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News release

Youth in North Carolina Say “We Belong Together!” as Kids Caravan Arrives in Raleigh

April 7, 2017
Immigration

Lisa Lederer, 202-371-1996

Kids Host Rally on April 12th to Stand Together Against Policies that Tear Families Apart
 
What:
North Carolina youth rally to welcome We Belong Together Kids Caravan.
When:
Wednesday, April 12th at 12pm EST
Where:
Halifax Mall (16 W. Jones St, Raleigh, NC)
Who:
Kids/youth and members of We Belong Together, MomsRising/MamásConPoder, Si a las Licencias, and NC Child
Visuals:
Activities for kids, posters and banners, a letter-writing area for youth to write messages to Governor Roy Cooper and President Trump.
 
Raleigh, NC -- On April 12th, children and youth from the Triangle will host a rally to welcome the We Belong Together Kids Caravan at Halifax Mall. During the rally, they will read letters written by kids from around the state to Governor Cooper and President Trump asking them to keep their friends and families together. They will show elected officials how to stand together for their communities and stand up against policies that tear families apart.
 
Many of these young people have been directly impacted by Trump and his policies. Ana, 7 years old, wrote in her letter to Governor Cooper, “I want my dad to stay here with me and my mom. I don’t like the wall. I feel sad. I want to stay with my friends. I love my full family. I want the world to be a better place. I wish for everyone to hold hands and join together like friends.”
 
Elena, a 17 year-old Kids Caravan participant from Miami, said, “I want to tell President Trump that families don’t deserve to be separated. My dad was deported five years ago back to Guatemala, and it has been really hard. My mom takes care of me and my siblings as a single parent. The thing that keeps me going is seeing my mom every morning when I wake up. I don’t know what I would do without her. Now it’s my turn to protect her.”
 
Raleigh is the second stop for the 40 youth participants on the Kids Caravan. They departed Miami on April 10th, and will arrive in DC on April 13th to unite with hundreds of children, youth, and supporters in front of the White House. They will encircle Lafayette Park to demonstrate the unbreakable bonds between them, and host a speak out to declare their vision for the country.
 
Follow the journey on Twitter with @WomenBelong and #webelongtogether.
 
We Belong Together is a campaign of the National Domestic Workers Alliance to mobilize women in support of immigration policies that keep families together and empower women.
 
Full Caravan Schedule
 
Monday, April 10: Miami, Florida
  • 11am - Community send-off event in front of the Miami-Dade Mayor’s office.
  • 12pm - Departure from Miami and drive to Atlanta, Georgia.
Tuesday, April 11: Atlanta, Georgia
  • 1pm - Youth exchange in Atlanta and tour of Atlanta’s historically Black neighborhoods.
  • 5pm - Departure from Atlanta and drive to Raleigh/Durham, North Carolina.
Wednesday, April 12: Raleigh, North Carolina
  • 12pm - Press conference in front of NC Department of Education, Halifax Mall.
  • 4pm - Drive from Raleigh to Washington, DC.
Thursday, April 13: Washington, DC
  • 6am - Youth caravan from New York City departs to join action in DC.
  • 1pm - Hundreds of youth lead demonstration in front of White House, encircling Lafayette Park.
  • 1:30pm - Public children and youth Speak Out in Lafayette Park.
  • 4pm - Young leaders’ convergence.
Friday, April 14
  • Return home to prepare for National Week of Action, and call upon local elected leaders to stand strong against policies that threaten to tear communities apart.
     

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MomsRising.org is an on-the-ground and online grassroots organization of more than a million people who are working to increase family economic security, decrease discrimination against women and moms, and to build a nation where businesses and families can thrive. Established in 2006, MomsRising and its members are organizing and speaking out to improve public policy and to change the national dialogue on issues that are critically important to America’s families, including criminal justice reform, immigration policy reform, and gun safety. MomsRising is working for paid family and medical leave, affordable, high quality childcare and early learning, and for an end to the wage and hiring discrimination which penalizes women — particularly moms and women of color — and so many others. MomsRising advocates for access to healthy food for all kids, health care for all, earned sick days, and breastfeeding rights so that all children can have a healthy start. MomsRising maintains a Spanish language website: MamásConPoder.org. Sign up online at www.MomsRising.org — and follow us on our blog, and on Twitter and Facebook.