Forum Helps Build Common Narrative Among Working People
On Saturday October 8, Media Mobilizing Project held its first Working People's Media and Communications Forum. The event brought together over 100 leaders from different labor unions and community groups to discuss the way the mass media frames poor and working people. The main event of the forum was a panel, which foregrounded the organizing work of Philadelphia's Firefighters' Union Local 22, Unified Taxi Workers Alliance, Philadelphia Unemployment Project, Pennsylvania Association of Staff Nurses and Allied Professionals (PASNAP), Philadelphia Student Union and moderated by Juntos. Particiants also heard for from Philadlephia's AFL-CIO and Baltimore's United Workers. Throughout the day panelists and other forum attendees spoke to the urgency of building a larger movement while detailing the role of media in this process.
After the forum, Occupy Philadelphia protesters joined MMP's labor network for a march to the Liberty Bell. Marchers called for an end to the culture of corporate greed and the nation-wide assault on working people. Read MMP's closing remarks from the forum:
By MMP's Labor Committtee
Many are wondering what is happening outside of these walls. On September 17th -- the anniversary uof the signing of this country's constitution -- an action took place on Wall Street -- one that has struck a chord with millions of people who are beginning to see clearly that it was not us or our neighbors who caused this current crisis, but a structure of inequality.
Coming into focus is the need to come together. To build our power. A power of and for the poor and working people of this world -- for the future of society. A power that can contend with those forces we are up against.
We as a people are awaking to the fact that together We Are the 99%. Those who teach our children, those who care for the sick, all the workers who keep this city and state running, the janitors, the security guards, the restaurant workers, construction workers, firefighters, taxi drivers -- ambassadors of this city, nannies and domestic workers, the courageous young people of this state fighting for a quality education, those fighting to pay for healthcare, decent housing, the unemployed and underemployed. Those sitting in jail cells and detention centers. The people of this city and the those in small towns and cities across Pennsylvania. The poor and those who once called themselves middle class. Those who have suffered for a long time and those whose losses are yet to come.
Today we see clearly that the least of us is the most of us.
In June of 2011, it was an honor to meet Marian Kramer and General Baker who have been leading fights for poor and working people in Detroit, Michigan for nearly 4 decades.
What struck me was hearing them talk about the rising of the working class and what a great feeling it is to see. But its not only a great feeling. Marian once told MMP in an interview, "You say the working class is not ready, you don't see why they are not rebelling. I want to know what you are going to do when they do. Are you going to be able to deal with it?"
We know that it is not enough to be angry. And we know that wall street is not just a set of buildings. How will will we respond to power with power? THIS is the question of today.
MMP believes we must continue to:
1) BUILD A NETWORK of leaders and organizations who stand up and fight for the 99% of us.
2) Support and Build our LEADERSHIP: we will need many clear, competent, committed and connected leaders as we move forward.
3) We need an infrastructure for our EDUCATION, so that we can think critically together about what we are coming up against and what we can do together to change our conditions.
4) TELL the UNTOLD STORIES. We must continue to build the media and communications infrastructure of this movement. One that pushes out our struggles and our fights but one that continues to connect us all, that asserts who we are and what we stand for.
In the face of this growing devastation, in order to further develop our ability to tell the real story of the wealthiest country in the world -- a story of people suffering and up against a wall -- MMP is launching our first campaign. Telling the Untold Story of Philadelphia and Pennsylvania.
- As part of this campaign, this network along with the multitudes of people suffering in isolation, will collect thousands more untold stories with the people of PA through surveys, audio and video interviews.
- In the year to come MMP TV will host a series town hall meetings to push out our stories and hear from the people of Philadelphia and PA.
- We will continue to cover the lives of working people, the attacks being wages against us and our fight back through the broadcast of Labor Justice Radio, Radio Unidad and PSU's youth run program, On Blast.
- We will come together at in the neighborhood technology centers--in north, west and south Philadelphia and Center City--using these centers as places to meet-up, learn and build with each other.
- This fall, MMP invites all those serious about continuing this conversation and this struggle to the Working People's Media and Communications Institute. This is four week media and movement school that continues to build our connection to one another, our clarity about what we are up against and our commitment to a movement that can win.
- We also invite you to take part in helping us build our media infrastructure. You can do this by becoming a part of Labor Justice Radio and Radio Unidad --our shows produced by workers. You can become a part of MMPTV, a TV show on Philadelphia's public access TV station PhillyCam. You can become a part of our blogs, you can take part in our many training and you can join us by joining and endorsing our campaign and making sure your stories and struggles are captured by our team of media makers.
- And today. right now. We will take the streets together to declare that we are the 99% and to demonstrate our commitment to the people of this city, this region and the world.
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