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Join us tomorrow afternoon for our all-hands General Membership (virtual) Meeting (be sure to sign up below). On February 12th, take part in a car caravan to protest inhumane conditions at a local prison. Our first Organizing Workshop Training will take place on February 16th. Join us for Movie Night on February 24th, as we show "Changing the World" with a Q&A from the star of this documentary, Heather Booth. And be sure to check out what happened this week in history.
One Last Chance to Sign Up for our Meeting on Saving Democracy
Saturday, January 29th, 3-4:30PM, Virtual Event
Saturday may be cold and snowy, but you can stay warm and engaged by coming to our Virtual General Membership Meeting on Saving Democracy. Not only will you hear inspiring speakers but there will also be a wealth of information on how you can get involved. Thank you to all those who have already signed up, and it’s not too late for all the procrastinators. Click below and join us at …
Kicking off the meeting will be Philadelphia Inquirer columnist Will Bunch, one of our most eloquent local truth-tellers who has written extensively on Jan 6, voter suppression and the rise of fascism. He will highlight the national framework within which our battle for the soul of the country will be taking place.
Rep. Chris Rabb, one of the Legislature’s foremost progressives, will discuss the struggle underway in the legislature to preserve democracy in Pennsylvania, and how it ties into this year’s election for almost every important state and federal office. In between our speakers, we’ll focus on how you can get involved in this year’s incredibly important elections and a raft of economic, social, and environmental issues coming up this year.
Our meeting will be a time to reflect on this moment in history. As never before, it’s truly a time for all-hands to be on deck so we take collective action. Please click below to let us know you will be joining us. Once you sign up, we will promptly send the zoom information to you.
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Car Caravan for Human Rights
Saturday, February 12th, 12:30PM, 4011 Cottman Ave
People inside Philadelphia’s jails are currently experiencing a serious, comprehensive human rights crisis: with severe understaffing, people are being subjected to violence but consistently denied medical care, denied access to counsel and court dates, refused any kind of mental health care–and since nearly everyone in the jails is being denied more than an hour or two of out-of-cell time, the entire system is in the equivalent of solitary confinement. And all this despite most people being held pre-trial.
On Feb 12, our allies at Abolitionist Law Center and Campaign for Human Rights will conduct a car caravan to the Curran-Fromhold Correctional Facility to call on the city to protect the rights of people inside prison, stop using the torture of solitary confinement, and adopt practices that would keep our communities whole and thriving. If you want to phone-bank for the event, click here. If you would like to participate in the car caravan, we will meet up at the Rite Aid located at 4011 Cottman Ave in the Holmesburg section of the city. To sign up, click on the link below.
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Sign Up for Our First Organizing Workshop of 2022
Wednesday, February 16th, 7PM, Virtual Event
Looking to build your organizing skills? Ready to take the leap from activist to leader? Just want to learn more about how organizers do what they do? Then sign up for our first organizing workshop of 2022 as we cover the fundamentals of organizing.
Learn different organizing models, the value of storytelling as an organizing tactic and how to create a storytelling framework, and how to confidently "make an ask" of volunteers. You don't need to bring any organizing knowledge to this workshop, just an open mind and willingness to learn.
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Movie Night: "Changing the World"
Thursday, February 24th, 7PM, Virtual Event
We have a special treat for community activists, as we kick off our Movie Night series with a powerful movie about someone that Senator Liz Warren calls, "the most influential person you never heard of...". Heather Booth is an organizer who has been at the center of almost every social movement of the past 50 years.
She registered voters in the South during the 1964 Freedom Summer, created an abortion rights network during the women’s movement and organized the first sit-in against the Vietnam War. Booth was the person Elizabeth Warren turned to in her fight for financial reform against big banks and Wall Street firms, returning more than $5 billion to consumers. Booth pioneered door-to-door canvassing as an organizing tool and was the co-creator of the renowned Midwest Academy, which has trained more than 45,000 organizers.
In short, she's the real deal. And you'll have an opportunity to meet Heather as she joins us in a viewing of the documentary based on her life, "Changing the World." After the movie, Heather will answer questions from our audience about her life, her organizing challenges and she'll talk about the future of organizing in our current political climate. This is a must-see event.
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Safe Affordable Housing Needed to Prevent More Tragedies
After weeks of investigation, Fire Commissioner Adam Thiel said fire-prevention measures such as installing more smoke alarms and retrofitting homes with sprinkler systems are important steps to reducing deaths and injuries, but “equity is a really important component of this.”
We agree that access to safe, affordable housing is the underlying problem that must be addressed. People double and triple up in housing because they have no alternatives. It's either overcrowding or living on the streets where people are exposed to more unsafe and dangerous conditions. We must work at all levels -national, state, and city- to make safe and affordable housing a basic right for all people.
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Do you receive a "Nextdoor" or "Patch" news feed in your inbox? Want to be part of our social media team promoting upcoming events? Contact Tim at tim@phillynn.org
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This Week in History
Jan 28, 1986 – Shuttle Explosion. A day of celebration ended in tragedy as the space shuttle Challenger exploded during it's launch, losing all aboard including teacher Terry McAuliffe who was on her way to becoming the first civilian to travel into space.
Jan 29, 2022 – PNN All Hands Meeting. Are you signed up yet? (Use the link above)
Feb 3, 2005 – First Hispanic AG. I On this day, Alberto Gonzales won Senate confirmation as the nation’s first Hispanic U.S. Attorney General. It was a day of mixed emotions, as there were protests over his record on torture.
Thanks for your activism!
Tim Brown, Organizing Director
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