The Rev. Clark Williams practices what former state Rep. Jesse Crenshaw preached about politics.
“He told me that the best way to bring about change is to elect people who already agree with the change you want to make,” said Williams, chairman of the Lexington-based People’s Campaign, a grassroots political action committee.
[click_to_tweet tweet=”The best way to bring about change is to elect people who already agree with the change you want to make. – Rev. Clark Williams, People’s Campaign” quote=”The best way to bring about change is to elect people who already agree with the change you want to make. – Rev. Clark Williams, People’s Campaign”]
A Democrat, Crenshaw represented the 77th House District in north Lexington for 22 years. Williams is taking the longtime lawmaker’s advice.
The People’s Campaign is producing short videos for social media that boost Democratic gubernatorial hopeful Andy Beshear and his running mate, Jacqueline Coleman.
The videos feature “real Kentuckians talking about real Kentucky problems and real Kentucky issues,” said Williams.
Four are out so far, all connected to the same theme, “Better than Bevin.”
Republican Gov. Matt Bevin is seeking a second term. The People’s Campaign website says he’s “failed the people of Kentucky. Over and over, he has shown us that he doesn’t understand, he doesn’t listen, and he doesn’t care, when it comes to education, healthcare, workers, pensions, and the needs of both urban and rural communities.
“Therefore, we have no choice. We must do better than Matt Bevin. We deserve better, and Andy Beshear is better.”
The video quartet includes “For the Right to be Heard, Better than Bevin,” “1st Blame Points at Moscow Matt,” “For Our Kids, Better than Bevin” and “For Pensions, Better than Bevin.”
“For the Right to be Heard” has Tim Morris of the Greater Louisville Central Labor Council talking in a union hall. In “For Our Kids,” Louisville math teacher Kumar Rashad speaks on camera outside a school. State Rep. Joni Jenkins, D-Louisville, talks and walks across the Capitol grounds in “For Pensions.”
Two more videos are on the way. Bill Londrigan, president of the Kentucky State AFL-CIO is in one; Robert Akin, president of the Lexington-based Central Kentucky Building and Construction Trades Council, is in the other.
“We really want to hone in on labor and make people aware of labor issues because as workers go, families go,” Williams said.
Two years ago, with Bevin cheering on, the Republican-majority General Assembly passed a “right to work” law and repealed the prevailing wage. Since, the governor and his allies in the legislature have pared down the workers’ compensation, unemployment insurance, and Occupational Safety and Health programs.
“Conservatives say they are the people who have ‘strong family values,’” Williams said. “But if you really have strong family values, you want people to be able to be with their families. You don’t take away the prevailing wage and pass ‘right to work’ for less so people will have to work multiple jobs and be away from their families.”
[click_to_tweet tweet=”If you really have strong family values, you want people to be able to be with their families. You don’t take away the prevailing wage and pass Right-to-Work-for-Less so people have to work multiple jobs and be away from their families. – Clark Williams” quote=”If you really have strong family values, you want people to be able to be with their families. You don’t take away the prevailing wage and pass Right-to-Work-for-Less so people have to work multiple jobs and be away from their families. – Clark Williams”]
The People’s Campaign website also says the group’s goal “is to change politics and policy in ways that positively impact people” by “persuading middle class, working class, and economically struggling people to participate with a purpose and vote in their own best interests” and “reinforcing the work of social justice organizations in the political realm and fostering moral progressivism.”
Williams said his organization is sometimes confused with the Poor People’s Campaign, which began in 2017.
“The difference between the two is that they do traditional non-profit 501c3 kinds of advocacy whereas we are a super PAC more focused on political action,” he explained.
Also, the Poor People’s Campaign is a nationwide effort. The People’s Campaign may branch into other states, too. “But we started in Kentucky, and our base will always be in Kentucky,” said Williams.
Last year, the People’s Campaign sponsored a Frankfort March to Move in remembrance of the 50th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination.
Williams said his group concentrates more on political action because “some of the people we elect to represent us will never agree with us, no matter how much we advocate. So we put our energy and effort into electing the right people.”
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Here are the four videos mentioned above: