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Rev. Dr. William J. Barber II Profile picture
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3 Jul, 4 tweets, 1 min read
Donald Rumsfeld died, but did you know he was appointed by Nixon to defund and dismantle the Office of Economic Opportunity (OEO)? His office was created in August 1964 by the Economic Opportunity Act.

thenation.com/article/world/…
The OEO was part of Pres. Johnson's social & economic initiatives known as the "Great Society" & the "War on Poverty." The OEO was part of the exec office of the Johnson admin & its first director was R. Sargent Shriver, who was involved in drafting the Economic Opportunity Act.
When it was created, the OEO coordinated the Job Corps; Neighborhood Youth Corps; work training & study programs; community action agencies incl Head Start; adult education; loans for the rural poor & small businesses; work experience programs; & Volunteers in Service to America.
So Rumsfeld was instrumental in stopping the war on poverty in the US & leading the US into a needless & ruthless war in Afghanistan, one of the poorest countries in the world. In these two acts alone, countless innocent poor ppl were casualties of his immoral & callous actions.

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More from @RevDrBarber

Rev. Dr. William J. Barber II Profile picture
2 Jul
Often in America, extremists in the majority of the Supreme Court have been the source of the nation sliding backwards rather than moving forward. Dred Scott. Plessy vs. Ferguson.
On June 25, 2013 and July 1, 2021, we saw them gut Section 5 of the VRA and weaken Section 2, allowing retrogression and sliding backwards.

We must remember the faith of Frederick Douglass in the face of Dred Scott:
"Such a decision cannot stand. God will be true though every man be a liar. We can appeal from this hell black judgment of the Supreme Court, to the court of common sense and common humanity. We can appeal from man to God.
Read 6 tweets
Rev. Dr. William J. Barber II Profile picture
29 Jun
Democracy vs autocracy is the battle of our time. The longer Manchin, Sinema & McConnell’s obstructionists refuse to break a nonconstitutional filibuster to pass the full For the People Act, they undercut America’s moral authority in the face of autocracies around the world.
The majority of Americans want these things, yet three people can block even a debate & a vote. Which side are you on, Manchin & Sinema?
Americans of moral conscience, we need a season of nonviolent civil disobedience. Plans to be announced at #MoralMonday, July 5. It’s time. Wherever you are, if you have a group committed to nonviolence, you can join.
Read 4 tweets
Rev. Dr. William J. Barber II Profile picture
25 Jun
8 years ago today, 5 members of the Supreme Court gutted section 5 of the Voting Rights Act, technically ending preclearance & unleashing an onslaught of voter suppression in states.
For the past 8 years (2,920 days), Congress could have fixed it. But McConnell nor Manchin did a thing for 8 years, and now they both want to hold onto a filibuster & block the For The People Act & VRA, block living wages, block full infrastructure.
No, no, no! It’s time for organized nonviolent direct action across the nation, and it’s time for Dems to go to 50 plus 1. It’s time for Manchin to answer the question asked by the miners in the 1920s: Which side are you on?
Read 4 tweets
Rev. Dr. William J. Barber II Profile picture
17 Jun
Before anyone says they support what Manchin has put forth, his changes must be reviewed by a panel of our best voting rights lawyers. We must assess if it weakens the bills, and we must be sure he will release the filibuster to guarantee passage of both bills.
And we must look at bad precedent. Remember our history: It was a compromise on the 1964 Civil Rights Act that made it necessary to come back & pass a Voting Rights Act, which almost didn’t get support.
And it was compromises on the Voting Rights Act that allowed, for instance in my state, 60 counties to be exempt from pre-clearance despite racist past practices.
Read 5 tweets
Rev. Dr. William J. Barber II Profile picture
17 Jun
.@Sen_JoeManchin, we must examine the changes you are suggesting with the eye of seasoned voting rights lawyers. Otherwise, 2 years from now, we could end up w/ a reverse Juneteenth …
& find out those changes left the nation enslaved to the voter suppressionists, because both the For The People Act and Voting Rights Act were so weakened by your changes.
When it comes to stopping abridgment of voting rights, equal protection under the law & living wages, you should support no filibuster, period. Protecting the right to vote is not partisan but basic justice. Living wages are one necessary way to ensure the pursuit of happiness.
Read 4 tweets
Rev. Dr. William J. Barber II Profile picture
12 Jun
They wouldn’t let us have sound & microphones close to Manchin's office or in the parking lot. Hmmm ...

But we know you can’t silence the people.

People are supporting from everywhere, so we are gathering for a #MoralMonday March on Manchin on Monday 6/14 at 5pm ET.
Starting location is: Magic Island Park, 165 Kanawha Blvd W., Charleston, WV 25301

We are inviting all media to hear the diverse speakers from West Virginia and to report on them to guarantee Manchin hears, the state hears, and the nations hears.
After the rally, we will march to Sen. Manchin’s office, which is approximately one mile away, and tack our demands on his office door.

On June 21 we will have a Mass Poor People's & Low-Wage Workers Assembly in-person in Raleigh, NC & online.
Read 4 tweets

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