The Progressive Democrats of North Carolina held their annual meeting Dec. 8 in Chapel Hill. The Rev. William Barber, president of the N.C. NAACP, gave the welcoming address. If you have not heard this man speak, drop what you are doing and find out where he will be speaking next. I’m serious. This man is so engaging and motivational, you can’t help but want to get out of your seat and do something constructive. He discussed how we all need to work together to support the 14 points of the HK on J’s People’s Agenda. “We need to go beyond what’s politically feasible and fight for what’s morally and constitutionally right,” Barber said. “We must have a public policy that embraces everyone. … We must lift and dignify the humanity of all people.”

To rebuild and restrengthen this coaltion, Barber offered the following three points:

1. Build an anti-race movement. (Address structural disparities dominated by notions of races.)
2. Build an anti-poverty movement (including workers’ rights, a living wage, working with dignity).
3. Build an anti-war movement. (Promote the fundamental belief that war is not the answer. You cannot govern by war; when you do that, you are no longer in a democracy but in an empire.)

The 2008 HKonJ2 is scheduled for Feb. 9.

A panel discussion titled “Movement Leaders in Dialogue: Advancing the People’s Common Agenda in the Face of an Unresponsive Legislature” followed. Cynthia Brown facilitated the discussion, which included the following panelists: Rev. William Barber and Al McSurely, African-American and HKonJ issues; Stephen Dear, executive director of People of Faith Against the Death Penalty; Chase Foster, coordinator of N.C. Voters for Clean Elections; John Parker, executive director of Good Work; Steve Owen, director of Appalachian Coalition for Just and Sustainable Communities; Hope Taylor, executive director of Clean Water for North Carolina; Mark Kleinschmidt, Chapel Hill Town Councilman and speaker on GLBT issues; N.C. Rep. Verla Insko, health care policy; Chris Estes, executive director of the N.C. Housing Coalition; Marisol Jimenez-McGee, advocacy director and lobbyist for El Pueblo; Saladin Mohammed, UE 150 and Black Workers for Justice; Walt Caison of Stop Torture Now; and Ryan Eller, former chair of the Governor’s Student Leadership Council and current campaign manager for Roy Carter, who hopes to unseat Virginia Foxx in North Carolina’s Fifth Congressional District.

After lunch, Marisol Jimenez-McGee gave a stirring address titled “A Glimpse into the Latino Experience: The Personal and the Political.” She put a human face on the issues of immigration and immigration reform and helped us understand all the complicating factors in the debate. She makes you think twice about any preconceived notions you may have had, because most likely you don’t know all the facts.

Three Democratic candidates for lieutenant governor — Dan Besse, Hampton Dellinger and Pat Smathers — participated in a candidates forum. You can read answers to their questionnaires here. Walter Dalton was not able to attend and did not complete the questionnaire. After the forum, members of the PDNC voted to endorse Dan Besse for lieutenant governor.