Welcome to Labor Day weekend! As the summer begins to roll slowly into fall, we want to let you know about some fun and interesting events coming up. The annual Labor Day parade starts Monday morning on south Delaware Ave. You can support a Green New Deal for our schools. Sign up now for the Public Bank Visioning Summit on Sep. 18th. There will be fun political theater on Oct. 2nd in People's Plaza. We'll have a Movie Night on Oct. 12th that features the author of the book on which the movie is based. And be sure to check out what happened this week in history. But, first...
Are You Ready to Step Up?
Philly Neighborhood Networks is willing to provide leadership development training for a small group of activists who are ready to take a leadership role in the work we do in our community. This training is for you if:
You volunteered before, but know you can do more
You have an idea for a project, but don’t know how to get started
You want to develop your organizing skills
You like working with people to make change
All candidates will participate in a one-on-one interview to determine if this program is a good fit for them. Those selected will be invited to our Orientation Workshop in mid-October.
These workshops will be run by leadership trainers with the goal of preparing participants to take the next step in community and electoral organizing.
If you are interested in taking a deeper role in our city's politics, then use the link below to let us know.
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Labor Day Parade
Monday, Sep. 6th, 10AM-2PM, 1901 S. Delaware Ave (Columbus Blvd)
Laborers unite! On Monday, thousands of union members from the Tri-State area will gather along south Delaware Ave to march to Penn's Landing, in celebration of National Labor Day. This is a family friendly parade and celebration. All-ages fun includes crafts, games, food, and live music. The parade kicks off at the Sheet Metal Workers’ Local 19 Union Hall. There is no need to sign up, just show up to cheer on the marchers and enjoy the day!
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Sign Up Now: Public Bank Visioning Summit
Saturday, Sep. 18th, 1PM, Virtual Event
Philly Neighborhood Networks has been working for years to have City Council create a Philadelphia Public Bank that would take the City’s money from Wall St. and reinvest it here at home. Now a bill as been introduced into City Council to start the process and we believe it will pass by the end of the year. But we need to shape the mission of the bank so that it truly serves the needs of underserved communities.
So on Saturday, September 18th, from 1-4 PM, we will gather – via Zoom – at a Visioning Summit to learn details about public banking and how it functions. We will hear from experts in their fields who will excite our imaginations. And then we will have a chance to offer ideas that each of us think will help to improve out community.
To get this bill passed, let’s all show up at the Summit to give it our strong support!
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Support a Green New Deal for Schools
Right now, our representatives in Congress are cutting deals on a massive infrastructure bill package – but they are barely lifting a finger to support public schools. The Green New Deal for Public Schools calls for $1.4 trillion dollars in increased funding to public schools, to transform crumbling, polluted buildings into strong, healthy pillars of our communities, and hire the teachers and support staff needed to keep them that way. Click the link below to send a letter to your member of Congress.
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Movie Night: "The Power to Heal"
Tuesday, Oct. 12th, 7PM, Virtual Event
Join us the second Tuesday in October for a special viewing of "The Power to Heal: Medicare & the Civil Rights Revolution". This one-hour movie on how Medicare helped create equity in healthcare in our nation will be followed by a discussion with David Smith, the author of the book on which this movie is based, and Dr. Walter Tsou, former Health Commissioner of Philadelphia. The audience will be invited to ask questions. We'll send the link for the show in a follow-up email to everyone who signs up.
Here's the trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zjC0etPNxw4
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Chase the Erase: Political Theater
Saturday, Oct. 2nd, 1PM, People's Plaza (Save the Date)
Come dance to the beat of the West Powelton Drummers as our hero "Marjorie T. Rules" takes on bad guy "Gerry Mander" to draw ethical boundaries and secure Fair Elections for our state. There will be four short theater performances that will include information about the importance of electing great judges in the upcoming Nov. 2nd judicial elections. Save the date and we'll provide more information as we get closer to the event.
This event correlates with the political theater that our Unstoppable Voters coalition has been performing: “How’s Your Voice Gonna Matter If You Don’t Vote,” – filled with song, dance, and a call to action to increase voter education and registration in high schools.
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This Week in History
Sep 3, 1838 – Douglass Escapes Slavery. Abolitionist, journalist, author, and human rights advocate Frederick Douglass made his escape from enslavement to freedom – in Philadelphia.
Sep 5, 1882 – First Labor Day. On this day, 10,000 workers marched in NYC to celebrate the rights of workers. Two years later, Congress recognized it as a national holiday.
Sep 7, 1813 – "Uncle Sam" is Born. Samuel Wilson, a meat packer from Troy, NY, who supplied barrels of beef to the United States Army with “U.S.” for United States, but soldiers began referring to the grub as “Uncle Sam’s.” A local newspaper picked up on the story and Uncle Sam eventually gained widespread acceptance as the nickname for the U.S. government.
Sep 9, 1971 – Attica Uprising. Prisoners took over Attica Prison in upstate New York to protest deplorable living conditions. Four days later, the governor ordered the prison stormed resulting in the deaths of 33 people. The uprising led to changes in the prison system and the beginning of the prisoner's rights movement.
Thanks for your activism!
Tim Brown, Organizing Director
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