Thanks for coming to Paint for Peace and the Pilgrimage for Justice and Peace

On Tuesday, we had the pleasure of hosting the Pilgrimage for Justice and Peace as they came through Greensboro.  We started off the day with our Paint for Peace event, where we made mural panels for a national project that will become a travelling exhibit.  The pilgrims helped us paint, as did the Dream Walkers, who are marching from Florida to Washington, DC to demand that Congress pass immigration reform and the DREAM Act.

Painting for Peace at Guilford College

We left Guilford College after lunch, and marched seven miles through Greensboro to the First Presbyterian Church who provided an amazing dinner.  From there, we went to FaithAction International House, and added over fifty more people to our marchers.  We marched another two miles to St. Mary's Catholic Church.  There, we heard from a number of speakers from the Pilgrimage for Justice and Peace and the Dream Walkers.  The Pilgrimage told us about how they will be passing through Cary, North Carolina today to engage in civil disobedience to protest the secret detention centers where many immigrants are detained without any kind of transparency.  (See The Nation magazine's report.)  They also urged everyone to call members of Congress to protest this blatant disregard of immigrants' rights.

The Dream Walkers tell their story.

The Dream Walkers told their story of marching from Florida on their way to Washington, DC.  They are chronicling their inspiring journey on their website, trail2010.org.  They represent the many undocumented high school students who are denied access to higher education because of their immigration status.  The DREAM Act is a bill that, if signed into law, could help give students a path to legalization, a way to be recognized for their contributions to our society, and the opportunity to achieve their academic potential.

We want to thank everyone for coming out and marching with us, and especially to everyone who helped organize logistics.  We wish the Pilgrims for Justice and Peace luck in their journey throughout North Carolina, and the Dream Walkers in their quest for immigration reform in DC!