Amistad Movement Power

POPULAR EDUCATION SERIES: AMISTAD MOVEMENT POWER HELD A SERIES OF VIRTUAL POLITICAL EDUCATION WORKSHOPS ON PRESSING ISSUES IN OUR COMMUNITIES: GUN VIOLENCE, WEALTH INEQUALITY, THE NEED FOR ALTERNATIVE PUBLIC SAFETY SOLUTIONS, AND THE IMPORTANCE OF VOTING. PARTICIPANTS HEARD FROM EXPERTS AND COMMUNITY LEADERS, WATCHED PERTINENT MEDIA, HAD THOUGHTFUL BRAINSTORMS AND DISCUSSIONS, AND WERE ABLE TO COME AWAY WITH THE TOOLS TO ENGAGE WITH THE ISSUES DEEPLY IN CONVERSATIONS WITH FRIENDS OR NEIGHBORS. VOLUNTEER CANVASSING PROGRAM: AMISTAD MOVEMENT POWER BEGAN TO BUILD, TRAIN, AND COORDINATE A BASE OF VOLUNTEERS WHO ARE PEOPLE WHO ARE DIRECTLY IMPACTED BY OR DEEPLY CARE ABOUT MASS INCARCERATION IN PENNSYLVANIA. THESE VOLUNTEERS PARTICIPATED IN CANVASSING IN THE WEST PHILADELPHIA AND GERMANTOWN NEIGHBORHOODS OF PHILADELPHIA ON THE WEEKENDS LEADING UP TO THE NOVEMBER ELECTION, SHARING INFORMATION WITH VOTERS ABOUT THE ELECTION WHILE ALSO IDENTIFYING OTHERS WHO ALSO CARE ABOUT MASS INCARCERATION AND MIGHT WANT TO GET MORE INVOLVED WITH OUR WORK. MOVEMENT CELEBRATIONS: IN COORDINATION WITH OTHER ORGANIZATIONAL PARTNERS, WE CO HOSTED TWO SOCIAL EVENTS, "DECARCERATE AND CHILL," A SUMMERTIME OUTDOOR FESTIVAL AND "DECARCERATE AND BE MERRY," A HOLIDAY PARTY. THE PURPOSE OF THESE EVENTS WAS TO BRING OUR HARDWORKING MOVEMENT FAMILY TOGETHER FOR A TIME OF JOY, CELEBRATION AND COMMUNITY BUILDING. AT DECARCERATE AND CHILL, ORGANIZATIONS HAD TABLES WITH INFORMATION ABOUT THEIR WORK. AT BOTH EVENTS, WE WERE ABLE TO SHARE WITH THE AUDIENCE ABOUT WHAT THE MOVEMENT HAD ACCOMPLISHED. BASE MEMBER ATTENDEES ALSO INTERACTED WITH PUBLIC OFFICIALS WHO ATTENDED.