Pushback Network

“The Pushback network is a movement to build grassroots political power in
low-income communities of color across the country. Our partnership with
Pushback will help win victories for economic justice at the ballot box and
at the State House in Massachusetts.” — Carl Nilsson, Campaigns Director, Neighbor to Neighbor Massachusetts

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a New England State that is considered by many to be the country’s most liberal. Its current state policies – including legislating marriage equality for same-sex couples (and withstanding attempts to repeal the law), passing the country’s highest minimum wage of $ 8.00 an hour, and the creation of a new universal health-care program – are heralded as some of the country’s most progressive public policies.

These victories did not come easily and required hard work, tactical negotiation and strong organizing work. The social justice advocacy and community organizing sector is vibrant and diverse and the labor movement is strong. Last year a Democrat was elected governor – Deval Patrick – the state’s first African American governor. Outside of the governorship, MA is generally a one-party state (Democratic) with the only competitive elections being the Democratic primaries. The largest employers in the state are hospitals, universities, research/bio tech companies along and the public sector.

Massachusetts Anchor Organization

Neighbor to Neighbor Massachusetts

Neighbor to Neighbor Massachusetts (N2N-MA) builds power in low-income and working class communities around economic justice issues. N2N-MA’s community organizing model includes voter registration and education, candidate endorsements, public policy advocacy, coalition building, and the development of sustainable grassroots leadership. The Working Family Agenda – good jobs, education and training, affordable child care, health care and housing, a welfare safety net, and progressive taxation – is the cornerstone of our program.

By bringing low-income people back into the political process, developing local leadership, and organizing a broad coalition of allies, N2N-MA hold politicians accountable to the needs of their constituents and are building a progressive majority in Massachusetts.

N2N-MA grew out of Neighbor to Neighbor, a national organization which focused on organizing in Central America in the 1980s, and around health care reform in the early 1990s. In the mid-1990s, N2N-MA re-evaluated its mission to focus on building power in low-income communities around an economic justice agenda. N2N-MA formed the Working Family Agenda Coalition and is working to build a progressive majority in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

Learn more about Neighbor to Neighbor Massachusetts on their website.

What’s going on in Massachusetts

Neighbor to Neighbor Massachusetts (N2N-MA) members are mobilizing statewide as two major economic justice campaigns come to a head:

- For five years, N2N-MA has been building grassroots pressure to end corporate tax evasion in Massachusetts by closing corporate tax loopholes. In April 2008, N2N-MA secured a key victory in the House of Representatives. As the bill moves ahead, N2N members are fighting to make low-income voices heard in the debate, to stand up to corporate power, and secure a tax package that earns as much progressive revenue as possible.

- N2N-MA members are also building pressure to change the criminal record system. Currently low-income people with criminal records are branded with a scarlet letter that prevents them from securing good jobs and housing. N2N-MA is bringing low-income leaders by the busload directly to the halls of power to make criminal justice policy real for legislators. With low-income single mothers as the face of criminal record reform, decision makers are taking notice, and N2N-MA expects to win passage of a reform bill some time in the next few months.

As the 2008 elections approach, N2N is gearing up for major voter empowerment campaigns including one to defeat a ballot initiative that proposes to eliminate the state income tax.

In 2007, N2N-MA lead the fight for health care reform, expanding free coverage for adults up to 150% of the poverty level and securing a simple and generous waiver process to exempt lower-income people who can’t find affordable coverage from the individual mandate.

“I love listening to people’s stories and responding to their frustration by telling them what they can do about it. I tell people, ‘If you want to see change, you can act: make a phone call, stand up for what you believe in. Why don’t you come with us to meet with your legislator? Express yourself!’ I love to watch people respond to that message. They come, and they speak, and they feel a new kind of power.”
– Maritza Rivera, N2N Organizer-in-Training, Fitchburg MA