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 activist who has spent her life fighting against poverty. She is known for starting groups like the Kensington Welfare Rights Union (KWRU) and the Poor People's Economic Human Rights Campaign. These groups work to make sure everyone has basic human rights, like a safe place to live and enough food to eat.

Honkala has worked to help people in the United States and around the world. She is also the mother of actor Mark Webber.

In 2011, she ran for Sheriff of Philadelphia with the Green Party. She promised that if she won, she would not force families out of their homes. A year later, in 2012, the Green Party chose her to run for Vice President of the United States.

Early Life and Challenges

Cheri Honkala was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Her father's family was from Finland. She had a difficult childhood and spent time in several youth centers.

When Honkala was 17, her 19-year-old brother Mark passed away. He had been struggling with his mental health but could not get the help he needed because he didn't have health insurance. At that time, Honkala was a young mother herself, living in her car while still going to high school. She named her son Mark in memory of her brother.

After graduating, Honkala and her son became homeless when their car was wrecked. She couldn't find a shelter that would let them stay together. To keep her son safe and warm, she moved into an empty house owned by the government. She held a press conference and 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."

Work as an Organizer

For over 25 years, Honkala has been a powerful voice for poor and homeless people in America. In Minnesota, she started groups to help people get out of poverty. Later, in Philadelphia, she co-founded two important organizations: the Kensington Welfare Rights Union (KWRU) and the Poor People's Economic Human Rights Campaign (PPEHRC).

She has organized many marches and demonstrations to bring attention to the problems poor people face. Because of her peaceful protests, she has been arrested many times. She is known around the world for her work and is sometimes called "the protester's protester."

Kensington Welfare Rights Union

In 1991, Honkala helped start the Kensington Welfare Rights Union (KWRU) in a neighborhood in Philadelphia. KWRU was an organization made up of poor people of all races who worked together to fight for their rights.

The group became known for taking over empty government-owned houses to provide homes for homeless families. They called this the "Underground Railroad Project," comparing it to the historic network that helped slaves escape to freedom. Honkala said that sometimes laws are wrong, and you have to do what is right.

In 1994, KWRU built a "tent city" on an empty lot where a factory had burned down. This brought a lot of attention and donations to their cause. They also held protests at famous places like Independence Mall near the Liberty Bell to make sure tourists and city leaders saw the problem of homelessness.

Poor People's Economic Human Rights Campaign

In the late 1990s, Honkala started another group called the Poor People's Economic Human Rights Campaign (PPEHRC). This organization is a network of over 40 groups of poor people from all over the United States.

The PPEHRC was created to fight against a 1996 law that changed welfare (government assistance for people in need). Honkala and others believed this law hurt poor families. The group's goal is to unite poor people to end poverty by fighting for economic human rights. These rights include the right to food, housing, healthcare, education, and a job that pays a living wage.

Honkala believes it's important to make homeless people visible so that politicians can't ignore them. She once said, "When you have nothing, you still have your voice."

Political Career

Honkala has also tried to create change by running for political office. She joined the Green Party because it does not accept money from large corporations.

2011 Campaign for Sheriff

In 2011, Honkala ran for Sheriff of Philadelphia. Her main promise was to stop evictions, which is when people are forced to leave their homes. Her campaign slogan was "Keeping families in their homes and protecting the 'hood." She came in third place with over 10,000 votes.

2012 Vice-Presidential Campaign

In July 2012, Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein chose Honkala to be her vice-presidential running mate. Stein said that Honkala was chosen because she had been "on the front lines fighting for the American poor."

During the campaign, both Stein and Honkala were arrested for peacefully protesting at a bank in Philadelphia. They were standing up for families who were about to lose their homes. They were also arrested for trying to enter a presidential debate at Hofstra University, arguing that all candidates should be allowed to participate.

The Green New Deal

Stein and Honkala ran on a platform called the Green New Deal. It was a four-part plan to solve America's problems. The main ideas were:

• An Economic Bill of Rights: This included the right to a job, a living wage, healthcare, free education, and affordable housing.
• A Green Transition: This meant investing in environmentally friendly businesses and creating "green jobs" in areas like solar and wind energy.
• Real Financial Reform: This included breaking up big banks, ending taxpayer-funded bailouts, and helping people with student loans and housing debt.
• A Functioning Democracy: This meant getting corporate money out of politics, protecting voting rights, and reducing military spending.

2017 Campaign for State Representative

In 2017, Honkala ran in a special election for the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. She ran as a write-in candidate, meaning voters had to write her name on the ballot.

Many progressive groups and famous people supported her. The election results were disputed, and Honkala and others filed a lawsuit claiming there were problems at the polling places. Despite the investigation, her opponent was sworn into office.

Recognition and Media

Cheri Honkala's work has been featured in many books, articles, and films.

• She was a main subject in the book The Myth of the Welfare Queen by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist David Zucchino.
• Photographer Harvey Finkle has documented her work for many years.
• Famous photographer Richard Avedon took a portrait of her for The New Yorker magazine in 2004.
• She has appeared in several documentary films, including Poverty Outlaw (1997), which tells the story of KWRU.
• In 2012, she appeared on the TV show Moyers & Company with Bill Moyers.

Honkala has received many awards for her activism, including being named "Woman of the Year" by Philadelphia Weekly and Ms. Magazine. A human rights group in Dublin, Ireland, also named her one of the "12 most endangered" activists in America for her brave work.

Electoral history

Personal life

Honkala is the mother of two children. Her son, Mark Webber (born 1980), is an actor and director who often supports his mother's work. Her other son is Guillermo Santos (born 2002).