October 20, 2026: Workers of the South Fighting Back

On October 20, Voices of Resistance welcomed labor organizer Shafeah M'Balia to talk about the Southern Workers Assembly (SWA), founded in 2012 during mobilizations surrounding the 2012 Democratic National Convention in Charlotte led by the Public Services Union, UE Local 150 to create a regional framework for a social justice labor movement in the south.  The SWA brings labor and community organizing back to its roots--the rebellion of enslaved people and settlers in Virgina to protest political and working conditions.  

The SWA brings its Fightback School to the Savannah Civic Center on October 24 & 25. to enable workers to build power on their jobs and in their communities in the south by developing strategies to build organization networks across workplaces and communities.   Organizing is designed to fight back against the current conditions in our lives:  cost of living, low wages, need to work multiple jobs with no predictable schedules, threats of AI replacing our jobs, the criminal injustice system, reactionary governments turning back the clocks to remove radical black voices from government, and ICE/Border Patrol terrorizing our migrant co-workers and neighbors and ourselves.  

Honor the legacy of Joe Hill, labor organizer born 10/7/1879 who said, "don't mourn, organize," by attending the Savannah Fighting Back School. Register at https://southernworker.org/ or info@wouthernworker.org.  

On 10/27, Voices of Resistance will celebrate Dias de lost Muertos to discuss the death of democracy and sovereignty in the American global south at the hands of the USA.