Last summer, I was as horrified as anyone to learn about the conditions under which the Trump administration was detaining and separating families who had arrived at the US border seeking refuge and protection in our country.
This team sprang into action — we’ve since raised more than $1.8 million for the groups working to protect the kids and families separated by ICE, including “Families Belong Together,” the family separation initiative from the National Domestic Workers Alliance.
The National Domestic Workers Alliance has been at the forefront of the fight to protect domestic workers, immigrants, women, and their families for more than a decade. The issues they have taken on are critical and cut right to the heart of who we are as a country. Late last year, I met with Ai-jen Poo and Alicia Garza to discuss ways that this team could aid their work over the coming months and years. I’m proud to tell you that NDWA has since joined the Onward Together family as an official partner.
The fights ahead are many — from reuniting families still separated to making sure that the workers who care for homes and families across the country are treated with dignity and respect. I’m honored to partner with NDWA, and I hope you’ll take a moment to learn a little more about what they’re working on.
Onward!
Hillary
Onward Together works to build a brighter future for generations to come by supporting groups that encourage people to organize in their communities or run for office. Because you’re an important part of Onward Together, we wanted you to get a chance to know these groups a little bit better. To learn more about Onward Together, click here.
The organization: National Domestic Workers Alliance (NDWA)
The organizers: Ai-jen Poo, longtime activist for caregivers and current director of NDWA; Alicia Garza, co-founder of the Black Lives Matter Global Network and current strategy director at NDWA
The mission: To work for the respect, recognition, and inclusion in labor protections for domestic workers
The story: Two million workers — nearly all of them women — take care of the nation’s homes and families, particularly children and the elderly. Most of those two million are immigrant women and women of color. Historically, they have had few legal rights, making them vulnerable to exploitation, particularly in the case of undocumented migrant workers. Founded at the U.S. Social Forum in Atlanta, Georgia in 2007, NDWA has since launched an individual membership program, which provides benefits, training, and community to domestic workers in the U.S.
The latest: Through their “Families Belong Together” initiative, NDWA lead the fight last summer against the Trump administration’s cruel family separation policies, including more than 600 marches across all 50 states on June 30th. In November, they harnessed that incredible national energy to get people to the polls to vote for candidates who will protect domestic workers and immigrant communities alike.
The next step: Together with Senator Kamala Harris and Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal, NDWA recently announced Domestic Workers Bill of Rights — a groundbreaking piece of legislation that would improve the lives of domestic workers and transform the way people work in America. Learn more at domesticworkers.org
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