Cheri Honkala facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Cheri Honkala
Personal details
Born	Cheri Lynn Honkala (1963-01-12) January 12, 1963 (age 62) Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S.
Political party	Green
Children	2, including Mark Webber
Relatives	Teresa Palmer (daughter-in-law)

Cheri Lynn Honkala (born January 12, 1963) is an American who works to help people living in poverty. She helped start the Kensington Welfare Rights Union (KWRU) and the Poor People's Economic Human Rights Campaign, also known as the Poor People's Army. She is well-known for speaking up for human rights in the United States and around the world. She is the mother of actor Mark Webber.

In 1997, a book called Myth of the Welfare Queen by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist David Zucchino featured her story. In 2011, Honkala ran for Sheriff of Philadelphia as a Green Party candidate. She promised that she would not let families be forced out of their homes. In 2012, she was the Green Party's choice for vice-president in the U.S. presidential election.

Early Life and Challenges

Cheri Honkala was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in 1963. Her father had family from Finland, and her mother said she had Cheyenne ancestry. Growing up, Cheri saw her mother face difficult family situations. Her mother quietly dealt with these problems because she was afraid of losing her children. Cheri was later removed from her home and spent much of her youth in different youth homes.

Because her father did not have health insurance, he could not get the professional help he needed. Even with a tough childhood, Cheri managed to finish school.

After living in an apartment in Minnesota, Honkala and her young son had to move out and live in their white car. Cheri could not find a shelter that would let them stay together that winter. To stay together and avoid freezing, Honkala decided to move into an empty house that belonged to the government (HUD). She later said, "I chose to live, and I chose to keep my son alive." She held a press conference, where she said, "This is me, this is my nine-year-old son, and we're not leaving until somebody can tell us where we can live and not freeze to death."

Working for Change: An Organizer's Story

For more than 25 years, Cheri Honkala has been a leading voice for people who are poor or do not have homes in America. When she lived in Minnesota, she started two groups called "Women, Work and Welfare" and "Up and Out of Poverty Now." In Philadelphia, she helped create the Kensington Welfare Rights Union (KWRU) and the Poor People's Economic Human Rights Campaign (PPEHRC). She has organized many protests, including marches and setting up tent cities. She says she has been arrested over 200 times for peacefully breaking laws to make a point, which is called civil disobedience.

She is known around the world for her work helping poor people in the United States. Many publications have recognized her for bringing attention to problems like homelessness and families losing their homes. People have called her "the protester's protester." Now based in Philadelphia, she focuses mostly on the rising number of families being forced out of their homes.

Kensington Welfare Rights Union (KWRU)

After moving to Philadelphia with her son in the late 1980s, Honkala helped start KWRU in 1991. It was named after the Kensington area in northern Philadelphia, where she lived. She described KWRU as a group in Philadelphia made up of people from different backgrounds who received welfare and other poor people. In the winter of 1993, when homeless shelters were full, the group used an empty Catholic Church as a shelter.

In late 1994, KWRU helped people move into empty government-owned (HUD) homes that were meant for low-income housing. Even though the people (including Honkala) were allowed to live in these homes, they chose to ignore the slow paperwork process. They paid rent into a special account to avoid being charged with trespassing. This project became known as the Underground Railroad Project.

From then on, volunteers from the group often helped homeless families move into empty HUD homes. To support these families, the group created a network called the "'Underground Railroad.'" This network included other poor people, students, social workers, doctors, and lawyers. Honkala said, "Stealing slaves out of captivity was against the law ... But it was right. Sometimes the law is wrong. Sometimes you have to appeal to a higher authority."

In the spring of 1994, a factory in Kensington burned down, leaving an empty lot. The next summer, Honkala and KWRU built a large tent city there. Philadelphia officials could not prove who owned the land, so they could not force the residents to leave. (Eventually, flooding made them move out.) This public action led to many more donations for KWRU.

