Like all of us, we at the Workplace Justice Project have been adjusting to new ways of working and communicating during this difficult time.  It has been a time of introspection and worrying about those so deeply affected by the Pandemic.

Our pre-COVID-19 work, so rooted in fomenting respect for workers, has continued. Our work tools, litigation, education and advocacy are more important than ever in our efforts to give voice to workers and build power, all in the service of fostering economic equity. We stand firm in our resolve to work toward access, opportunity, and fairness for all workers, now more urgently in this disastrous environment which, while uncharted, is utterly familiar in its effect.  The Workplace Justice Project firmly believes that racial equity is fundamental to a future where access to meaningful opportunity, quality education and sustainable economic outcomes are available to all.  We reaffirm this commitment in light of the killings of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor and countless others which are brutal reminders of the ways in which systemic racism impacts the lives of Black people and all people of color.

Before social distancing so abruptly interrupted all of our lives, we were planning a convening to explore ways in which to advance economic equity by critically examining systemic obstacles in areas key to such equity – work, housing, healthcare, transportation, education, and criminal justice. We strongly believe these can be addressed only with collaborative and inclusive analysis and response.  And while we look forward to a future vigorous in-person exchange, we want to begin the process of learning from each other through dialogue and real-time experience now.  We invite you to join us as we begin a series of virtual conversations, we call Notes From the Ground.

Session One: COVID-19 Recovery: Policies For Sustainable Communities 
Friday, June 19   12 Noon – 1:00   Speakers: Suzanne-Juliette Mobley and Jan Moller

Session Two: The Impact Of Covid-19 and Moving Forward
Friday, June 26   12 Noon – 1:00   Speakers: Prof. Bill Quigley and Rep. Royce Duplessis 

* Future Sessions TBA 

We understand this is a trying time and many are stretched. We hope that you will join us and connect so that we get a snapshot of what you are seeing on the ground, what we are learning along the way, and how we build a more equitable future.

With appreciation,

The WJP Team
Luz, Andrea, and Erika

Suzanne-Juliette Mobley is a New Orleans based urbanist, organizer, and advocate. She serves as Director of Advocacy at Colloqate Design and Co-Director of the Paper Monuments a public art and public history project that invites New Orleans residents to imagine new monuments for New Orleans.

Jan Moller is director of the Louisiana Budget Project, which monitors and reports on state government spending and how it affects Louisiana’s low- to moderate-income families. He is an award-winning journalist formerly with the New Orleans Times-Picayune’s state capital bureau, where he covered the state budget, health-care policy, higher education and races for Louisiana governor and U.S. Senate seats.

Royce Duplessis has represented New Orleans as the State Representative for District 93 since 2018. In the legislature, he is a leader in criminal justice reform efforts and in the drive to raise the state’s minimum wage and restore local control over economic policies. He is a New Orleans native, graduate of Xavier University and Howard University Law School.

Bill Quigley is a law professor and Director of the Law Clinic and the Gillis Long Poverty Law Center at Loyola University New Orleans. Bill has been an active public interest and human rights lawyer since 1977. Bill has served as counsel with a wide range of public interest organizations on issues including Katrina social justice issues, public housing, voting rights, death penalty, living wage, human rights, civil liberties, educational reform, constitutional rights and civil disobedience.

This series is made possible through the generous support of the W.K.Kellogg Foundation