After witnessing her races suffering, Peggy Pearsa Williams, founder of ROM USA, heads this amazing organization to end the stigma that has plagued this race for many centuries. With the help of the Whitehouse and Secretary, John Kerry's Commemoration of International Roma Day, Williams has been the only person in US history to come forward wand stand with this organization to give this minority a voice, and preserve its rights, cultural riches, and contributions.
Having kept her Romani heritage hidden for over half a century, she had finally found the courage and bravery to come out and reveal her hidden heritage, Williams says that coming out has been like a weight being lifted off her shoulder, but notes it is just like segregation all over again, when someone hears the "G" word - Gypsy, it always invokes discrimination and racism, but adds that she's determined to support her lifetime goal of advocating for this forgotten minority.
Williams says that her race has endured anti-gypsy laws, slavery and segregation. With compassion for her minorities suffering, she has shown true leadership and is dedicated to to push to pass new bills into legislature to pass new laws for her minority. She has already begun to challenge and push to abolish, outdated anti-Romani-Gypsy laws, that violate Romani rights.
Due to fear of Government, Law Enforcement and Anti-Romani-Gypsy Laws, Romani women did not drive or obtain driver licenses. Since the early 90’s, Williams encouraged Romani women to learn how to drive and held community gatherings and dedicated her own time making trips to the DMV to provide the women in her minority with Driver's manuals and applications to obtain driving priviledges.
In 2003 Williams earned a GED and attended Adelphi University, majoring in English and minoring in Psychology, and has contributed her skills to uneducated women in her minority, and has inspired Romani American girls to get an education, and dedicated her own time to assist in writing essays for Romani American women and girls who have not had a formal education or attended school.
In 2013, she had gotten over 3,000 Romani American men and women register to vote, after coordinating a state wide registration drive including the states of Florida, California and New York, just by spreading the word at local family gatherings. She concludes that the number of new registrants is growing every day.
ROMA DAY FESTIVAL AND PARADE… DID YOU KNOW…?
In 2016, the organization that founded the Roma Day Festival and Parade was founded in 2010 by a special panel from the U.N. and former Secretary of State, John Kerry, and ROM USA President, Peggy P. Williams, a leading advocate for the Romani people. Since the early 80s. She has been active in advocating in the Romani community with everyday families who have been victims of persecution and stigma for many centuries, just because they were Gypsies, their civil and human rights have been, and continue to be violated.
Williams has contributed unselfishly in business training for Romani Americans who did not know where to start in opening a legitimate business, including supplying valuable information on how to obtain permits and licensing.
In the United States, Eastern and Western Europe, including the State of New Jersey, which enforced anti-gypsy laws, and did not permit the passage or residency of Romani-Gypsy in their community.
A NEW DIRECTION - AT LAST - SOMEONE TO GIVE US A VOICE...
According to U.S. history there are no advocacies or civil rights groups for the Romani-Gypsy, or the thousands of Gypsies killed during the Holocaust. There are also no known Representatives or Special Ambassadors for the Romani at the United Nations, or any other Government organization.
Williams also notes that she is determined to push the envelope even further and introduce new bills to congress to appoint a special panel for the Romani people and end the unjust anti-gypsy laws and discrimination that has plagued members of the gypsy community, bringing forward her message that all Romani American's procure their civil rights, freedom of speech and religion.
In the United States, Romani-Gypsy American citizens, have no rights, living in fear of antiquated laws that still exist in most states, Anti-Gypsy Laws banned and segregated Romani-Gypsy Americans from certain towns and villages, forcing them into homelessness, living in camps, hidden away from the public eye, resulting in undesirable means of making a living to support their families.
Williams has continuously urged and lead her community to stand up for their rights, starting with her own family, always pushing the envelope to insure that her communities’ minority rights are no longer violated and forgotten. However, after years of trying to convince federal and state legislature to pass new bills and abolish Anti-Romani-Gypsy Laws, her grievances had gone ignored, which proves even further just how bigotry and racism are still a huge problem for the Romani-Gypsy in the United States, and Abroad. It has plagued this minority for the longest time, and no one had took a stand accept for the bravery and courage of this one individual who decided to do something.
In 2009, a former President made an insulting and damaging remark comparing "America's Health Care System to a Band of Thieving Gypsies" Obama's Economic Speech in Allentown
By Barack Obama - December 4, 2009
The same day that the comment was made, Peggy had coordinated an emergency meeting with the community and made several inquiries and contacted the White House to express the importance of the damaging remarks to the Romani-Gypsy community, appropriately requesting that the former President apologize, however, it went ignored and the comment had been edited out of the media coverage, without any mention or apology to the Romani-Gypsy community.
Peggy had also made numerous inquiries that were submitted to local Congressman, Legislatures and the Media, which again, have all gone unanswered and ignored, taken for granted, forgotten, at best... accept for the mindfulness and compassion of former Secretary of State, John Kerry, Peggy's advocacy, ongoing dedication and hard work paid off, In 2015, Kerry finally did something for the Romani Cummunity and was mindful of her critical grievance, although never apologizing for the President, he has shown his support by commemorating April 8th as International Roma Day, which is a start, which adds to Peggy's pushing the envelope a little more each day with her ongoing dedication, hard work, candor and compassion.
http://www.state.gov/secretary/remarks/2015/04/240388.htm
Peggy formed the Gypsy Parade Festival cultural event to create awareness and support for the Romani Gypsy heritage, rich in cultural contributions such as beautiful music, dance, good food and entertainment, just to name a few. She has also coordinated a special Holocaust Remembrance Pomana Tribute during each festival.
All proceeds form the Festival will support the organizations dedication to civil rights and the preservation of this dynamic culture...