In September 1995, while the tent city was still there, Honkala protested by camping out for 36 hours with others from the tent city. They stayed on Independence Mall, near the Liberty Bell, so that residents and tourists could see the struggles of Philadelphia's homeless people. She argued that they were simply using their right to free speech and had not harmed the park. However, she was charged and later found guilty of "residing in a park area." She was sentenced to six months of probation and fined $250.

In July 1997, she was involved with the Liberty Bell again. She led a group on the "March for Our Lives" from the Bell to the United Nations building in New York. They were protesting changes to welfare laws, saying they violated the human rights of poor people. This action directly led to the start of the Poor People's Economic Human Rights Campaign (PPEHRC).

In October 1996, Honkala and KWRU held a sit-in at the capitol building in Harrisburg. The group created a makeshift "city" they called "Ridgeville," named after Republican Governor Tom Ridge. The governor had cut social service benefits. Part of the protest aimed to show homeless people the luxurious lifestyle of Gov. Ridge, including his mansion, which was paid for by the state. Lawmakers who disagreed with the cuts supported the protest by buying meals for the protesters.

In April 1997, Honkala was arrested for "defiant trespassing." She had tried to build small shelters for homeless families on an empty industrial lot in Philadelphia. At that time, shelters were full, and people were living on the streets.

The leaders of the organization believed that "some U.S. laws, like the Welfare Reform Act of 1996, which limits how long a family can receive government help, go against parts of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights." These parts guarantee the right to work for a fair wage, the right to enough food, housing, medical care, and social security, and the right to education.

Starting in June 1998, KWRU led the New Freedom Bus Tour. This tour traveled across the country, collecting stories of human rights problems to present to the United Nations. The KWRU team gathered more information about how welfare reform negatively affected people. They also held teaching sessions to inform poor people about their economic rights. (PPEHRC organized a second bus tour in 2002, visiting 27 cities to record human rights violations.)

Poor People's Economic Human Rights Campaign (PPEHRC)

In the late 1990s, Honkala started another non-profit group, the Poor People's Economic Human Rights Campaign. She became its National Coordinator. The PPEHRC connects "over 40 organizations of poor people from across the U.S." One person noted that this campaign "is the only [national] movement that came from welfare reform that was organized by poor people themselves, not just by people who support them."

This organization was created because of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA) of 1996. This law, also known as the Welfare Reform Act, was signed by Democratic President Bill Clinton. Honkala and her allies said it harmed people who received welfare. The group's mission statement says, "The Poor People's Economic Human Rights Campaign wants to bring together poor people of all backgrounds. They aim to lead a big movement to end poverty. They do this by promoting economic human rights, as listed in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. These rights include the right to food, housing, health, education, communication, and a job that pays enough to live on."

One goal of the organization is to make homelessness and homeless people visible. This is to make politicians take action. Honkala believes that authorities prefer homeless people to remain hidden so they do not have to deal with the problem. In a speech, Honkala said: "That's what [the authorities] are saying [to you]: 'Go hide! Go be under a bridge, or ... hide under a bench, and we won't arrest you, we won't do anything to you, because you will be quiet!'" As Honkala declared, "When you have nothing, you still have your voice."

In October 1999, PPEHRC organized a month-long March of the Americas. It went from Washington, D.C., to the United Nations in New York. People from the U.S., Canada, and Latin America who had low incomes joined the march. The group "marched 15 miles a day for 32 days, sleeping in tent cities, churches, and community centers at night. They also held press conferences and protests in local communities."

In July 2000, a PPEHRC march for the opening day of the Republican Party's National Convention in Philadelphia brought 10,000 homeless and poor people from across the country. (Out of several protest marches during that convention, this was the only one the city authorities did not give a permit for.)

In November 2000, at the historic Riverside Church in Manhattan, New York City, the PPEHRC held a "Poor People's World Summit to End Poverty." Hundreds of activists from about 30 countries attended. They shared "experiences and worked to build an international movement for economic human rights based on international agreements."

