Elce Redmond

Elce Redmond

Template:TOCnestleft Elce Redmond a "community organizer" and lifelong resident of Chicago, has been working with community groups throughout the city on issues such as housing, heat assistance, healthcare, and human rights for more than 20 years. He has conducted leadership development and political development and political eduation projects in Bosnia-Herzigovina, Ireland, Argentina, East Timor, and Cote D’Ivoire. Most recently, Redmond went to Bagdad with the Christian Peacemaker Team to advocate and organize on behalf of detainees in Iraq. In Chicago, he has worked closely with labor unions and the community to bring attention to issues of economic justice, including the the Wal-Mart campaign.

New Party mailing list

A Chicago New Party mailing list circa 1993 included the names;

• Roberto de la Cruz/Karen
• Charlie Williams, IAM
• Joe Costigan, ACTWU
• Jody Kretzman
• Sokoni Karanja, Center for New Horizons
• John Owens, Developing Communities Project
• Doug Gillis, KOCO
• Elce Redmond NAC
• Perry Cartwright -- see Carl Davidson
• Rev. Ed Riddick, Operation PUSH
• Art Vasquez
• John Donahue, Chicago Coalition for the Homeless
• Barry Romo, Vietnam Veterans Against the War - see Carl for address
• Marilyn Katz
• Rob Mier
• Pat Gleason, Salsedo

COFI

Community Organizing and Family Issues is a Chicago based non-profit. COFI Sponsoring Committee -1994-95 members included Pastor Alvin Bergh, Lina Cramer, Barbara Engel, Jacky Grimshaw, Anne Hallett, Judy Hertz, Maria Mangual, Della Mitchell, Barack Obama, Elce Redmond, Amanda Rivera, Mary Scott-Boria, John Schmidt, Coretta McFerron, Kaye Wilson, Ellen Schumer, Founding Director and President, Nancy Aardema, Founding Vice-President, Sandra O’Donnell, Founding Vice-President.

Anti Walmart symposium

The Wal-Mart, Race & Gender: Local Controversies, Global Process symposium was held on January 21st 2006 at the University of Chicago. It was an opportunity to put the many-faceted struggle against Wal-Mart—and the nature of the corporation itself—into context.

Organized by the university’s Center for the Study of Race, Politics and Culture and the Center for Gender Studies, the "symposium drew about 250 people into a mostly sober discussion of the Wal-Mart menace, and the particularities of how it impacts the various groups it seeks to crush or coopt— the kind of conversation that is sorely needed by all who claim to be “movement” people."

“Wal-Mart uses people as a pimp does,” said Rev. Reginald Williams, of Trinity United Church of Christ, to enthusiastic applause. “We want jobs that will add to the life of the community.” It is the beginning of a general demand that requires a whole community be addressed as citizens. The logic of such a demand can only be satisfied through a campaign for institutional community empowerment—a much broader concept of democracy.

Rev. Williams: “Price over Principle equals Prostitution.” From the faith-based perspective of the social gospel, Wal- Mart is bad for the West Side, said Rev. Elce Redmond, of the South Austin Community Coalition. Wal-Mart is lying to the people—disrespecting them—with its promises to hire convicted felons and young people from the immediate neighborhood. “Hire young people? Not the ones hanging on the corner, not those kids.” Rev. Williams said Wal-Mart had poisoned the discussion by painting “all unions as bad, racist, based on the records of the building trades.” It is true that the building trades are a heavy cross to bear. Maybe too heavy.

New New Deal: Making It Happen

Chicago's Oak Park Coalition for Truth and Justice organized a June 13, 2009 event entitled "A New New Deal: Making It Happen". at the Workers United Hall, 333 S. Ashland in Chicago.

This mini-conference has the long-term goal of promoting a wide-ranging multi-issue discussion of progressive solutions to the economic crisis and its root causes. OPCTJ hopes that this and other events like it will serve as catalysts in bringing together groups and individuals who are engaged in struggles for peace, equality, social and economic justice in order to collectively build a grassroots movement for comprehensive change.

