Stories

Tennessee

  • Maureen O'Connell: Gender Dynamics in Organizing

    Maureen O’Connell worked at SOCM for 35 years, 16 as Executive Director. During her tenure, SOCM expanded from a five-county grassroots community organization focused on coal (Save Our Cumberland Mountains) to a statewide organization working on a host of local, statewide, regional, and national issues of environmental, social and economic justice (Statewide Organizing for Community...

  • Southern Women, Southern Justice

    There is so much more to Mother’s Day than flowers and chocolates. The modern-day celebration of motherhood traces its roots to a 19 th -century women’s disarmament movement. Today, women are joining forces to tackle a wide array of issues, including growing economic disparity. Poverty among women is at historic levels, significantly higher than those for men. The numbers are even higher for...

  • Maureen O'Connell: How SOCM Started

    Maureen O’Connell worked at SOCM for 35 years, 16 as Executive Director. During her tenure, SOCM expanded from a five-county grassroots community organization focused on coal (Save Our Cumberland Mountains) to a statewide organization working on a host of local, statewide, regional, and national issues of environmental, social and economic justice (Statewide Organizing for Community...

    Maureen O'Connell
  • Earth Day: What are we fighting for?

    Today is the 45 th Earth Day, an annual reminder of our solemn responsibility to protect the environment and an opportunity to examine the ways in which we interact with the planet. Rapid changes, however, are threatening the lives of millions of Americans who rely on the land for their livelihoods, and the South is bearing the brunt. The region experiences more intense hurricanes, drought,...

  • Tax Reform: Investing in What Matters

    For many Americans, next Wednesday is the most dreaded day of the year. Not only does Tax Day mean settling your debts with Uncle Sam, it also brings the perennial political promises about tax reform. It’s a popular platform: A Pew Research poll conducted last month found 59 percent of Americans believe the tax system is deeply flawed and in need of a complete overhaul. There’s less consensus...