This is What Democracy Sounds Like

On Sunday, July 19th, Metropolitan Congregations United held it's annual Public Meeting. This podcast is Part 1 of the meeting, featuring messages from Rev. James Ross, II, and Rev. Dr. Ben Sanders and testimonials from citizens who directly benefit from Unlock the Vote, Medicaid Expansion, and Clean Missouri campaigns.

This year, in particular, has brought attention to the ongoing racism in our most important social systems, as well as the actions we can take to make change.

We can ensure equity in healthcare through Medicaid Expansion. We can create fair systems of democracy through the defeat of Amendment 3 and preserving CLEAN Missouri. We can give voting rights to disenfranchised persons through Unlock the Vote.

https://mcustlouis.org/section/issues/unlockthevotemo/

https://www.yeson2.org/

https://www.cleanmissouri.org/

What are the options for voting during the COVID-19 pandemic? How do I vote by mail? Do I need a notary? How will the pandemic affect in-person voting on Election Day? Am I registered to vote? Do I need a photo ID? Dr. Gena McClendon of the Brown School at Washington University (https://csd.wustl.edu/publications-gena-mcclendon/) and Jennifer Lohman of the St. Louis Area Voter Protection Coalition (https://www.facebook.com/STLVPC) walk us through the voting in Missouri in 2020.

Rev. Dietra Wise-Baker updates efforts to protect youth who are being held by the criminal justice system from COVID-19 and the broader effort to de-carcerate youth who would be better at home. If you have a child who is involved in court, the Division of Youth Services, or in detention - text #LoveYouth to 31996 to join our Tuesday evening virtual meetings to organize for individual support and systemic change.

Amendment 2, Medicaid Expansion for Missouri, is on the ballot on August 4th - a day that is quickly approaching. Mikel Whittier, Mikel Whittier, the Coalitions Director for Health Care For Missouri Campaign, talks about how expanding Medicaid benefits hard-working Missourians, saves the state money, and will create jobs. Expanding Medicaid will bring health care coverage to more than 230,000 Missourians.

https://www.yeson2.org/

This program was originally posted on May 19.

MEDICAID EXPANSION, AMENDMENT 2, WILL BE ON THE BALLOT IN MISSOURI ON AUG. 4, 2020

We talk with Richard Von Glahn of Missouri Jobs With Justice and Robert Karr from Metropolitan Congregations United about the next steps in ensuring 230,000 more Missourians receive health care coverage. We also talk about the latest developments from the Missouri legislature as they try to blunt the reach of Medicaid Expansion and gut Clean Missouri.

https://mcustlouis.org/

https://mojwj.org/

Emmaline Giles, Environmental Justice Organizer for MCU, talks about the scope of environmental justice. Food insecurity, lead poisoning, and substandard housing hit vulnerable communities the hardest. The impact of the health of the surrounding area is another area of inequality. See what issues impact St. Louis and what MCU is doing to organize around the issue of environmental justice.

One of the tools being used to confront systemic racism and the use of lethal force is called direct action. Rev. James Ross, II talks about what direct action is and is not and how direct action relates to Christian faith. Rev. Ross is the pastor at Pilgrim Congregational United Church of Christ in St. Louis and is the new President of the Board of MCU.

The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic arrived just when the 2020 U.S. Census was scheduled to happen. This important part of our democracy determines everything from representation to funding to where businesses locate. Jai Johnson of Metropolitan Congregations United talks the Community Ambassador program that checks in on the wellbeing of our seniors and makes sure all of our citizens are counted. This program was recorded on March 27, 2020.

https://squareup.com/store/mcu

It's time once again for MCU's Jammin' For Justice. We talk with Lisa Thompson and Sarah Rose about how COVID-19 has made us change things up. So this year brings us a summer series of three virtual events called Jammin’ for Justice @ Home (June 12, July 10, and August 14). The goals for this event are 1) to raise money for MCU, 2) to help local performers earn some money, and 3) to support local businesses. Performers will receive a percentage of ticket sales and can promote their music. Gift cards will be given to nightly winners of the raffle held at the end of the evening (you can even win if not on the Zoom call). Additionally, all raffle tickets will be added to the pool for the Night Out Raffle during our finale. If you participate in Jammin’ @ Home, we can guarantee you, not only good entertainment but also that you will be raising money for a great cause while helping local community members who are missing the income that they would be making by performing or having customers frequent their businesses.

Event tickets and raffle chances are available at https://squareup.com/store/mcu. If you would like to directly help a struggling business and can afford to buy a gift certificate, we would love for you to donate it to Jammin’ for Justice. The donations will highlight your favorite business AND, to thank you, you’ll get free access to one of the events or a $20 credit towards an All-Access Pass. Donations can be sent now until August 8th to MCU’s office (4501 Westminster Place, 63108).

Children bring to school whatever they are going through at home. Educators who can recognize trauma and help children feel safe and loved will see them thrive. Without that, children can fall behind in class or develop behavior harmful to themselves or others. Establishing trauma-informed education practices is an essential piece of breaking the school to prison pipeline. In this episode, we talk with Art McCoy, Ph.D., the Superintendent of the Jennings School District in St. Louis County, about how his district approaches this issue.