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: City Council Candidates Forum, Legal Clinic & Resource Fair
Educate: CM Thomas Driving Equality Documentary w/Q&A
Empower: Sign Up to Canvass, CM Brooks Rent Control Hearing
Sign Up to Canvass & Phone Bank
Immediately
The primary season is upon us and we need to reach out to voters to support our endorsed candidates, including Helen Gym, Seth Anderson-Oberman in the 9th District, Jamie Gauthier in the 3rd District, and our excellent slate of at-large progressives - CM Katherine Gilmore-Richardson, CM Isaiah Thomas, and hopefuls Erika Almiron, Rue Landau, and Amanda McIllmurray.
We'll be setting up shifts soon, so please let us know your intent to canvass and/or phone bank (we'll be using auto-dialer) and someone will reach out to you to help figure out a schedule for you.
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City Council Candidates Forum
Sunday, March 26th, 3PM, Congregation Rodeph Shalom, 615 N. Broad Street
The excitement is building as the Alliance for a Just Philadelphia prepares to conduct its second City Council Candidates Forum focusing on the candidates who have made it on the ballot to become an At-Large Councilmember.
You may recall that the first Forum in 2019 drew more than 1,000 residents at Congregation Rodeph Shalom to hear the candidates speak on a variety of important local issues. With so much on the line in the next four years, we anticipate another large turnout of Philly activists. Be sure to claim your seat by clicking on the link below!
Want to help with the Forum? We're looking for volunteers to sign folks in as they arrive, be ushers, set up and break down the stage and a number of other support roles. If you would like to help, then express your interest by sending an email to tim@phillynn.org.
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Legal Clinic on Expungement & Community Resource Fair
Saturday, March 18th, 11AM-2PM, 3259 North Broad Street
Join us at Mother African Zoar Church for a legal clinic and resource fair. The legal clinic will have experts available to discuss erasing and/or sealing your record. The resource fair will provide help with jobs, healthcare and education. This event is free and open to everyone and a free lunch will be provided.
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Rent Control Hearing
Wednesday, March 22nd, 12PM, Virtual
Councilmember Kendra Brooks and the Rent Control Coalition are hosting a virtual hearing on rent stabilization in Philadelphia on Wednesday, March 22nd starting at 12PM.
Tune in to hear from policy experts, renters, landlords, and community members as we examine the role that rent control could play in addressing rising housing costs, promoting neighborhood stability and safety, and ensuring Philadelphia remains an affordable place to live for working families.
If you would like to provide public comment at the virtual hearing, then please send an email to Glen.Forster@phila.gov.
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Driving Equality: Isaiah Thomas Documentary
Wednesday, April 12th, 6PM, Summit Church, 6757 Greene St
Join us for an eye-opening documentary on Councilmember Isaiah Thomas' historic Driving Equality bill. Thomas speaks personally about his lived experience with traumatic and ineffective pretextual stops, paired with the data that shows this is a citywide and national problem. Councilmember Thomas' bill, just passing one year of enforcement, is being replicated by cities across the nation.
This documentary shares Councilmember Isaiah Thomas' experience, Team Thomas' process for creating and passing this bill, and the reception from the city. The short film will be followed by a Q&A with Councilmember Thomas.
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This Week in History
March 18, 1942 – Japanese Relocation. The War Relocation Authority was established at the start of WWII. More than 120,000 men, women, and children of Japanese decent were rounded up on the West Coast and put into camps.
March 19, 2003 – Bush Attacks Iraq. After months of ginned up rhetoric about WMDs, the Bush Administration began their war on Iraq, leading to the deaths on more than half a million Iraqis and the waste of hundreds of billions of US taxpayer dollars.
March 22, 1972 – Equal Rights for Women. On this day, the Equal Rights Amendment was passed by Congress. The Amendment was designed to provide for the legal equality of the sexes and prohibit discrimination on the basis of sex.
Thanks for your activism!
Tim Brown, Organizing Director