The Cuyahoga County Progressive Caucus ( CCPC ) is a progressive political organization in the Greater Cleveland area, headquartered in Lakewood, Ohio .
112-668: In July 2016, around the time of the Republican National Convention in Cleveland, a group of supporters of Senator Bernie Sanders ' unsuccessful 2016 presidential campaign founded the Cuyahoga County Progressive Caucus on Cleveland's west side. According to CCPC co-founder and political director Steve Holecko, "When we realized Bernie would fall short, we decided to stay together. Cuyahoga County didn't have an organization with
224-524: A public-access television program, Bernie Speaks with the Community , from 1986 to 1988. He collaborated with 30 Vermont musicians to record a folk album, We Shall Overcome , in 1987. That same year, U.S. News & World Report ranked Sanders one of America's best mayors. As of 2013 , Burlington was regarded as one of the most livable cities in the United States. During a trip to
336-784: A working-class Jewish family and raised in the Brooklyn borough of New York City , Sanders attended Brooklyn College before graduating from the University of Chicago in 1964. While a student, he was a protest organizer for the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) and the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) during the civil rights movement . After settling in Vermont in 1968, he ran unsuccessful third-party political campaigns in
448-478: A CORE demonstration in the city turned violent. As a result, he had to be smuggled out of the city accompanied by two armed men. After this event, Farmer would go on to permit armed guards to attend CORE meetings. In New York City, the Brooklyn chapter of CORE was seen as one of the most radical chapters of CORE. This chapter employed increasingly aggressive tactics with a focus on racial discrimination. Primarily,
560-527: A Western Region Conference in the Sacramento area, and launched an equal employment campaign at restaurants and stores throughout the state. In 1968, Seattle's chapter of CORE decided that, in order for it to function best in the community, it needed to be an all-black organization. CORE has an African branch based in Uganda, with Fiona Kobusingye as its director. Bringing attention to the malaria crisis
672-429: A ban on imported goods made by child labor; $ 100 million in funding for community health centers; $ 10 million for an outreach program for servicemembers who have post-traumatic stress disorder , traumatic brain injury, depression, panic attacks, and other mental disorders; a public database of senior Department of Defense officials seeking employment with defense contractors; and including autism treatment under
784-532: A coalition between independents and the Citizens Party. On December 3, 1982, he announced that he would seek reelection. On January 22, 1983, the Citizens Party voted unanimously to endorse Sanders, although Sanders ran as an independent. He was reelected, defeating Judy Stephany and James Gilson. Sanders initially considered not seeking a third term but announced on December 5, 1984, that he would run. He formally launched his campaign on December 7 and
896-580: A companion bill in the Senate on October 2, 1992. The Senate bill was passed by the House on October 6 and signed into law by President George H. W. Bush on October 24, 1992. In 1993, Sanders voted against the Brady Bill , which mandated federal background checks when buying guns and imposed a waiting period on firearm purchasers in the United States; the bill passed by a vote of 238–187. He voted against
1008-447: A group, the three organizations collected volunteers that taught in the schools and the curriculum now included black history, the philosophy of the civil rights movement. During the summer of 1964 over 3,000 students attended these schools and the experiment provided a model for future educational programs such as Head Start . Freedom Schools were often targets of white mobs. So also were the homes of local African Americans involved in
1120-530: A growing number of chapters on college campuses. In the South, CORE had active chapters and projects in Louisiana , Mississippi , Florida , South Carolina , and Kentucky . In 1944, Irene Morgan , an African American woman, was arrested for refusing to move from the front "white" seating section to the back "colored" seating section of a Greyhound interstate bus while traveling from Virginia to Maryland. After
1232-606: A gun while committing a federal crime to ten years in prison, including nonviolent crimes such as marijuana possession. In 2005, Sanders voted for the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act . The purpose of the act was to prevent firearms manufacturers and dealers from being held liable for negligence when crimes have been committed with their products. As of 2016 , he said that he has since changed his position and would vote for legislation to defeat this bill. Sanders
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#17328021087121344-533: A lefty resurgence bringing a lively brand of Democratic politics to Northeast Ohio and embodied by the Cuyahoga County Progressive Caucus." In 2018, co-founder Steve Holecko sought the Democratic nomination for the Ohio House of Representatives ' 14th District, but lost to Bride Rose Sweeney in the primary. Bernie Sanders [REDACTED] Bernard Sanders (born September 8, 1941)
1456-745: A life membership to CORE. In 1973, Innis became the first American to attend the Organization of African Unity (OAU) as a delegate. In 1981, to settle illegal fundraising allegations under Roy Innis, CORE paid a $ 35,000 fine. CORE provides immigration services to immigrants in the preparation of petitions and applications to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services . CORE also provides classes for immigrants in fields such as English and American Civics in its center in Nevada . Winning victories in northern cities in
1568-504: A margin of 56% to 39%. Sanders was the first independent elected to the U.S. House of Representatives since Frazier Reams of Ohio won his second term in 1952, as well as the first socialist elected to the House since Vito Marcantonio , from the American Labor Party , who won his last term in 1948. Sanders was a representative from 1991 until he became a senator in 2007, winning reelection by large margins except during
1680-419: A member of Congress, Sanders sponsored 15 concurrent resolutions and 15 Senate resolutions. Of those he co-sponsored, 218 became law. While he has consistently advocated for progressive causes, Politico wrote that he has "rarely forged actual legislation or left a significant imprint on it." According to The New York Times , "Big legislation largely eludes Mr. Sanders because his ideas are usually far to
1792-606: A prominent Chicago alderman who opposed then-mayor Richard J. Daley 's Democratic Party machine . Sanders said that he spent much of his student years reading history, sociology, psychology, and the works of political authors, from Thomas Jefferson , Abraham Lincoln , John Dewey , Karl Marx , and Erich Fromm —"reading everything except what I was supposed to read for class the next day." After graduating from college, Sanders returned to New York City, where he worked various jobs, including Head Start teacher, psychiatric aide, and carpenter. In 1968, he moved to Stannard, Vermont ,
1904-623: A summer of similar rides by CORE, the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee and other civil rights organizations and thousands of ordinary citizens. In the 1960s, the Chicago chapter of CORE began to challenge racial segregation in the Chicago Public Schools (CPS), addressing disparities in educational opportunities for African American students. By the late 1950s, the Chicago Board of Education 's maintenance of
2016-480: A tactic against racial segregation . The group was inspired by Indian nationalist leader Mahatma Gandhi 's support for nonviolent resistance . Indian writer and journalist Krishnalal Shridharani , who was known as a vibrant and theatrical public speaker, had been a protege of Gandhi—being jailed with him in the Salt March —and whose 1939 book War Without Violence heavily influenced the organization. During
2128-425: A town small in both area and population (88 residents at the 1970 census ) within Vermont's rural Northeast Kingdom region, because he had been "captivated by rural life". While there, he worked as a carpenter, filmmaker, and writer who created and sold "radical film strips" and other educational materials to schools. He also wrote several articles for the alternative publication The Vermont Freeman . He lived in
2240-546: Is Our Revolution's local Cleveland affiliate. In June 2017, the CCPC organized a protest outside a fundraiser for Cleveland Mayor Frank G. Jackson 's reelection at insurance executive Umberto Federi's Gates Mills home. The event, nicknamed Frank's Cat Festival, protested corporate contributions in local politics. By its one-year anniversary, in July 2017, the organization had grown to approximately 2,600 members. In February 2017,
2352-478: Is an American politician and activist who is the senior United States senator from Vermont . Sanders is the longest-serving independent in U.S. congressional history, but maintains a close relationship with the Democratic Party , having caucused with House and Senate Democrats for most of his congressional career and sought the party's presidential nomination in 2016 and 2020 . Born into
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#17328021087122464-644: Is an absolute failure and needs to be fundamentally overhauled", citing the American jobs being lost to overseas competitors. His bill received 71 co-sponsors but was not sent to the floor for a vote. Sanders entered the race for the U.S. Senate on April 21, 2005, after Senator Jim Jeffords announced that he would not seek a fourth term. Chuck Schumer , chair of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee and fellow James Madison High School alumnus, endorsed Sanders. This
2576-465: Is an organization dedicated to non-violent philosophies and practices. In Louisiana , efforts were being made to increase voter registration among rural communities. Though their motives were noble, there was no national attention or support gathering around the work of the Louisiana members. As such, acts of violence or harassment against them often went unreported and the victims were not supported by
2688-584: Is documented in the 1966 short documentary film Cicero March , which was added to the National Film Registry in 2013. In 1966, James Farmer resigned as Director of CORE. He was replaced by Black Power advocate Floyd McKissick until 1968, when California activist Wilfred T. Ussery served a brief term as national chairman. He was replaced by Roy Innis , who was the National Chairman until his death in 2017. Innis initially led
2800-423: Is enough and I think it is time for new leadership, which does exist within the coalition, to come up". Sanders did not run for a fifth term as mayor. He went on to lecture in political science at Harvard Kennedy School that year and at Hamilton College in 1991. During his mayoralty, Sanders called himself a socialist and was described as such in the press. During his first term, his supporters, including
2912-598: Is fraudulent." CORE has been criticized by environmentalist groups for its efforts promoting DDT use against malaria in Africa. A 2005 article in Mother Jones magazine accused the group of selling influence, writing that, "is better known among real civil rights groups for renting out its historic name to any corporation in need of a black front person. The group has taken money from the payday-lending industry, chemical giant (and original DDT manufacturer) Monsanto , and
3024-712: Is known for his opposition to neoliberalism and support for workers' self-management . On domestic policy, he supports labor rights , universal and single-payer healthcare , paid parental leave , tuition-free tertiary education , a Green New Deal to create jobs addressing climate change , and worker control of production through cooperatives, unions, and democratic public enterprises. On foreign policy, he supports reducing military spending , pursuing more diplomacy and international cooperation , and putting greater emphasis on labor rights and environmental concerns when negotiating international trade agreements. Sanders supports workplace democracy and has praised elements of
3136-545: Is one of the organization's main activities. It has championed the use of DDT to fight the disease, and it has partnered with a variety of conservative and libertarian think tanks in this effort. In 2007, CORE organized a 300-mile walk across Uganda to promote DDT-based interventions against malaria. According to an interview given by James Farmer in 1993, "CORE has no functioning chapters; it holds no conventions, no elections, no meetings, sets no policies, has no social programs and does no fund-raising. In my opinion, CORE
