While Trump’s rise to the presidency has heightened our political awareness as a country, we also know that he is just one symptom of the injustice and inequality that have been part of our realities for centuries. And while Trump didn’t come from nowhere, the resistance to him, his policies, and his sympathizers hasn’t come from nowhere either.
In Philly We Rise’s new seven-segment series, Reimagining Resistance, we highlight different groups who organize for a just future for our city and our state. These groups know there are battles to be fought — and won — no matter who is in the White House or the State House. They’re fighting for our communities, our families, our city, our state, our country, our world.
We interviewed Lan Dinh of VietLEAD about how reclaiming land allows the Vietnamese immigrant and refugee community to build power. Then Pep Marie Felton, an organizer with PhillySUN, explained how organized communities are the communities that are ready to respond to crisis. Stevanie Theresa of New Sanctuary Movement – Philadelphia described how community networks protect people from deportation.
Meghna Chandra and Derrick Mathis of 215PA reflected on their campaign’s win to get city money out of Wells Fargo, which has a history in Philadelphia and across the U.S. of exploiting and extorting poor communities and communities of color for financial gain.
Put People First PA! operates statewide to demand health and dignity for all Pennsylvanians because healthcare is a human right. Robert Fields of the Southwest Philly Healthcare Rights Committee told his healthcare story and called on people to come together and leverage their power to create change.
Philly organizers are also part of national networks to build power, like Reuben Jones and Elizabeth Long of the #No215Jail Coalition, who joined with cities across the U.S. to raise bail money to free black mothers in time for Mothers Day.
Labor organizations always have and continue to be driving forces for change in Philly. Briheem Douglas, vice president of Unite HERE Philly, told us about workers at Philadelphia Airport protesting being paid poverty wages.
Reimagining Resistance was produced by the 2017 Movement Media Fellows.