PHILADELPHIA, PA – February 1, 2024 – POWER Interfaith invites members of the media to attend “Roadmap for Justice: A POWER Interfaith Convention”, the first statewide gathering of its kind, which aims to bring together faith leaders and advocates for justice from communities across the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
The convention is pivotal in the development of the collective’s platform, which will be used to launch its bold roadmap for the 2024-2025 legislative session:
- Equitable Education Now. Pennsylvania’s children deserve fully funded schools free from racial or economic biases. Providing high-quality education for Black, brown, and low-income families is a moral imperative.
- Climate Justice for All. A prosperous Pennsylvania needs a healthy planet. Pollution and greed have damaged our communities – we must rebuild them sustainably so we all prosper.
- Safe, Free Communities. Everyone deserves to live free. We must change a judicial system that devalues and destroys Black and brown life.
- Jobs with Dignity. Our communities should not be forced to choose between decent jobs, safe housing, wholesome food, and health or child care.
- Defending Democracy. We must work to protect our rights from slow strangulation – easy voting should be expanded, not restricted.
Representatives Bradford (Majority Leader of the House) and Schweyer (Chair of the Education Committee) have accepted the invitation and confirmed their attendance at this assembly. POWER Interfaith members are eager to discuss the platform with lawmakers and encourage them to champion its cause. Rev. Gregory Edwards, Acting Executive Director of POWER Interfaith says, “This convention is a clarion call for communities to embrace their collective strength beyond the ballot box. The presence and attentive listening of our elected officials, coupled with input from leaders representing hundreds of communities, could set the stage for transformative change in Pennsylvania, significantly shaping legislative outcomes for the communities we advocate for.”
What: Statewide convention to establish POWER Interfaith’s legislative agenda and engage in dialogue with state legislators
When: Monday, February 19, 2024, 2:30pm – 3:30pm
Where: Presidential Caterers, 2910 Dekalb Pike, East Norriton, PA 19401
Who: Bishop Dwayne Royster (Interim Executive Director, Faith in Action); Rev. Rachel Nolt (Akron Mennonite Church, Akron, PA); (Rev. Jacqui Pinkney, Bethlehem AME Church, Langhorne, PA); Rev. Keitha Wiggins-Kennedy (St. John A.M.E. Zion Church, Bethlehem PA); Rabbi Abi Weber (Temple Beth Zion-Beth Israel, Philadelphia, PA); Rev. Dr. Patricia McAllister (Mount Zion AME Church, Columbia, PA); Marlene Armatto (POWER Board Member, Pottstown, PA); Representative Matthew Bradford (Majority Leader of the House); and Representative Peter Schweyer (Chair, Education Committee)
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POWER Interfaith is a network of 200 congregations throughout Philadelphia and the surrounding counties, in the Lehigh Valley and in Lancaster, a statewide organizing force for economic and racial justice on a livable planet. More about POWER Interfaith at www.powerinterfaith.org.
