Sisters and Brothers -

Thank you very much for your support in enabling our campaign to hold great rallies across the South to demand that the starvation minimum wage of $7.25 per hour be raised to a living wage of $17 per hour. The rallies were held in Durham, NC, Nashville, TN, and Charleston, SC.

At each of these rallies we heard from local labor leaders, progressive elected officials and, most importantly, low-wage workers who described their struggles to survive on inadequate wages. I was joined at each of these events by Reverend William Barber — one of the great social justice leaders in the country.

DURHAM, NORTH CAROLINA

Last Thursday we started off with a rally at the Hayti Heritage Center in Durham. Due to the Senate vote on the debt ceiling deal, I had to join the event virtually. But the turnout was great, with around 500 people in attendance.

The crowd in Durham where around 500 people turned out for the rally

Bernie joins the Durham rally virtually due to the debt ceiling vote in the Senate

NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE

Our next stop was on Friday in Nashville, where 700 people came out to the rally which was held at Fisk University. At that event we were joined by State Representative Justin Jones who recently received national attention for, outrageously, being expelled from the Tennessee legislature because of his demand for strong gun safety legislation.

In the year 2023, nobody in America should be forced to work for starvation wages. It should be a basic truism that in the United States, the richest country on earth, if you work 40 hours a week you do not live in poverty.

Bernie greets people at the rally in Nashville

State Representative Justin Jones and Bernie

Bernie addresses the crowd in Nashville

CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA

On Saturday we made our final stop in Charleston. I was pleased to hold this event at the International Longshoremen’s Association Local 1422 Union Hall where we were also joined by State Representative Wendell Gilliard. In a state where the legislature and governor are extremely anti-union, it was inspiring to hold the rally alongside courageous trade unionists.

Bernie greets rally attendees in Charleston

Bernie speaks about the need to raise the minimum wage to a living wage.

Sadly, many national Democratic leaders are ignoring the needs of low-income and working-class people in so-called red states. We don’t. As Progressives, we understand that it’s imperative to stand with workers — Black, White, Latino, Asian, American, Native American, gay and straight — in every state in the country. Real change never occurs from the top on down. It always occurs through grassroots struggle from the bottom on up. And if you don’t show up, that change is never going to take place.

At a time of massive and growing income and wealth inequality and record-breaking corporate profits, we must stand up for low-income workers — many of whom are struggling every day to provide a minimal standard of living for their families. One of the ways we can do that is by raising the minimum wage to ensure no one who works 40 hours a week lives in poverty. Let’s do it.

In solidarity,

Bernie

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