $2,000 for children who are homeschooled.”

    John Zippert, board chair of the Greene County Health System in Eutaw, Alabama and SOS Steering Committee member: “For the past ten years we have been struggling with the Governor and the Alabama Legislature to expand Medicaid to provide health insurance to 300,000 low-income working people. Now our small rural hospital, nursing home and physician’s clinic faces the Trump Administration’s plan to cut $880 billion from Medicaid. This will further reduce our facility’s income. Every one of the 38 people we currently have in our Nursing Home is supported by Medicaid. Will we have to put these aging Americans, Black and White, into the streets? A reduction in the Medicaid and Medicare already low reimbursements will likely force us to close our facility, creating greater healthcare hardships for rural people in our communities.”

    The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights is a coalition charged by its diverse membership of more than 240 national organizations to promote and protect the rights of all persons in the United States. The Leadership Conference works toward an America as good as its ideals. For more information on The Leadership Conference and its member organizations, visit www.civilrights.org. 

  • Nine more arrested at Tuesday’s SOS protest for Medicaid Expansion at State Capitol in Montgomery

    By: John Zippert,
    Co-Publisher

    The SaveOurselves Movement for Justice and Democracy (SOS) held its bi-weekly protest on the steps of the State Capitol in Montgomery, Alabama to call for Governor Kay Ivey to expand Medicaid; for state and federal officials to intensify their response to the coronavirus, especially by increasing testing, contact tracing and support for the Alabama Black Belt counties, and Black, Brown and poor communities, who are dying from the virus at disproportionately higher rates; releasing non-violent detainees from jails and prisons to reduce the spread of coronavirus and other concerns.

    Nine people were arrested by the City of Montgomery Police when they began painting “Good Trouble” and “Expand Medicaid” over the light gray paint that the City had painted over “Black Lives Matter” and “Expand Medicaid” written by SOS protestors in a similar demonstration on July 16, 2020.
    Fewer than half of those individuals were actually painting – or attempting to paint. Several were arrested for simply standing on the gray painted pavement in front of the Capitol that does not block any traffic. The police closed in and started making arrests before the protestors could complete writing full words.
    The SOS protest yesterday, July 28, 2020, was also directed at the Mayor, Police Chief and staff of the City of Montgomery Police Department for their humiliating treatment of five SOS and Black Lives Matter activists who turned themselves in to the police on Monday, July 20, 2020. The two women were strip searched and all were required to dress in jail jumpsuits and were placed in holding cells. During their five hours in custody, they were exposed to the coronavirus by jailers and detainees, who were not wearing masks
    The nine who were detained at Tuesday’s protest were SOS leaders and members as well as some supporters from the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) and the Poor People’s Campaign for a Moral Revival. The nine arrested were: Hank Sanders, Selma attorney and former Alabama State Senator, Faya Rose Toure (Sanders), his wife and civil rights attorney, Martha Morgan, retired University of Alabama law professor, Queen Tate, Yomi Goodall and Judson Garner, SOS members; Ellen Degnan and Danna Sweeny with SPLC, and Stephanie Bernal-Martinez with the Poor People’s Campaign.
    All who were arrested on Tuesday, were released in a span of two hours on their own recognizance. One White male was made to strip down to his underwear and put on a prison jumpsuit. No-one in custody was strip searched this time. At press time it is not clear what charges will be brought against the nine who were arrested.
    The five SOS and BLM activists, Karen Jones, Faya Rose Toure, Johnny Ford, John Zippert, and Kamasi Amin (Juan McFarland II ) were charged with “defacing public property”, a misdemeanor, for the early incident of writing in the street. They have been assigned a September 21st court date.
    Attorney, Civil Rights Activist and former Municipal Judge Faya Rose Toure, who was the only person arrested at both protests, said: “My arrest and jailing on Monday was the most humiliating experience of my life. I have been arrested multiple times in various cities in this state and country over more than five decades in civil disobedience protests in the fight for human rights, but never was I strip searched and never was I exposed to danger like I was in Montgomery in the city jail.
    “The five of us all wore masks, but none of the other inmates with whom we were held wore masks not nor did all of the jail employees. This is dangerous not only for us but also for our families and all those with whom we come in contact. In addition to being embarrassing and dangerous, it was also hurtful to me because I was almost arrested in Montgomery last year for passing out voting materials during the campaign in which Steven Reed was elected Mayor. But I intend to keep fighting for human rights. I intend to keep fighting to expand Medicaid. I intend to keep fighting to save lives in Alabama.”
    “Former Tuskegee Mayor and State Representative Johnny Ford said: “We have been fighting for the expansion of Medicaid in Alabama year after year after year. Alabama must expand Medicaid to save lives in Alabama. Expanding Medicaid would save the lives of an estimated 700 Alabamians per year – and that is before the COVID-19 pandemic hit.”
    Several parents of children murdered while in the custody of the City of Montgomery Police and Jail voiced their complaints about the injustices of the city’s jail and justice system. The parents of Steven Matthew Seal and Tony Lewis Jr. gave testimonies about the unfair treatment of their children.
    Persons interested in joining or supporting SOS in future demonstration may contact SOS through their website, Facebook page or by writing: SOS Survival Fund, 838 So. Court Street, Montgomery, Alabama 36104; phone: 334-262-0932.