3248-726: The Austro-Hungarian Empire and is now in Poland . Elias Sanders immigrated to the United States in 1921 and became a paint salesman. Bernie's mother, Dorothy Sanders ( née Glassberg ) (1912–1960), was born in New York City. He is the younger brother of Larry Sanders . Sanders says he became interested in politics at an early age due to his family background. In the 1940s, many of his relatives in German-occupied Poland were murdered in
3360-536: The Double-A affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds ; became the first U.S. city to fund community-trust housing ; and successfully sued the local cable television franchise, thereby winning reduced rates for customers. As mayor, Sanders also led extensive downtown revitalization projects. One of his primary achievements was improving Burlington's Lake Champlain waterfront. In 1981, he campaigned against
3472-595: The Holocaust . Sanders lived in Midwood, Brooklyn . He attended elementary school at P.S. 197 , where he won a borough championship on the basketball team. He attended Hebrew school in the afternoons and celebrated his bar mitzvah in 1954. His older brother Larry said that during their childhood, the family never lacked food or clothing, but major purchases, "like curtains or a rug", were not affordable. Sanders attended James Madison High School , where he
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3584-746: The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) helped organize the "Freedom Summer" campaign—aimed principally at ending the political disenfranchisement of African Americans in the Deep South. Operating under the umbrella coalition of the Council of Federated Organizations (COFO), volunteers from the three organizations concentrated their efforts in Mississippi. In 1962 only 6.7 percent of African Americans in
3696-629: The Nordic model . Some have compared and contrasted his politics to left-wing populism and the New Deal policies of President Franklin D. Roosevelt . Bernard Sanders was born on September 8, 1941, in the Brooklyn borough of New York City . His father, Elias Ben Yehuda Sanders (1904–1962), a Polish-Jewish immigrant, was born in Słopnice , a town in Austrian Galicia that was then part of
3808-551: The Soviet Union in 1988, Sanders interviewed the mayor of Burlington's sister city Yaroslavl about housing and health care issues in the two cities. When Sanders left office in 1989, Bouricius, a member of the Burlington city council, said that Sanders had "changed the entire nature of politics in Burlington and also in the state of Vermont". In 1988, incumbent Republican congressman Jim Jeffords decided to run for
3920-446: The University of Chicago administration building to protest university president George Wells Beadle 's segregated campus housing policy . At the protest, Sanders said, "We feel it is an intolerable situation when Negro and white students of the university cannot live together in university-owned apartments". He and 32 other students then entered the building and camped outside the president's office. After weeks of sit-ins, Beadle and
4032-598: The Vermont congressional delegation upon Patrick Leahy 's retirement from the Senate. Sanders was a major candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2016 and 2020 , finishing in second place both times against Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden , respectively. Despite initially low expectations, his 2016 campaign generated significant grassroots enthusiasm and funding from small-dollar donors, carrying him to victory in 23 primaries and caucuses . In 2020, his strong showing in early primaries and caucuses made him
4144-763: The Vietnam War . These groups also voiced their opinions that they were not in support of the university making plans for the building of a gym in Morningside Park , and brought awareness to the lack of student involvement in discipline at Columbia University. In addition to these efforts, the Harlem chapter of CORE gathered food and resources in Hamilton Hall, for the impoverished to use as needed. On September 4, 1966, Robert Lucas and fellow members of CORE led activists through Cicero, Illinois, to pressure
4256-580: The Young People's Socialist League (the youth affiliate of the Socialist Party of America ) and was active in the civil rights movement as a student for the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) and the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC). Under his chairmanship, the university chapter of CORE merged with the university chapter of the SNCC. In January 1962, he went to a rally at
4368-618: The anti-war movement and the People's Party . He ran as the Liberty Union candidate for governor of Vermont in 1972 and 1976 and as a candidate in the special election for U.S. senator in 1972 and in the general election in 1974. In the 1974 senatorial race, he finished third (5,901 votes; 4%), behind 34-year-old Chittenden County state's attorney Patrick Leahy ( D ; 70,629 votes; 49%) and two-term incumbent U.S. Representative Dick Mallary ( R ; 66,223 votes; 46%). The 1976 campaign
4480-471: The front-runner in a historically large field of Democratic candidates . He supported both Clinton and Biden in their respective general election campaigns against Donald Trump . After the 2020 primaries, he became a close ally of Biden. Sanders is credited with influencing a leftward shift in the Democratic Party after his 2016 presidential campaign. An advocate of progressive policies, he
4592-662: The 1940s and 1950s, CORE became active in the South with the lunch counter sit-ins of 1960. The following year CORE organized "Freedom Rides," sending black and white students south to disrupt segregated interstate bus service. Drawing much of its membership from college campuses, CORE kept up civil disobedience campaigns in the North as well as the South. They also organized activities in California, where they protested housing discrimination in San Francisco and Los Angeles, held
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4704-620: The 1947 Journey of Reconciliation , only this time under a new name - the Freedom Ride . On May 4, 1961, male and female participants started their journey through the deep South , testing segregated bus terminals as well. The riders were met with severe violence . In Anniston, Alabama , one of the buses was fire-bombed and passengers were beaten by a white mob. White mobs also attacked Freedom Riders in Birmingham and Montgomery . The violence garnered national attention, sparking