On July 4, 2003, Philadelphia celebrated the opening of the National Constitution Center. This new building housed the Liberty Bell. Poor and homeless families from the city held a peaceful protest to demand their economic rights. As the protesters marched toward the Constitution Center, carrying their mattresses and led by children, park rangers, federal guards, and city police formed lines to stop them. Singing 'We Shall Not Be Moved,' the protesters linked arms and refused to leave the sidewalk. Protest leaders Honkala and Galen Tyler had prepared a 'Declaration of Economic Human Rights' to present at the Center. As they moved toward the Center, police stopped them, threw them to the ground, handcuffed them, and arrested them. Honkala was charged with several serious crimes. Police officers claimed Honkala had hit one of them in the chest. However, a video taken at the time clearly showed Honkala carrying a mattress and being hit by the officer. All the charges were later dropped by the District Attorney's office.

In August 2004, Honkala marched with the PPEHRC in New York City (without a permit). They protested President Bush and the Republican National Convention (RNC). They publicly asked the government to pay more attention to the needs of poor and homeless people.

Running for Office: Sheriff and Vice-President

2011 Campaign for Sheriff of Philadelphia

In early 2011, Honkala announced she was running for Sheriff of Philadelphia. Her campaign promised "No Evictions," meaning she would try to stop families from being forced out of their homes. Her slogan was "Keeping families in their homes and protecting the 'hood." When asked why she joined the Green Party, Honkala said she liked that the Green Party does not take money from big companies.

As a way to get attention, Honkala rode a horse down Allegheny Avenue in Philadelphia during her campaign. She wore a white hat like a Wild West sheriff. During her campaign, Honkala spoke at the Occupy Wall Street camp in Manhattan. She showed support for their goals against home foreclosures and asked for help in "occupying Philadelphia" on election day.

She finished in third place, receiving over 10,000 votes.

2012 Vice-Presidential Campaign

Nomination

On July 11, 2012, Jill Stein, who was expected to be the Green Party's candidate for president in the 2012 U.S. presidential election, announced that she had chosen Honkala as her vice-presidential running mate. Stein said, "My running mate has been on the front lines fighting for the American poor, taking on the banks, taking on foreclosures, standing up for children most at risk."

Stein and Honkala were officially chosen by the Green Party at its national convention in Baltimore on Saturday, July 14.

Political Actions During the Campaign

On August 1, 2012, Honkala was arrested along with Stein and three others. They were protesting housing foreclosures by Fannie Mae at a Philadelphia bank. This was to help several city residents who were struggling to keep their homes. The event started as a PPEHRC protest involving Honkala, which Stein decided to join after Honkala became her running mate. The group demanded that the mortgage company stop forcing two Philadelphia residents out of their homes. A Fannie Mae executive had promised in writing to meet with the two women to find a solution, but the meeting never happened. The protesters entered the Fannie Mae building and said they would stay until the executive kept his word. Two lower-level officials met with the group, but when no solution was found, most of the protesters left. Only the core group, including Honkala, stayed to be arrested. They were charged with "defiant trespassing" and released the next day.

John Nichols, a writer for The Nation magazine, compared the Green Party candidates' stance on this issue to President Franklin D. Roosevelt's strong words against banks during the New Deal era.

Honkala visited the PPEHRC camp in Tampa, Florida, nicknamed "Romneyville." She strongly supported their plan to protest the 2012 Republican National Convention in that city, starting on the convention's opening day in August.

On October 16, 2012, Honkala and Stein were arrested after they tried to enter the site of the second presidential debate at Hofstra University.

Policy Ideas

Stein and Honkala ran on a plan they called the Green New Deal. This was an urgent four-part program with specific solutions to help America move out of crisis into a secure, green future. The program's name was inspired by Franklin Roosevelt's New Deal during the Great Depression.

