Last year, we announced to you that we were changing our name to better reflect our work. We also shared the vision we have for 15 years from now: fully funded schools, massive decarceration, climate relief, and a working democracy.
Right now, in the midst of this crisis, we are even more committed to that vision.
That is why it is with great confidence, we are officially changing our name to Movement Alliance Project.
Our mission is to build power with community organizations working at the intersection of race, technology and inequality. We run strategic campaigns, lift up untold stories, and build infrastructure for poor and working people to win lasting power and a just society.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic reached Philadelphia, we have been using these principles to guide us as we respond to the needs of the moment and work to make that vision for our future a reality.
As a part of the #No215Jails coalition, we have fought to get our neighbors out of jail during this crisis. We worked to bring the powerful stories of those incarcerated to the foreground and pushed the courts to begin a systematic process of review and release. With a group of committed community organizations, we continue to demand freedom for all those who are still trapped behind bars.
With Philly Tech Justice, we launched a campaign demanding real internet access for students and called for an end to the digital divide. We telephoned our neighbors to ask if they needed internet access. We created a comprehensive plan for how the city can provide immediate support and build a system that will keep our communities connected years beyond this crisis.
In collaboration with the Alliance for a Just Philadelphia, we worked with a broad coalition of community organizations to create the Philly People’s Bailout platform to highlight the solutions we believe will get us through this crisis. To make this agenda real we will push the mayor and city council to pass a city budget that calls on corporations and the wealthy to pay their fair share.
We have supported our sponsored projects. For those that have been struggling during this moment, we sourced additional resources. For those that have strengthened existing campaigns, we supplied additional hands.
This work was led by our small staff team of nine, acting when needed, attending meetings, sharing technology expertise, collaborating with our champions in city council, calling press, creating graphics, brainstorming, connecting allies, sharing resources, telephoning neighbors, yelling at comcast, and pressuring the courts.
This is what we do because we believe that when we care for each other, coordinate with each other and break the silos that keep us weak, that we can transform our society.
We invite you to become a sustainer of the Movement Alliance Project as we continue to respond to the crisis while building a movement for the long haul.
We are so incredibly grateful to continue to do this work hand-in-hand with all of you.
Onward,
All of us at Movement Alliance Project
Bryan, Hannah, Helyx, Zoraida, Devren, Mariam, Jenessa, Jacob and Shari