4816-512: The 1994 Republican Revolution , when he won by 3%, with 50% of the vote. During his first year in the House, Sanders often alienated allies and colleagues with his criticism of both political parties as working primarily on behalf of the wealthy . In 1991, he co-founded the Congressional Progressive Caucus , a group of mostly liberal Democrats that he chaired for its first eight years, while still refusing to join
4928-431: The 50 original founding members, 28 were men and 22 were women, roughly one-third of them were Black, and the other two-thirds white. Bayard Rustin , while not a founding member of the organization, was, as Farmer and Houser later noted, "an uncle to CORE" and provided it with significant support. The group had evolved out of the pacifist Fellowship of Reconciliation , and sought to apply the principles of nonviolence as
5040-485: The Board instated double shifts at some of the schools which helped with the overcrowding but provided new issues. Double shifts meant that students in affected schools attended less than a full day of class. In another measure to alleviate overcrowding at some schools, the Board sanctioned the construction of mobile classroom units. Moreover, a significant proportion of students dropped out before finishing high school. Faculty
5152-646: The Board to desegregate the schools pushed CORE towards separatism and away from desegregation efforts. The chapter collapsed in October 1968. In 1962, CORE set up a headquarters in Durham, North Carolina where upon arrival, local black women activists, including Sadie Sawyer Hughley , welcomed them into their homes. CORE worked with the local NAACP to organize pickets at Eckerd's Drug Store and Howard Johnson's . The goals were to increase employment opportunities for black workers and integrate local restaurants. In 1963,
5264-642: The Board to implement transfer plans to desegregate the schools. In July 1963, CORE staged a week-long sit-in and protest at the Board office in downtown Chicago in response to the Board's inaction. Finally, Board President Claire Roddewig and Willis agreed to meet with CORE to negotiate integration, but no significant changes came to the schools. During the mid-1960s, CORE turned towards community involvement, seeking to equip Chicagoans with ways to challenge segregation. Freedom Houses, transfer petitions, community rallies and meetings served to educate Chicagoans about segregation and provide them with tools to circumnavigate
5376-563: The Brooklyn chapter of CORE used community-based activism which made it one of the most influential chapters in history. In 1964, the group held a Stall-In, deliberately preventing the flow of traffic to the World Fair with the goal of drawing attention to racial discrimination, which was one of their main focuses. Brooklyn's CORE's aggressive tactics would cause it to be suspended from the National CORE groups. Brooklyn's CORE used
5488-676: The Chicago Freedom Movement met with representatives of the city to negotiate in the summer of 1966, they agreed on ten fair housing reforms but did not discuss reforms to desegregate the schools. While CORE played no role in the housing summit, it had shifted towards promoting and developing Black power in Chicago. By the fall of 1966, CORE was no longer a civil rights organization, but a Black power organization. Changes in CORE's national leadership and continued inaction on behalf of
5600-630: The Deep South. As the influence of the organization grew, so did the number of chapters, eventually expanding all over the country. Despite CORE remaining an active part of the fight for change, some people have noted the lack of organization and functional leadership has led to a decline of participation in social justice. CORE was founded in Chicago , Illinois, in March 1942. The organization's founding members included James Leonard Farmer Jr. , Anna Pauline "Pauli" Murray , George Mills Houser , Elsie Bernice Fisher , Homer A. Jack , and James R Robinson. Of
5712-569: The Democratic Party or caucus. In 2005, Rolling Stone called Sanders the "amendment king" for his ability to get more roll call amendments passed than any other congressman during the period since 1995, when Congress was entirely under Republican control. Being an independent allowed him to form coalitions across party lines. In 1999, Sanders voted and advocated against rolling back the Glass–Steagall legislation provisions that kept investment banks and commercial banks separate entities. He
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#17328021087125824-406: The Democratic Party, much as he had as a congressman, to be listed in their primary but to decline the nomination should he win, which he did. In the most expensive political campaign in Vermont's history, Sanders defeated businessman Rich Tarrant by an almost 2-to-1 margin. Many national media outlets projected him as the winner just after the polls closed, before any returns came in. Sanders
5936-509: The House by a bipartisan majority but was removed on November 4 of that year in House–Senate negotiations and never became law. Sanders voted against the resolutions authorizing the use of force against Iraq in 1991 and 2002, and he opposed the 2003 invasion of Iraq . He voted for the 2001 Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Terrorists that has been cited as the legal justification for controversial military actions since
6048-557: The Liberty Union's finances and energy, and in October 1977, Sanders and the Liberty Union candidate for attorney general, Nancy Kaufman, announced their retirement from the party. During the 1980 presidential election , Sanders was one of three electors for the Socialist Workers Party in Vermont. After resigning from the Liberty Union Party in 1977, Sanders worked as a writer and as the director of
6160-474: The Q, contrasting with some other groups against the plan. In the 2017 Cleveland mayoral election , CCPC members voted to endorse City Councilman Jeff Johnson . They also endorsed candidates for Cleveland City Council in seven of Cleveland's 17 wards, none of them incumbents. Tristan Rader , a co-founder of CCPC and its operations director, was elected to Lakewood City Councial at-large. Cleveland Magazine called Rader "the first new candidate to emerge from