The four main parts of the Green New Deal were:

• An Economic Bill Of Rights: This included a plan for full employment, creating 25 million jobs. It also supported workers' rights, including fair wages and safe workplaces. It called for quality healthcare for everyone and free public education from pre-school through college. It also aimed to stop all home foreclosures and evictions and ensure fair taxes.
• A Green Transition: This involved investing in green businesses and research. It also aimed to create green jobs in sustainable energy and energy efficiency.
• Real Financial Reform: This focused on reducing debt for homeowners and students. It also aimed to give the public more control over money and credit. The plan wanted to break up very large banks and stop taxpayer money from being used to bail out banks. It also called for stronger rules for financial products and a high tax on bonuses for bankers who were bailed out.
• A Functioning Democracy: This aimed to change the Constitution to make it clear that corporations are not people and money is not free speech. It also sought to protect the right to vote and strengthen local media. The plan also included protecting personal freedoms and reducing the size of the military–industrial complex.

Campaign Goals

The Stein-Honkala campaign had two main goals. First, they wanted to get their candidates on the ballots in as many states as possible before election day (November 6). Second, they wanted to be allowed to take part in the televised presidential debates in October. To qualify for the debates, the Green Party's presidential candidates needed to be on enough state ballots to theoretically win the election. They also needed to have an average of 15% support in five national polls. The rules for selecting candidates for these debates have often been criticized for being too strict.

Later Campaigns

2017 Pennsylvania House of Representatives Campaign

On January 31, 2017, Honkala announced she was running for the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. This was for a special election on March 21. She was running to replace Leslie Acosta, who had resigned due to federal fraud charges. Honkala was thought to be more well-known than her Republican and Democratic opponents. She ran as a write-in candidate against Republican Lucinda Little. There was no Democrat officially on the ballot in this area, which usually votes Democratic.

Many progressive groups and people supported Honkala. These included Our Revolution, Progress for All, environmental activist Josh Fox, and entertainers Rosario Dawson and Tom Morello. Other supporters included labor leaders, health officials, and local clergy.

In March 2017, Honkala lost to Democratic write-in candidate Emilio Vazquez. However, this election came under investigation by the Philadelphia District Attorney's Office and the Pennsylvania Attorney General. Honkala, along with the Green Party of Pennsylvania, Lucinda Little (the Republican candidate), and the State and City Republican parties, filed a lawsuit. They sued Emilio Vazquez, the Philadelphia Democratic Committee, and election officials. The lawsuit claimed there was widespread election fraud and voter intimidation by Vazquez and the Democratic Committee. It also claimed that other officials failed to properly oversee the elections.

The federal lawsuit included claims such as campaigning inside polling places and money being exchanged between Democratic poll workers and election officials. It also mentioned a ballot box being at Vazquez's "victory" party. There were also claims of tables set up outside by Democratic poll workers that looked like voter sign-in tables. Election workers were reportedly asking people who they were voting for, and Democratic ward leaders were handling voting machines. Vazquez was also seen meeting with election officials on election day inside the polling place. Despite the investigation, Vazquez was officially sworn in as a member of the Pennsylvania state House of Representatives on April 5, 2017.

Recognition and Media Attention

Honkala in the Media

Cheri Honkala and her work helping poor people have been featured many times in different types of media.

In Print and Photography

Honkala was one of two women featured in Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist David Zucchino's book, The Myth of the Welfare Queen (1999). One review said that in the book, Honkala "helps create a tent city to protest welfare cuts, joins the occupation of an abandoned church and the takeover by protesters of empty houses owned by HUD. She tirelessly seeks publicity for her cause, battles with bureaucrats, and rallies and comforts fellow protesters."

She was also the focus of a chapter in the book Challenges in Human Rights: A Social Work Perspective (2007). She was briefly featured in Katherine Martin's book Women of Courage: Inspiring Stories from the Women who Lived Them (1999).

