March on the Mayors! June 19-20, 2008 Miami FL

Call to Action:
March on the Mayors!

85% of people in the United States live in cities or metro areas

Metro Economies account for 85% of the nation’s jobs

WE BUILT THIS CITY AND WE MUST PROTECT IT!

Right to the City hosts
A MARCH ON THE MAYORS
40th of convening the United States Conference of Mayors in Miami, Florida
June 20-24th. Under the call “Who’s City? Our City!,” we will mobilize to assert our rights to live, work, play, pray, and govern over the city.

Over the last twenty years, the federal government is cutting programs and services, placing a greater burden on state and city governments. Unable to handle the pressure, cities are using neo-liberal policies and privatization to sell land, programs, and resources to make ends meet. As a result, instead of working with community, labor, cultural, academic and faith-based communities, mayors are cutting deals with luxury developers and multi-national corporations.

Affordable housing, public space, transportation, schools, are all being sold to the highest bidder. Costing us our services, programs, access, resources and, in general, our right to the city.

Right to the City is a national alliance of organizations taking back our cities from the throws of gentrification. Led by community-based grassroots organizations, the alliance spans 7 cities and includes legal, media, and academic advocates from across the nation.

• In New Orleans, we are fighting to stop the criminalization of survivors and fighting for the “right to return”
• In New York , we are keeping the Christopher Street pier as a public asset and safe space for queer youth
• In DC , we are building the strength of day laborers to peacefully assemble and seek a living wage
• In California, we are forging statewide partnerships to combat Proposition 98 to safeguard affordable housing and protections from slumlords
• In Miami, we are pushing back gentrification, preserving affordable housing and mobile home parks, and building tenant power.
• In Providence, we are fighting back against potential displacement from a
major hospital merger, the city's foreclosure plan, incarceration, and the
Governor's anti-immigrant executive order.
• In Boston, we are demanding community control over the development process, and pushing forward creative ways to protect tenants and homeowners that puts an end to foreclosures and evictions.

The movement against gentrification is growing across the United States. We are moving beyond the barrios, beyond the streets, to combat the root causes of displacement, privatization, and poor governance of our cities. Join us as we TAKE BACK THE CITY!

The People’s State of the City Conference
Discuss a people’s platform for the US urban agenda in 2008.
June 19, Miami
(time and location to be announced)

March on the Mayors: Day of Action
Assert your right to the city. Join us in taking the people’s urban agenda to the U.S. mayors meeting with US presidential candidates.
June 20th, Miami
(time and location to be announced)

For more information contact Miami@righttothecity.org or vtaing@righttothecity.org