6272-508: The September 11 attacks. He especially opposed the Bush administration 's decision to start a war unilaterally. In February 2005, Sanders introduced a bill that would have withdrawn the permanent normal trade relations (PNTR) status that had been extended to China in October 2000. He said to the House, "Anyone who takes an objective look at our trade policy with China must conclude that it
6384-428: The U.S. Senate, vacating the House seat representing Vermont's at-large congressional district . Former lieutenant governor Peter P. Smith won the House election with a plurality, securing 41% of the vote. Sanders, who ran as an independent, placed second with 38% of the vote, while Democratic state representative Paul N. Poirier placed third with 19%. Two years later, he ran for the seat again and defeated Smith by
6496-598: The United States. Some of CORE's main leadership had strong disagreements with the Deacons for Defense and Justice over the Deacons' public threat to racist Southerners that they would use armed self-defense to protect CORE workers from racist organizations, such as the Ku Klux Klan , in Louisiana during the 1960s. Others strongly supported the organization. By the mid-1960s, Farmer tried to incorporate elements of
6608-574: The University of Kentucky. Their inaugural sit-in on July 11, 1959, at the Varsity Village Restaurant near the University of Kentucky campus, attended by both black and white members, set a precedent for peaceful protest. Despite their nonviolent approach, resistance from store managers often resulted in violence. This led to training sessions that were in place to prepare demonstrators for physical and verbal abuse, which many of
6720-570: The Vietnam War; his application was eventually turned down, by which point he was too old to be drafted . Although he opposed the war, Sanders never criticized those who fought in it and has strongly supported veterans' benefits throughout his political career. He also was briefly an organizer with the United Packinghouse Workers of America while in Chicago. He also worked on the reelection campaign of Leon Despres ,
6832-747: The Virginia state court upheld her conviction and arrest, Morgan's case was brought before the Supreme Court with Morgan v. Virginia on June 3, 1946. Initially, Morgan's legal team only included Spottswood Robinson III , but they were later joined by NAACP lawyers Thurgood Marshall and William H. Hastie . They used the Interstate Commerce Clause in the Constitution, which declared that states could not impose rules that interfered with passengers crossing state lines, as
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#17328021087126944-469: The area for several years before moving to the more populous Chittenden County in the mid-1970s. During his 2018 reelection campaign, he returned to the town to hold an event with voters and other candidates. From 1969 to 1971, Sanders resided in Montpelier . After moving to Burlington , he began his electoral political career as a member of the Liberty Union Party , a national umbrella party for various socialist-oriented state parties, originating in
7056-421: The bill four more times in the 1990s, explaining his Vermont constituents saw waiting-period mandates as more appropriately a state than federal matter. Sanders did vote for other gun-control measures. For example, in 1994, he voted for the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act "because it included the Violence Against Women Act and the ban on certain assault weapons." He was nevertheless critical of
7168-421: The campaign. That summer 30 black homes and 37 black churches were firebombed. Over 80 volunteers were beaten by white mobs or racist police officers. Three CORE activists, James Chaney , Andrew Goodman and Michael Schwerner , were murdered by the Ku Klux Klan on June 21, 1964 ( see Murders of Chaney, Goodman, and Schwerner ). These deaths created nationwide publicity for the campaign. CORE, at its heart,
7280-442: The city of Chicago's white leaders into making solid commitments to open housing. Shortly before the march, Chicago city officials, including Mayor Richard J. Daley , negotiated a Fair Housing agreement with Martin Luther King Jr. , James Bevel , Al Raby and others in exchange for an end of demonstrations. Robert Lucas and other members of CORE felt that the march was strategically necessary and proceeded with it anyway. The march
7392-409: The conditions of schools to various authorities, including the Board of Education (led by Superintendent Benjamin Willis), Mayor Richard J. Daley , the Illinois House of Representatives , and the U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, advocating for improvements in educational equality. In addition, CORE attended the Board's school budget hearings, speaking against segregation and asking for
7504-452: The court system. On April 10, 1947, CORE sent a group of eight white men, including James Peck , their publicity officer, and eight black men, on what was to be a two-week Journey of Reconciliation through Virginia , North Carolina , Tennessee , and Kentucky , to test state’s compliance with the Supreme Court’s decisions regarding segregation within interstate travel. The group was composed of men only, to get around certain laws of
7616-562: The early and mid-1960s, chapters were organized on a model similar to that of a democratic trade union , with monthly membership meetings, elected and usually unpaid officers, and numerous committees of volunteers. In the South, CORE's nonviolent direct action campaigns opposed " Jim Crow " segregation and job discrimination, and fought for voting rights. Outside the South, CORE focused on discrimination in employment and housing, and also in de facto school segregation. " Jim Crow " laws are laws that enforce racial segregation and discrimination in
7728-413: The early to mid-1970s. He was elected mayor of Burlington in 1981 as an independent and was reelected three times. He won election to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1990 , representing Vermont's at-large congressional district, during which time he co-founded the Congressional Progressive Caucus . He was a U.S. representative for 16 years before being elected to the U.S. Senate in 2006 , becoming
7840-461: The emerging black nationalist sentiments within CORE—sentiments that, among other things, would quickly lead to an embrace of Black Power . Farmer failed to reconcile these tensions, and he resigned in 1966, but he backed his replacement, Floyd McKissick . By 1961 CORE had 53 chapters throughout the United States. By 1963, most of the major urban centers of the Northeast, Midwest, Mid-Atlantic, and West Coast had one or more CORE chapters, including
7952-423: The first Citizens Party city councilor Terry Bouricius , formed the Progressive Coalition, the forerunner of the Vermont Progressive Party . The Progressives never held more than six seats on the 13-member city council, but they had enough to keep the council from overriding Sanders's vetoes. Under his leadership, Burlington balanced its city budget; attracted a minor league baseball team, the Vermont Reds , then
8064-632: The first non-Republican elected to Vermont's Class 1 seat since Whig Solomon Foot was elected in 1850. Sanders was reelected to the Senate in 2012 , 2018 , and 2024 . He chaired the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee from 2013 to 2015 and the Senate Budget Committee from 2021 to 2023. In January 2023, he became chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee and the senior senator and dean of
8176-553: The group announced its opposition to plans to use tax money to renovate Quicken Loans Arena (the Q), home of the Cleveland Cavaliers . The proposed renovation—which included plans to add a new glass front, additional gathering places, and food areas—was estimated to cost $ 282 million over 17 years, with taxes from Cleveland and Cuyahoga County paying for $ 160 million of that. The CCPC opposed use of any tax dollars to renovate
8288-544: The left of the majority of the Senate ;... Mr. Sanders has largely found ways to press his agenda through appending small provisions to the larger bills of others." During his time in the Senate, he had lower legislative effectiveness than the average senator, as measured by the number of sponsored bills that passed and successful amendments made. Nevertheless, he has sponsored over 500 amendments to bills, many of which became law. The results of these amendments include
8400-506: The margin was later reduced to 10 votes. Paquette did not contest the results of the recount. Paquette's loss was attributed to his own shortcomings, as he did not campaign or promote his candidacy since neither Sanders nor Bove was seen as a serious challenger. Sanders had not previously won an election. Paquette was also considered to have lost because he proposed an unpopular $ 0.65 per $ 100 raise in taxes that Sanders opposed. Sanders spent around $ 4,000 on his campaign. Sanders castigated
8512-478: The mayoralty by his close friend Richard Sugarman , an Orthodox Jewish professor of religious studies at the University of Vermont , who had shown him a ward-by-ward breakdown of the 1976 Vermont gubernatorial election , in which Sanders had run, that showed him receiving 12% of the vote in Burlington despite only getting 6% statewide. Sanders initially won the mayoral election by 22 votes against incumbent mayor Gordon Paquette, Richard Bove, and Joseph McGrath, but
8624-493: The members encountered at these early sit-ins. They used new strategies, such as the “integrated sandwich plan”, where African Americans would sit next to a white member and the white member would order them a sandwich. These acts were only available to them as they were a group that encouraged interracial cooperation. Overall, CORE's presence and outlook on protests catalyzed momentum for civil rights advancement in Kentucky. At
8736-679: The military healthcare program Tricare . Congress of Racial Equality The Congress of Racial Equality ( CORE ) is an African-American civil rights organization in the United States that played a pivotal role for African Americans in the civil rights movement . Founded in 1942, its stated mission is "to bring about equality for all people regardless of race, creed, sex, age, disability, sexual orientation, religion or ethnic background." To combat discriminatory policies regarding interstate travel, CORE participated in Freedom Rides as college students boarded Greyhound Buses headed for
8848-464: The neighborhood school policy resulted in a pattern of racial segregation in the CPS. Predominantly black schools were situated in predominantly black neighborhoods on the south and west sides of the city, while predominantly white schools were located in predominantly white areas in the north, northwest and southwest sides of Chicago. Many segregated schools were very overcrowded. To ease this overcrowding,
8960-710: The neighborhood school policy. By 1966, the Chicago Freedom Movement , led by Martin Luther King Jr. , the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) and Chicago's Coordinating Council of Community Organizations (CCCO), had assumed control over civil rights demonstrations and negotiations. While CORE was a member organization of the CCCO, it increasingly lost influence over desegregation efforts. And when
9072-756: The nonprofit American People's Historical Society (APHS). While with the APHS, he produced a 30-minute documentary about American labor leader Eugene V. Debs , who ran for president five times as the Socialist Party candidate. On November 8, 1980, Sanders announced his candidacy for mayor. He formally announced his campaign on December 16 at a City Hall press conference. Sanders selected Linda Niedweske as his campaign manager. The Citizens Party attempted to nominate Greg Guma for mayor, but Guma declined, saying it would be "difficult to run against another progressive candidate". Sanders had been convinced to run for
9184-466: The organization helped organize the famous March on Washington. On August 28, 1963, more than 250,000 people marched peacefully to the Lincoln Memorial to demand equal justice for all citizens under the law. At the end of the march Martin Luther King Jr. made his famous " I Have a Dream " speech. The following year, CORE along with the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) and
9296-770: The organization to strongly support black nationalism . However, subsequent political developments within the organization led it to support conservative political positions. The FBI 's " COINTELPRO " program targeted civil rights groups, including the CORE, for infiltration, discreditation and disruption. In August 1967, the FBI instructed its program "COINTELPRO" to "neutralize" what the FBI called "black nationalist hate groups" and other dissident groups. A CORE delegation toured seven African countries in 1971. Innis met with several heads of state, including Kenya ’s Jomo Kenyatta , Tanzania ’s Julius Nyerere , Liberia ’s William Tolbert and Uganda 's Idi Amin , all of whom were gifted