Since the mid-1990s, photographer Harvey Finkle has taken many pictures of Honkala. A YouTube video was made using many of Finkle's photos of Honkala and other poor people. She also wrote the introduction to Finkle's photo book about urban poor people, Urban Nomads: A Poor People's Movement (1997). One of the last photos taken by the famous photographer Richard Avedon (1923–2004) was a picture of Honkala. It was part of a series called Democracy 2004 and appeared in The New Yorker magazine in October 2004.

Interviews and articles about Honkala have appeared in many print and online publications. These include The Village Voice, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Philadelphia Weekly, Yes! magazine, Salon, Truthdig, and The Nation.

On Video

Honkala has been featured many times in the work of documentary filmmakers Peter Kinoy and Pamela Yates. Pamela Yates also co-directed the award-winning film When the Mountains Tremble. Their work with Honkala includes Takeover (1990), a film about homeless women. It was funded by Bruce Springsteen. They also made Poverty Outlaw (1997), which tells the story of a homeless woman who must break the law to survive. This film also shows how KWRU started and grew. Other films include Outriders (1999), about the New Freedom Bus Tour, and The Battle for Broad (2000), about KWRU's and PPEHRC's march during the Republican National Convention in Philadelphia in 2000. (Living Broke in Broke Times combines Takeover, Poverty Outlaw, and Outriders.)

In the 1990s, the Television Trust for the Environment broadcast a short documentary about Honkala and KWRU called The Philadelphia Story on BBC World News. In this film, Honkala talks about gated communities and her complex feelings about the state of the country.

The independent film August in the Empire State (directed by Keefe Murren and Gabriel Rhodes) features several people during the 2004 Republican National Convention. This includes Honkala, who is shown leading her PPEHRC march against the RNC. In the film, Honkala talks about her dedication to nonviolent resistance.

In February 2008, Al Jazeera English featured Honkala in a video profile called "Homeless Hero" on its program People & Power. It showed a campaign by the Nashville Homeless Power Project, which had invited Honkala to organize a major action against homelessness in Tennessee. The video shows the building of a camp to confront Nashville's mayor about homelessness during his budget speech. (The mayor never appeared.)

On September 7, 2012, Honkala was a guest on Bill Moyers' program Moyers & Company, "Challenging Power, Changing Politics." She appeared with her Green Party Presidential running mate, Jill Stein, and Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders.

Honors and Awards

Honkala has received many honors and awards:

• Philadelphia Magazine – listed as one of the 100 Most Powerful Philadelphians
• Philadelphia Weekly – "Woman of the Year" (1997)
• Ms. Magazine – Woman of the Year (2001)
• Bread and Roses Human Rights Award
• Pennsylvania Association of Social Workers' Public Citizen of the Year
• Front Line Defenders (an organization that protects human rights defenders) – named her one of the "12 most endangered" activists in America
• Mother Jones magazine – Hellraiser of the Month (April 2005)

Also, the organization Honkala helped start, the Kensington Welfare Rights Union, won the prestigious Letelier-Moffitt Human Rights Award in 1999 (sharing it with Dr. Juan Garcés). This award is given by the Institute for Policy Studies.

In January 2004, Honkala was asked to speak at the annual World Social Forum (WSF) in Mumbai, India. She spoke about the "War against the Homeless." In 2006, Honkala spoke at the WSF again, this time in Caracas, Venezuela. She discussed poverty and homelessness in the United States. This information is often not shared by mainstream U.S. media.

Personal Life

In 1990, Honkala married Bob Brown, a union official from Philadelphia whom she had met the year before. They divorced soon after.

Honkala is the mother of actor and director Mark Webber (born 1980). Webber has supported his mother's causes in several ways, including holding fundraising events like art auctions for her.

Honkala is also the mother of Guillermo Santos (born 2002).

Images for kids

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  Cheri Honkala