Building a Justice Agenda in Philadelphia

by 
Margaret Lenzi, for the Shuttle

It’s been quite a year so far.  Many of us have been fighting back against the Trump regime with some success, but now Philadelphia Neighborhood Networks thinks it’s time to move beyond resistance. So we’re having an organizing meeting to develop a justice platform and build the political infrastructure to make it happen. Join us in doing this work on Sunday, Sept. 24, 2:30-5 p.m., at First United Methodist Church of Germantown, 6001 Germantown Ave.

Keynoting the meeting will be Larry Krasner, the Democratic candidate for district attorney, who supports a criminal-justice platform that focuses on redemption, not revenge. At the meeting we will highlight issues Neighborhood Networks already works on, ranging from education to environment, public banking and health care, and discuss how you can get involved. We’ll also review the latest draft of a proposed Progressive Platform that we hope will reflect the wide range of concerns of the developing intersectional movement in Philadelphia.

To advance this platform, we must recognize that all politics is truly local. That’s why we are launching the Committeeperson Project at this meeting. Working with other local groups, our goal is to elect hundreds of committeepeople across the city. We want an army of progressive committeepeople in every neighborhood supporting progressive candidates and issues. Fortunately, the timing is right, as all committeepeople are up for election in the May 2018 primary. 

Particularly strong in Northwest Philadelphia, Neighborhood Networks is an independent progressive political organization that has worked since 2005 to advance progressive ideas and programs and political candidates who support them. 

Join us Sept. 24 as we lay out a road map to build a justice agenda in Philadelphia. Learn how you can be involved from the ground up. 

For more info and to RSVP, visit www.phillynn.org or email info@phillynn.org.

Margaret Lenzi is a former president of the Weavers Way Board of Directors.