PHILADELPHIA—Residents concerned over their ability to afford life’s necessities may want to follow the second phase of the Make Philly Affordable (MPA) campaign closely. This past spring, the grassroots coalition pressed Mayor Cherelle Parker and the City Council to allocate a portion of the $1.1 billion budget surplus to food, housing, schools, rec centers, libraries, SEPTA and renewable energy. MPA says this would improve quality of life for the city’s working people. Following activist-organizer Erica Brown’s 21-day hunger strike in May, MPA will continue the budget campaign into the fall.
On August 30, MPA hosted a public fundraiser in North Philly featuring acts by musician TCG (Tired of Constantly Grinding) Beatz, a community open mic, and baked goods for sale. A multiracial and intergenerational crowd attended and contributed material support for Make Philly Affordable 2.0 this fall.
Core MPA organizer Giavanna Troilo explained that their campaign will focus on bringing more neighbors into active struggle for the campaign’s budget demands. MPA 2.0 will also address what they consider the city’s flawed hiring system.
“It’s Mayor Parker’s job to ensure money generated by working Philadelphians’ labor is used to meet their needs, and she failed to do that this past budget cycle,” said Troilo. “We’ve been training, and this fall, we’ll be engaging the public directly, while demanding the mayor initiate a mid-year transfer of funds to our public services.”
Jendaiya and Hannah, two organizer-artists, supported the Kickstarter fundraiser by inviting attendees to engage with both the Declaration of Interdependence and the Gardens of the Future cultural projects. Jendaiya invited attendees to sign on to a series of commitments that aim to foster a new culture that promotes reciprocity, ecological balance, Lenape knowledge and stewardship, and the right for all to thrive.
Hannah encouraged those interested to contribute to the Community Dreams Altar, made entirely from repurposed trash materials. Hannah says their process from sourcing trash materials, open invitations for people to shape the art over months-long periods, and bringing projects to different neighborhoods to participate helps keep the spirit of the Declaration of Interdependence alive.
MPA has secured ongoing strategic support from seven City Council members on top of verbal support from each district and at-large member. Even Mayor Parker hosted coalition representatives and expressed her support for the budget demands. Whether or not MPA’s second phase can force elected officials to spend precious political capital remains to be seen.
Despite continuous turmoil in Philadelphia public schools, a demoralized civil service, an escalation of ICE operations, and increasingly violent weather events, there’s no sign of the Philadelphia working class giving up without a fight.
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