PNN’s mission is to engage, educate and empower our neighbors to make our City a better place to live. Here’s what’s coming up in each of these areas:
Engage: Sign Up to Buddy Canvass; Become a PNN Blogger
Educate: Conversation with Rebecca Rhynhart on Public Banking
Empower: Mayoral & 8th District Council Candidates Debates
Canvass Kickoff this Saturday at Lovett Library!
Saturday, April 15th, Starts at 11AM, 6945 Germantown Ave
Join us for our Canvass Kickoff outside Lovett Library tomorrow at 11AM. We will be joined by Rep Chris Rabb and candidate Rue Landau.
We'll go over how we'll frame our conversation with our neighbors (what to say and why), and then buddy up to hit some doors to talk about PNN and our progressive slate of candidates.
[Note: It might rain on Saturday, but no worries. We'll be under the canopy at the library, so you can stay dry while you pick up your turf, pair up with a buddy if you wish, then figure out the best time and date to go out. Alternatively, you can pick up your materials on Sunday at the Studio at 5535 Lena Street at 1PM.]
We have a new mayor to elect and Helen Gym, the only progressive candidate in the race, is in the thick of the race against some deep-pocketed contenders. Her path to victory? Her supporters are going to knock more doors for her than canvassers for any other candidate!
We're also enthusiastically working to elect Seth Anderson-Oberman in the Eighth District in NW Philly, as well as a slate of progressives for Council At-Large and other offices with records of success both in and out of government.
SPECIAL ALERT FOR VOLUNTEER CANVASSERS: We have Yard and Window signs for Seth, window signs for Helen and other swag to give out. And if you commit to three (3) shifts, you can get a a Brand New PNN Tee Shirt! Plus, if you like we’ll pair you up with another volunteer to knock doors together.
It Starts with a Click: Take a moment to commit your time to one or two shifts somewhere between now and election day. So, click on the link below and break out your calendar to see where you might have a free Saturday (11AM-2PM) or Sunday (1PM-4PM) to knock doors.
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POWER Mayoral Candidates Forum
Sunday, April 16, 3PM-6PM, 3801 Market Street
Join 60 congregations of all faiths across the city at First District Plaza to ask questions of the mayoral candidates about what it will take to make our communities safer, including questions about gun violence, schools, clean air, good jobs, and housing. Attendees will have an opportunity hear from each mayoral candidate in small groups, and then come together at the end to debrief and talk about next steps.
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Conversation with Rebecca Rhynhart on Public Banking
Thursday, April 20th, 2PM, Virtual
Even though we’ve strongly and enthusiastically endorsed Helen Gym for Mayor, we want to know what all the candidates have to say about public banking. So Join join us for a half-hour conversation with former City Controller, Rebecca Rhynhart as she discusses her views on public banking in Philadelphia with our friends at the Public Banking Coalition.
If you missed our Conversation with Derek Green on Tuesday, you can watch it here.
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Arts for Helen Performance
Friday, April 21st, 7PM-10PM, 531 North 7th Street
Join us at the Latvian Society of Philadelphia, as musicians, artists, DJs, comedians, and community leaders and members from all across Philadelphia come together to share their vision for what the City of Brotherly Love and Sisterly Affection can be under a Mayor Helen Gym administration.
This free show will have incredible music and art, great speakers to fire us up (including Helen of course!), and opportunities to get merch, sign up to canvass for Helen, and to get your friends and family involved. Free snacks and beverages.
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Seth vs Cindy: Candidates Debate for 8th District Council Seat
Wednesday, April 26, 7PM, 400 W. Ellet Street
For those unhappy with the leadership demonstrated by incumbent Cindy Bass, April 26th offers a moment of reckoning. Lifetime Germantown neighbor and career union organizer Seth Anderson-Oberman has rallied the troops to put up perhaps the biggest challenge Bass has had to face since she first won the seat back in 2011.
The two will face off at the Germantown Jewish Centre at 400 W. Ellet Street on the evening of April 26th in what promises to be a spirited clash of styles and values. Click below to let us know you're coming.
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Got Something to Say? Say it as a PNN Blogger!
It's easy to get started as a PNN Blogger. Of course, you need to have something to say and the courage to share your thoughts with others in a public space. We'll work with you to help you find your voice, clean up typos, and share your work with allies in our social media network. Click on the link below to get started.
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This Week in History
April 15, 1947 – Jackie Breaks Color Barrier. Jack Roosevelt Robinson became the first African American player in Major League Baseball when he stepped onto Ebbets Field in Brooklyn to compete for the Brooklyn Dodgers.
April 19, 1775 – Shot Heard Round the World. The American Revolution begins in Lexington, MA when an anonymous colonial minuteman fires upon British troops who were sent to capture Sam Adams and John Hancock.
April 20, 1971 – Bussing Declared Constitutional. In Swann v. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education, SCOTUS settled the constitutional question and allowed the widespread implementation of busing, which remained controversial over the next decade.
Thanks for your activism!
Tim Brown, Organizing Director