Memphis SCLC Joins Sit-In: Says Jesse Jackson Should Endorse Protest - Today is Occupation Day #8

The SCLC are going to kick some Governor butt. Martin Luther King would be proud! As noted in an earlier post, the national president of SCLC and troops are also invading Nashville TODAY. Looks like it's going to get crowded in the Guv's office! Listen to the People, Governor! We are going to win this one!

"[W]e are going to get on the phone, members of SCLC, we are going to get on the phone, we are going to call various pastors...community leaders in Nashville and surrounding areas asking them to join in and support this particular sit-in."


From WMCTV.COM:

Memphians will join TennCare sit-in at Bredesen's office

Protestors in Nashville, outraged over TennCare changes will get some help from the Southern Christian Leadership Conference of Memphis.

SCLC's Memphis Chapter president Dwight Montgomery is packing things that will resupply the group of protesters participating in a sit-in at the governor's Nashville office. The protest is aimed at convincing the governor to abandoned plans to cut more than 320,000 people from TennCare.

"We're taking pillows, we're taking water were taking refreshments," said Montgomery. "And then we are going to get on the phone, members of SCLC, we are going to get on the phone, we are going to call various pastors...community leaders in Nashville and surrounding areas asking them to join in and support this particular sit-in."

The SCLC or Southern Christian Leadership Conference was founded by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

The group's current national president - Charles Steel, is among those going in a show of support. Montgomery says its just the beginning of a wave of national attention focusing on TennCare.

"Locally we have the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition and NAACP who have stated they are against the cuts and now we are hoping that after our national president would have made his presence tomorrow that we would have a Jesse Jackson or the new president of the NAACP to speak out against this and join in with us," said Montgomery.

Through a series of earlier demonstrations in Nashville, Memphis and other cities -- protesters have warned that cutting people from TennCare would spark an increase in sickness and even deaths as residents lose access to the state health plan and fall through the the health care system's cracks.

Friday, members of the SCLC will meet with members of the governor's staff to go over a proposal aimed at saving TennCare. The plan was developed by a coalition of local organizations. Reverend Montgomery and others hope to convince the governor to adopt the plan instead of cutting people off the TennCare rolls.