9408-460: The other parts of the bill. Although he acknowledged that "clearly, there are some people in our society who are horribly violent, who are deeply sick and sociopathic , and clearly these people must be put behind bars in order to protect society from them", he maintained that governmental policies played a large part in "dooming tens of millions of young people to a future of bitterness, misery, hopelessness, drugs, crime, and violence" and argued that
9520-472: The period in which CORE was founded, Gandhi's leadership of the independence movement in India against British colonial rule was reaching its apogee. CORE sought to apply the nonviolent anti-colonial tactics pioneered by Gandhi and his followers to successfully challenge racial segregation and racism in the United States through civil disobedience . In accordance with CORE's constitution and bylaws, in
9632-473: The prevailing tactic to argue her case. However, Virginia state courts did not find this argument convincing. Contrarily, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of Irene and asserted that the Virginia Legislature could not impose segregation among interstate bus travelers. This landmark ruling would go on to inspire CORE members to seek out non-violent ways to push back against segregation outside of
9744-421: The pro-development incumbent as an ally of prominent shopping center developer Antonio Pomerleau, while Paquette warned of ruin for Burlington if Sanders were elected. The Sanders campaign was bolstered by a wave of optimistic volunteers as well as a series of endorsements from university professors, social welfare agencies, and the police union. The result shocked the local political establishment. Sanders formed
9856-569: The public. Compounding this issue, both the national and local government felt no responsibility to protect these members or supply federal intervention. These underlying issues in Louisiana stirred up support among local CORE members for the idea of allowing armed self-defense within their ranks. The idea of armed-self defense would be supported by CORE co-founder James Farmer after an incident in Plaquemine, Louisiana. On September 1, 1963 local police of Plaqumine threatened to lynch Farmer after
9968-458: The repressive policies introduced by the bill were not addressing the causes of violence, saying, "we can create meaningful jobs, rebuilding our society, or we can build more jails." Sanders has at times favored stronger law enforcement and sentencing. In 1996, he voted against a bill that would have prohibited police from purchasing tanks and armored carriers. In 1998, he voted for a bill that would have increased minimum sentencing for possessing
10080-489: The same movement. One of the most notable collaborations with the NAACP was the successful challenge against Louisville’s residential segregation ordinance in the case Buchanan v. Warley on November 5, 1917. This victory marked a big turning point in the history of CORE, especially in the state of Kentucky. It attracted over 1,000 new members in Kentucky and was one of the first major civil rights victories. Although this
10192-503: The same time in New York City, the Harlem chapter of CORE was very active in supporting African Americans in New York. The Harlem chapter joined forces with Columbia University 's Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee , Mau Mau , and other Harlem residents in order to protest different causes that stemmed from institutionalized racism. One of these causes was the opposition of Columbia University's perceived complacency in surrounding
10304-428: The slogan "Jim Crow Must Go" to raise awareness about the unequal schooling that African American children faced at this time as well as the overall unequal treatment of African Americans. While this slogan was typically associated with the south because they had Jim Crow Laws , using it in the north allowed Brooklyn's CORE leaders to gain public acknowledgement that the north also had racial discrimination issues, just as
10416-572: The south did. CORE made significant strides in the civil rights movement in Kentucky, establishing its first chapter in Lexington in 1959. This chapter went on to be the strongest and longest-lasting chapter in Kentucky history. With other branches established in Louisville, Frankfort, Richmond, and Covington, CORE often collaborated with the NAACP and also other organizations that were a part of
10528-679: The state were registered to vote, the lowest percentage in the country. This involved the formation of the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party (MFDP). Over 80,000 people joined the party and 68 delegates attended the Democratic Party Convention in Atlantic City and challenged the attendance of the all-white Mississippi representation. CORE, SNCC, and COFO collaborated to establish 30 Freedom Schools in towns across Mississippi. As
10640-400: The time that restricted the mixing of males and females. These participants then underwent rigorous training aimed at equipping them with the necessary skills to react non-violently, even in the face of violent behaviors. They would act out intense role-playing exercises to simulate real-life scenarios they may encounter, in an attempt to improve their resolve in the face of violence. Throughout
10752-406: The two-week period, they completed twenty-six demonstrations on buses or trains. Out of these twenty-six demonstrations, six resulted in arrests. The members of this group received a great deal of publicity, and this marked the beginning of a long series of similar campaigns. In the early 1960's, James Farmer resumed his position as executive secretary of CORE, with the objective of replicating
10864-471: The university formed a commission to investigate discrimination. After further protests, the University of Chicago ended racial segregation in private university housing in the summer of 1963. Joan Mahoney , a member of the University of Chicago CORE chapter at the time and a fellow participant in the sit-ins, described Sanders in a 2016 interview as "a swell guy, a nice Jewish boy from Brooklyn, but he wasn't terribly charismatic. One of his strengths, though,
10976-483: The unpopular plans by Burlington developer Tony Pomerleau to convert the then-industrial waterfront property owned by the Central Vermont Railway into expensive condominiums, hotels, and offices. He ran under the slogan "Burlington is not for sale" and successfully supported a plan that redeveloped the waterfront area into a mixed-use district featuring housing, parks, and public spaces. Sanders
