Blackberry Mansion Call to Action #NewRule

Tuesday, June 21, 2016 i attended an all day workshop on Youth mental health which went over time and caused me to be late for the community meeting at Strawberry Mansion high school. i arrive at the school, sign in converse with some Blaine parents and realize that Principal Wayman is speaking to the community in the auditorium. i inform the parents that i want to record the meeting and ask if we can meet after the meeting to discuss their concerns.

i enter the auditorium pull out my camera and Ms. Wayman is walking out the auditorium informing the community that we can email her if we have any concerns. Tanya Lynn Parker committeewoman for the 35th district thanks Ms. Wayman for informing the community about the dismantling of Strawberry Mansion with privatization and then says if parents want their children to have a better education referring to a charter school, then that's their choice. Heartbreaking hearing that from her, when several years ago she asked me to get petitions signed to keep the charter schools out of our communities. Seems they really don't care about public education just the building and having access to the building. So many people are fooled by the illusion of getting better schools (not education just new school buildings) when all privatizing public education did was steal public resources and fuel the school to prison, to deportation pipeline. How we the ignorant fall for anything.

http://www2.ed.gov/policy/gen/guid/school-discipline/index.html

i signed up to be part of the education committee, to advocated for community schools that keep resources in our schools and communities not to bow down to dismantling of public resources. There is no campaign to inform parents of the zero tolerance schools entering the community, gassing parents up with going to college. Knowing that college is not for everyone and STEAM is in but not in all our schools. Way too many college students homeless and drowning in debt, currently protesting for $15 an hour to work in fast food with their degrees. Yet no one is reaching out to the parents who are stressed and trying to make ends meet, thus don't have the time or resources to be informed. i haven't heard from the education committee and reached out to them twice. If you watch the video you begin to see the political agenda drown out community. i didn't show the disrupption that broke out and how our elders had to step in and calm things down.

i have been interviewing Blackberry Mansion for several years now. Trying to bring us together, i know there is a way to do so just hope we don't lose everything in the process just to bring us together. Sad what is going on in North Philadelphia. We have great principals at Strawberry Mansion and Dobbins high school. Principals who are from North Philadelphia and are truly vested in our families and communities. Yet no one seems to appreciate what we have until we have lost. i spoke to a Stadium Stomppers who told me they requested a community meeting to discuss Temple University taking over our community. i was told that Councilman Clarke told them they weren't getting a community meeting on that topic. i also learned at #UnleashingNP (North Philly) that there is no real plans to invest in North Philadelphia. 

North Philadelphia residents have to get on the phone and call their council persons and city planning commission because the transformation is taking place all around us. Not just Straswberry Mansion but all of North Philly, we have been called to action!! "Stadium Stomppers" are doorknocking informing as many community members as possible about what is going on in the Temple university area!! Rasheeda Phillips created "Community Future Labs" at 2204 Ridge Ave. to connect with her disappearing community? i'm learning about a Strawberry Mansion project with hopes that we are able to get pass the negative b.s. huanting our minds and unite!!

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Summary of Civic Engagement

Civic Engagement began for Philadelphia2035 as a part of the Citywide Vision in 2010. Two series of public meetings were held across Philadelphia that year and attracted hundreds of participants. Community organizations, block captains, and elected officials were crucial to getting the word out about our first comprehensive planning effort in 60 years.

PCPC staff also convened stakeholder meetings with implementing agencies and key advisors, and presented to a variety of individual community and interest groups. On June 7, 2011 the Planning Commission adopted theCitywide Vision. On that same day, PCPC launched the first two of 18 District Plans.

Outreach for District Plans

Like the Citywide Vision civic engagement process, District Plans rely on community organizations, block captains, and elected officials to help us generate consensus and support for implementing plan recommendations. PCPC holds three public meetings for each District Plan. Additionally, every District Plan will have a steering committee that includes representatives of community organizations, city council offices, major land owners, key implementing agencies, and other stakeholders.

Information about public meetings and plan progress is announced through this website, facebook, twitter, email blasts, mailers to block captains, flyers distributed to community organizations, and announcements and presentations at Planning Commission meetings.