Event details from the organizers:
Women’s Voices Raised for Social Justice, National Council of Jewish Women St. Louis (NCJWSTL), Jewish Community Relations Council St. Louis (JCRC) and Central Reform Congregation (CRC) founded the Heartland for Human Justice Coalition. The newly formed Heartland for Human Justice is taking a bus trip to Fort Sill, Oklahoma to participate in an interfaith vigil in remembrance of the children and adults who have died while in detention. The bus left St. Louis Wednesday, July 31st and will return late on Thursday, August 1st. There will be a press conference on August 1st at 9am at the Lawton Heights United Methodist Church, 1514 NW Andrews Ave (between NW 15th & 16th St.) in Lawton, OK.
Williams is traveling to Oklahoma from Washington, DC, where she is Senior Manager of Government Affairs for the National Council of Jewish Women (NCJW), as well as IIC Co-Chair. National Council of Jewish Women St. Louis and other members of the Heartland for Human Justice Coalition are already en route to Oklahoma by bus.
Said Williams: “While rallying at Fort Sill, at the scene of national disgraces past and present, I hope that at the very least our efforts can change the future. Every Jewish and moral voice must cry out to welcome the stranger, for regardless of your faith, we all have been strangers ourselves.”
Rori Picker Neiss, Executive Director of Jewish Community Relations Council of St. Louis, tweeted this update on the journey, with photos:
Loading up the buses and preparing for our caravan to Fort Sill OK. The plans to open this facility is on hold, but our message is still as relevant as ever: stop separating families, treat people humanely, and ensure a path for people to find a better life in our country.
Follow the bus trip on Twitter or at the Heartland for Human Justice Facebook page. To schedule an interview with Faith Williams, contact Stephanie Cohen, NCJW at scohen@ncjw.org / 646.457.1485.
The Interfaith Immigration Coalition is made up of 52 national, faith-based organizations brought together across many theological traditions with a common call to seek just policies that lift up the God-given dignity of every individual. In partnership, we work to protect the rights, dignity, and safety of all refugees and migrants.
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