Plenary speakers provided "updates on four urgent and ongoing campaigns": War and Militarism, Michael McConnell - American Friends Service Committee; Employee Free Choice Act, James Thindwa - Chicago Jobs with Justice; Single-Payer Health Care, Dr.Anne Scheetz - Physicians for a National Health Plan; Foreclosures and Mortgages, Elce Redmond - South Austin Coalition of Community Councils.

Supporting the People's World

The Chicago Communist Party USA 22nd Annual People’s World Banquet Dec. 6, 2009, at the Parthenon Restaurant. Several thousand dollars was raised for the PW Fund Drive from "supporters who dug deep despite the hard economic times".

The attendees, a rainbow crowd of labor, community and religious activists, entered the festive room to the sounds of the jazz trio, Lovers in Arms and a running slide show of photos from struggles over the past year.

Accepting the Chris Hani-Rudy Lozano award on behalf of South Austin Coalition (SACCC) was community organizer Elce Redmond who is also a steering committee member of Chicago Jobs with Justice.

The SACCC has a distinguished history organizing grassroots actions on the West Side of Chicago against foreclosures, for living wages and worker’s rights. Redmond urged everyone to stick together and to raise the fight for a massive public works jobs program especially for the distressed African American and Latino communities.

Chicago Political Economy Group

In 2009 Chicago Political Economy Group members included Bill Barclay, Ron Baiman, Sidney Hollander, Haydar Kurban, Joe Persky, Elce Redmond and Mel Rothenberg.

"Obama Year One"

Saturday, February 20, 2010 at Roosevelt University, 430 S. Michigan, Room 232, Chicago, a forum was held 'Obama Year One."

In the aftermath of the historic 2008 elections and in the midst of the deepest economic crisis since the Great Depression, activists and progressives from across movements came together to push for a new New Deal. The new political and economic realities created new opportunities to mobilize for progressive changes including ending wars and militarism; promoting workers' rights; reforming healthcare; and developing economic policies that promote jobs and communities instead of corporate profits. There have been both advances and setbacks in these struggles. One year later, it's time to take stock of lessons learned, evaluate strategic goals, and plan for future campaigns. Join leaders of the labor, peace, immigrant rights, healthcare reform, and economic justice movements in assessing the past year and current political conditions to determine ways we can work together towards progressive change.

The panel included:

• Elce Redmond ­ South Austin Coalition Community Council and Chicago Jobs with Justice
• Amy B. Dean ­ Co-Author of the book A New New Deal: How Regional Activism Will Reshape the American Labor Movement
• Tom Balanoff ­ President of the Service Employees International Union Illinois Council
• Judith LeBlanc ­ Field Organizer for Peace Action; Former National Co-Chair of United for Peace and Justice
• Mel Rothenberg ­ Chicago Political Economy Group; Chicago Jobs with Justice
• Dr. Anne Scheetz Physicians for a National Health Program
• Cristobal Cavazos ­ Immigrant Solidarity DuPage

Communist Party convention

Elce Redmond, behind mike

At the June 2014 Communist Party USA 30th convention Chicago - Friday evening, the People's World hosted a panel discussion on organizing low wage workers that included Howard Kling, Secretary of the International Labor Communications Association AFL-CIO, Change to Win, Rasheen Aldridge, St. Louis Can't Survive of $7.35 strike leader, Young Activists United, Naquasia LeGrand (Fast Food Forward Colbert Show guest), Elce Redmond and Ada Fuentes of Jobs with Justice, Terrie Albano, co-editor of People's World, and Judith LeBlanc, field director of Peace Action.

National Party Building Conference

National Party Building Conference Hosted by Communist Party USA and People's World.

Saturday, November 11, 2017 at 12 PM – 6 PM EST

Join Communist Party activists and members in a national conference. You can register here https://tinyurl.com/ycdouk3y

The conference will take place November 11th to 12th to plan our work in the fight against the Trump Administration and its white supremacist ruling class backers. Find information here about how to participate. http://www.cpusa.org/2017-national-party-building-conference-resist-organize-vote-grow/

The conference will be streamed from Chicago to regional meetings in New Haven, Los Angeles, and Orlando. Whether you’re on the East Coast, West Coast, in the MIdwest or the South, you’ll be able to participate.

Those invited on Facebook included Elce Redmond.

References

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