Talking About A Revolution
They filled the chairs, lined the walls and spilled into the hallways of the Thurmont Regional Library community meeting room on Sunday afternoon. Organizers of the first meeting of the Western Maryland branch of Our Revolution expected about half the number of the 215 people who showed up ready for action.
A few came from as far as Allegheny and Garrett Counties, a dozen or so came from Washington County, while the rest were Frederick Countians. Men and women, young and old, black, white and Latino, they crammed, uncomplaining, into a meeting room set up for 125.
They came to find out how to change the political landscape, fight for important issues, and resist the actions and outcomes of a Donald Trump presidency. They left, full of plans and enthusiasm for the work ahead on national, state and local levels.
Organizer Adam Umak (addressing the crowd above), with help from Beth Landry, is taking the initial lead on coordinating the group’s efforts across four counties over the next six months. He was stunned at the turnout, and said “we need to get a bigger boat.” Umak is a teacher in Montgomery County, who formerly taught in Frederick County, and had a leadership role in the Frederick County Teachers’ Association.
U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders ignited a grassroots movement during his bid for president last year. Not wanting to lose the momentum of the groundswell of support for Sanders’ platform during his campaign, volunteers formed Our Revolution, a 501(c)(4) organization in August 2016. Now, that spark is catching fire across the nation, with the election of Donald Trump fanning the flames.
The next step for Bernie Sanders’ movement, according to its website, ourrevolution.com, is to “fight to transform America and advance the progressive agenda.” Its goals are “to revitalize American democracy, empower progressive leaders and elevate the political consciousness.”
Del. Andrew Platt, (D-Dist.17) from Montgomery County encouraged the group to “put pressure on our leadership to do progressive things.” Del. Jimmy Tarlau (D-Dist. 47A) from Prince George’s County, dubbed by Umak as “the ringleader,” outlined priorities and proposed legislation for the Maryland General Assembly this year.
“This isn’t a moment, but a movement,” Tarlau told the crowd. The movement and its signature issues are primary; choosing and supporting candidates is secondary, he said.
On the national level, Tarlau said the group fosters the tenets of Sanders’ philosophy, along with encouraging active resistance to Donald Trump, starting with pushing for a filibuster on Trump’s cabinet nominees.Working with other progressive organizations, Our Revolution is building a local, county and regional structure, he said.
Statewide, Tarlau said, the issues at this year’s legislative session to fight for include a fracking ban and protecting vulnerable communities, including Muslims. “These people are raising kids and paying taxes. We don’t want them suddenly deported. That’s not right. It’s not American,” he said.
Progressives should fight for pay equity, public campaign financing in Maryland, and to make corporations pay their fair share. Although he admired former First Lady Michelle Obama’s line, “when they go low, we go high,” he said, “screw that.”
What America wants are leaders who are not afraid to be bold, not candidates willing to compromise their ideals to get elected, Tarlau said.
“It’s really important that we are the noisy people in Western Maryland, the Eastern Shore, Baltimore County, Baltimore City, Prince George’s County and Southern Maryland,” he said.
Umak split the group into workgroups to identify local issues, and an agenda for the next six months. After that, the group will examine its progress and determine its next goals.
Their plans include holding events and taking “collective, sustained action for progressive causes of women’s rights, protecting the environment, and community involvement for the next six months,” Umak said.
The first action plan is to join Our Revolution Maryland in supporting Keith Ellison as next chair of the Democratic National Committee. The DNC is holding forums in four cities, including Baltimore. The Baltimore forum is on Saturday, Feb. 11 at the Baltimore Convention Center; https://go.ourrevolution.com/page/event/detail/volunteeractivityormeeting/gplwpd
Frederick’s Democratic delegates weren’t invited to the inaugural meeting of the group, Umak said, because he “wanted to keep the meeting as local and as grassroots as possible.”
“Local Democrats in office will be hearing from us at meetings and hearings shortly,” he said. “We will be hard to miss.”
Umak’s message for Western Maryland? “The struggle for social, economic, and environmental justice continues here in Western Maryland. You are not forgotten.”
Our Revolution is a 501(c)(4) organization. Western Maryland includes the regions of Allegany County, Frederick County, Garrett County, and Washington County.
For more information, visit https://www.facebook.com/groups/480965622089194/.
