Lift Every Voice Project
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The "Lift Every Voice Project” is being organized by members of St. Peter's Lutheran Church, OC Progress, and Port Jervis Community Action to commemorate what would be the 5th annual Port Jervis Women's March. The project will showcase the experiences and achievements of local Black, Latina, Asian, and Indigenous women as trailblazers and a cornerstone of our local communities.
The theme ‘Lift Every Voice’ is inspired by the 1900’s African American anthem “Lift Every Voice and Sing”, an affirmation of the long fought hardships and injustices endured by African American people. “We are just beginning to understand the chronic effects of systemic racism after 400 years of inequality. We have a lot of work ahead to repair the damage,” says organizer Alexandria Sasso of Middletown. Motivated by our national reckoning on race and the important elections of Women of Color that followed, including Kamala Harris as the first Black South Asian American Woman Vice President and Congress members Cori Bush from Missouri, Deb Haaland of New Mexico, and Sharice Davids of Kansas, event organizers look to highlight the many voices on the local level at work to bring about progressive change. “It's not just our elected officials at the top who are making a difference, it's the regular everyday folks, the Women of Color in our schools, hospitals, law enforcement, community activists, business owners, retail workers, artists, and health care workers, it's our mothers, sisters, and daughters who are committed to helping others that are leading the way,” says organizer Melissa Martens of Minisink.