MMP

Check out Episode Two of the Poverty Tour Documentary: I Had Everything. This segment focuses on the emergence of a new poor in America that were formerly of the middle class.

 "Understanding Our Struggles and Changing Our Conditions:  A Poverty Tour Documentary" premiered last night on the Tavis Smiley show on PBS stations nationwide.

Because the federal health reform bill signed into law today (Tuesday, March 23)  fails to make health care truly universal and equitable, human right to health care advocates across the country are pushing their state legislatures to implement more effective and comprehensive measures at the state level. In Vermont, for example, the Vermont Workers’ Center’s Healthcare Is a Human Right Campaign has galvanized legislative action with a powerful grassroots organizing and advocacy strategy.

A number of Philadelphia groups MMP is connected with are gathered with others from around the country and the world to develop leaders of a movement to end poverty. Here is some coverage of the School in the mainstream press. 

http://wvgazette.com/News/200908090058

http://www.philly.com/philly/wires/ap/news/state/pennsylvania/52903102.html

Stay tuned for reports from the School participants at:

http://pileadershipschool.wordpress.com/

In late April, the Baltimore based human rights organizing group United Workers Association held a major human rights march and protest to announce the worst of the worst of the employers in Baltimore's Inner Harbor.

In the recent edition of Times Magazine Matt Vilano looks at the role computer nerds can play in saving journalism. The piece details the forward looking work of the Knight Foundation and allied journalism schools like Northwestern's Medill, which have created specialized degrees in journalism for software programmers, in order to find solutions to the crisis in journalism. The assumption is that whiz kid programmers are going to develop software, like Everyblock, that will make journalism both relevant and financially solvent in the age of the Internet.

We had our first official screening, with the United Way of Southeastern Pennsylvania featuring media by four amazing organizations working in Philly. We thought this was the best way to highlight the lesser known mission of Dr. King - his passion for economic justice. To set the tone, we watched some footage from Citizen King, a documentary of the final years of his life. The movie is available from the Free Library (there are 33 copies in libraries all over the city) and its amazing so check it out!

Khalif Dobson of Philadelphia Student Union (!!) kicked it off with a powerful speech. We saw a montage of the media produced by MMP and others we're connected to, and then the panel screened 3 pieces and talked about their mission and messaging. Hopefully others will post their statements because there were some wise words by many, and photos too! Here's my intro to the montage...

The mass media played many roles in the life and legacy of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. His messages and strategy were judged, and interpretations presented to the wider public on TV, radio and in newspapers. This became the lens through which King' message was known even during his lifetime.

Labor Justice radio is a monthly radio program that advocates justice for all working people. This program addresses issues that affect Philly's union members, working families and their surrounding communities. The show is produced collaboratively by members of Unite Here, SEIU Local 32 BJ, the United Taxi Workers Alliance of Pennsylvania and Media Mobilizing Project. Labor Justice Radio airs on West Philadelphia's community radio station, WPEB 88.1FM. Labor Justice Radio provides news and analysis from the perspective of working people.