  • SOS plans rally at Statehouse in Montgomery on April 30th to push for Medicaid Expansion in Alabama

    State Senator Malika Sanders Fortier address press conference. Others present on stage (L to R) are: Robyn Hyden, Karen Jones, John Zippert, Mayor Johnny Ford, Jeanette Thomas, Martha Morgan, Jeffrey Jones and Shelley Fearson.

    Montgomery, AL – Members of Alabama SOS, the Save OurSelves Movement for Justice and Democracy, held a news conference today, Thursday, April 11, at 12:00 p.m. the 3rd Floor Press Room of the Alabama State House to address the dire need for expansion of Medicaid in Alabama.
    John Zippert, Co-Chair of the SOS Health Committee said: “We are planning a rally at the Alabama State House for Tuesday, April 30, 2019 to alert the Governor, the Legislature and the public to the importance of acting to expand Medicaid immediately.”
    He went on to say, “We have to do more to bring about Medicaid expansion in Alabama. Lives literally are depending upon it. Whatever it is required, we have to do it because citizens are dying, hospitals are closing, and access to medical care is diminishing. It is not enough to talk anymore. We have to do more, and SOS will do more.”
    “Expanding Medicaid to reach the working poor will help 300,000 people who are currently uninsured to gain coverage. Currently, these folks fall in a gap between being not poor enough to qualify for Medicaid and not rich enough to qualify for insurance on the Affordable Care Act marketplace. Expanding Medicaid to serve this group will also be an economic development program to provide 30,000 new jobs in health care and related fields. It will touch every county in the state,” said Zippert.
    Johnny Ford, Co-Chair of the SOS Health Committee and Founder and Leader of the World Conference of Mayors said: “We have given the Governor and the Legislature every opportunity to expand Medicaid. They not only have failed. They never tried. In the meantime, people keep dying and hospitals keep closing.
    “We have to do everything in our power to move the Governor and everyone who is involved to implement Medicaid expansion in our state,” said Ford, who is also Board Chair of the National Black Leadership Commission on Health.
    Robyn Hyden, Director of Alabama Arise, said: “There are several options to fund Medicaid expansion. Removing the federal income tax deduction for Alabama taxpayers, for example, would generate $719 million in new income tax revenue. This deduction primarily benefits people in the top 20 percent of taxpayers. This would allow the state to not only fund Medicaid expansion, but would also allow the state to remove the sales tax on groceries.”
    Senator Malika Sanders Fortier said: “Health care is even more important than public education. Education helps us to live better. Health care helps us to live. I am calling upon everyone in a leadership position to move to implement Medicaid expansion right now. It is a matter of life or death in Alabama.”
    SOS is comprised of more than 40 statewide Alabama organizations committed to justice and democracy. Other SOS members who spoke at the press conference included Law Professor Emerita Martha Morgan of Tuscaloosa County, Karen Jones of Montgomery, Faya Toure of Selma and Jeffrey Jones of Mobile.
    Persons interested in participating in the rally should contact the SOS office through: alabamanewsouth.org or by calling 334-262-0933.