11088-451: The word 'progressive' in it, so we formed the Cuyahoga County Progressive Caucus." In the months after its founding, the group participated in the local protest to raise minimum wage , recruited candidates to run for Cleveland City Council , and worked with Nina Turner to develop a "common civic agenda". Turner later became president of Our Revolution , a national political group started by Sanders to elect progressive candidates. The CCPC
11200-616: Was 19, his mother died at age 47. His father died two years later, in 1962, at age 57. Sanders studied at Brooklyn College for a year in 1959–1960 before transferring to the University of Chicago and graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science in 1964. In later interviews, Sanders described himself as a mediocre college student because the classroom was "boring and irrelevant" and said he viewed community activism as more important to his education. Sanders later described his time in Chicago as "the major period of intellectual ferment in my life." While there, he joined
11312-431: Was a big moment in Kentucky history, the NAACP had initiated direct action protests in Louisville even before CORE entered the state. This offered a base for the members of the CORE chapters in Kentucky to work off of and helped make strides in the movements of CORE. CORE provided more interracial cooperation than other organizations, especially in the Lexington chapter, which consisted of mostly teachers and clergymen from
11424-537: Was a consistent critic of U.S. foreign policy in Latin America throughout the 1980s. In 1985, Burlington City Hall hosted a foreign policy speech by Noam Chomsky . In his introduction, he praised Chomsky as "a very vocal and important voice in the wilderness of intellectual life in America" and said that he was "delighted to welcome a person who I think we're all very proud of." Sanders hosted and produced
11536-541: Was a consistent critic of the Patriot Act . As a member of Congress, he voted against the original Patriot Act legislation. After its 357–66 passage in the House, he sponsored and voted for several subsequent amendments and acts attempting to curtail its effects and voted against each reauthorization. In June 2005, he proposed an amendment to limit Patriot Act provisions that allow the government to obtain individuals' library and book-buying records. The amendment passed
11648-589: Was a critical move because it meant no Democrat running against him could expect financial help from the party. He was also endorsed by Senate minority leader Harry Reid and Democratic National Committee chair and former Vermont governor Howard Dean . Dean said in May 2005 that he considered Sanders an ally who "votes with the Democrats 98% of the time." Then-Senator Barack Obama also campaigned for him in Vermont in March 2006. Sanders entered into an agreement with
11760-664: Was a vocal critic of Federal Reserve chair Alan Greenspan ; in June 2003, during a question-and-answer discussion, Sanders told him he was concerned that he was "way out of touch" and "that you see your major function in your position as the need to represent the wealthy and large corporations." Concerned by high breast cancer rates in Vermont, on February 7, 1992, Sanders sponsored the Cancer Registries Amendment Act to establish cancer registries to collect data on cancer. Senator Patrick Leahy introduced
11872-478: Was captain of the track team and took third place in the New York City indoor one-mile race. In high school, he lost his first election, finishing last of three candidates for the student body presidency with a campaign that focused on aiding Korean War orphans. Despite the loss, he became active in his school's fundraising activities for Korean orphans, including organizing a charity basketball game. Sanders attended high school with economist Walter Block . When he
11984-562: Was fined $ 25 (equivalent to $ 249 in 2023) for resisting arrest during a demonstration in Englewood against segregation in Chicago's public schools. In addition to his civil rights activism during the 1960s and 1970s, Sanders was active in several peace and antiwar movements while attending the University of Chicago, becoming a member of the Student Peace Union . He applied for conscientious objector status during
12096-401: Was his ability to work with a wide group of people, even those he didn't agree with." Sanders once spent a day putting up fliers protesting police brutality , only to notice later that Chicago police had shadowed him and taken them all down. He attended the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom , where Martin Luther King Jr. gave the " I Have a Dream " speech. That summer, Sanders
12208-411: Was reelected in 2012 with 71% of the vote. Sanders was reelected in 2018 with 67% of the vote. On May 6, 2024, Sanders announced his candidacy for a fourth Senate term. A poll just a few weeks earlier found that more than half of respondents wanted him to seek reelection. Sanders faced Republican nominee Gerald Malloy, who ran against Senator Peter Welch in 2022. Sanders was reelected. While
12320-417: Was reelected. On December 1, 1986, Sanders, who had finished third in the 1986 Vermont gubernatorial election , announced that he would seek reelection to a fourth term as mayor of Burlington, despite close associates saying that he was tired of being mayor. Sanders defeated Democratic nominee Paul Lafayette in the election. He said he would not seek another mayoral term after the 1987 election: "eight years
12432-455: Was segregated, and many teachers in predominantly black schools lacked full-time teaching experience compared to teachers in white schools. In addition, the history curriculum did not mention African Americans. According to CORE, "school segregation [was] a damaging bacteria, a psychological handicap, which [festered] a disease generating widespread unemployment and crime in Chicago". Between 1960 and 1963, CORE diligently wrote letters addressing
12544-469: Was the zenith of the Liberty Union's influence, with Sanders collecting 11,317 votes for governor and the party. His strong performance forced the down-ballot races for lieutenant governor and secretary of state to be decided by the state legislature when its vote total prevented either the Republican or Democratic candidate for those offices from garnering a majority of votes. But the campaign drained
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