From the desk of Rita Addessa, Executive Director
(June 24 1998)
Dear Members and Friends,
In the fall of 1997, Senator Allen Kukovich [D-Westmoreland County] agreed to serve as prime sponsor for the introduction of the Pennsylvania Civil Rights Initiative twin civil rights bill. The Senator has changed his mind [1]. Over the last month, Initiative partners from across the state organized phone banks to ask friends and allies to call their legislators as well as the promised cosponsors (5 Senators and 13 or 14 Representatives) to move the bills forward, obtain assigned bill numbers, and begin the public debate. I encourage you to join our sisters and brothers in this effort.
Interim Strategy Status: According to the House and Senate Clerks, bills can be introduced at any time whether or not the legislature is in session. Introduction in 1998 is an important first-step. We are encouraging people who support the extension of civil rights in employment, housing, public accommodations, and education to send the two postcards enclosed to your representatives today. People are encouraged as well to take the extra step and to organize among friends, organizations, and institutions to support the Initiative; in addition, people who are interested in participating in radio or print interviews are encouraged to call the Task Force. The Initiative is in search of prime sponsors and additional cosponsors in now both the House and the Senate – our success depends on individuals and organizations’ creation of a groundswell of support for basic civil rights. Let’s do our part.
About Police Chief Timoney:
Our May 20, 1998 collaborative briefing with the new police chief was productive and informative [2]. Two of three meeting objectives were met: Timoney has agreed to meet biannually and the fall 1998 meeting will focus, we trust, on the chief’s response to long-range policy recommendations submitted to him in advance of the May 20 discussion. Timoney’s office has advised us that John Gallagher, legal counsel who participated at the briefing, is reviewing a general policy submitted to Timoney for his immediate adoption [3].
On Education: Policy 102 Implementation (Multiracial-cultural-gender education)
On June 10, Floyd Alston, President of the Board and a 102 champion, together with Vice President Pedro Ramos and several new board members listened respectfully to Policy 102 advocates argue for a focused, public, and accountable 102 implementation plan [4]. Policy implementation recommendations focus on: institutional commitment; structure; reporting; curriculum and instructional materials; professional development: policy conformance; concept/language barriers; and affirmative and expansive hiring policies and practices to enable meaningful 102 implementation [a copy of the recommendations – about 12 pages including attachments is available on request]. Three specific meeting objectives await the Board President’s consultation with his full board [5].
Notes:
[1]. At a May 5 1998 Harrisburg briefing with 16 Initiative representatives from across the state, Kukovich shared his willingness to introduce the proposed bills in early June if Philadelphia senators would agree. By June 1, three of the four promised cosponsors (Vincent Hughes, Allyson Schwartz, and Hardy Williams) indicated their agreement to move forward and to follow Kukovich’s lead. On June 4, Senator Kukovich faxed a letter saying that he would prefer "more senate support" and a "low-key strategy" (by inference: not the proposed twin civil rights bills).
[2] Karen Black, Esq. PILCOP; Judge John Braxton, legal counsel to the Barristers and Task Force Advisor; Will Gonzalez, Esq., Executive Director, Police Barrio Relations Project; Larry Gross, Ph.D., Task Force Co-Chair; Larry Krasner, Esq., member with Larry Gross of the Mayoral appointed September 12, 1991 Police Review Panel; Will O’Brien, on behalf of Sr. Mary Scullion, Project Home.
[3] Short-Term Objective: Amend and reissue Policy Statement 1987-4
It is the policy of the Philadelphia Police Department to ensure that rights guaranteed by state and local laws and the U.S. Constitution are protected for all citizens regardless of their race or ethnicity, gender or gender identity, sexual orientation or marital status, age or disability, religion or economic status. When such rights are infringed upon by violence, threats or other harassment, the Department will use every necessary resource to rapidly and decisively identity the perpetrators, arrest them, and bring them before the Court. All acts of violence or threats, particularly bias-related incidents, will be viewed as serious, and the investigations will be given priority attention. Such acts generate fear and concern among victims and result in loss of public confidence. (Originally issued May 5, 1987 as a policy "regarding the reporting and investigation of such incidents." Categories in italics will conform the policy statement to the Philadelphia Fair Practices Act, in part).
[4] Sue Cassidy, President-Elect, PFLAG/Philadelphia and Melina Waldo, Regional Director, PFLAG/PA, DE, and NJ; Larry Gross, Ph.D., CoChair and Professor of Communications; Helen Gym, member, Asian Americans United; Ernest Jones, Executive Director, Greater Philadelphia Urban Affairs Coalition; Aissia Richardson, parent, and staff member Black United Fund, and Bertha Waters, LSW, formerly Pennsylvania Department of Education Equity Coordinator.
[5] Meeting Objectives: To determine the Board’s institutional commitment to 102 adopted in January 1994; to get the Board’s commitment to publish required annual reports (January 1995-1998) by October 1998 that are specific, dated, and attributed (Policy 102. Section 4.4); and, to obtain the Board’s commitment to convene a larger meeting in December 1998 with 102 advocates and key implementation partners (e.g. Annenberg Challenge Grant the Business Roundtable; Philadelphia Education Fund; University of Pennsylvania; the William Penn Foundation; and PEW etc. with all leadership staff involved in the oversight, tracking and monitoring of Policy 102 to analyze completed and pre-distributed 102 results reports.
N.B. If you would like to call Philadelphia Board of Education President Floyd Alston and/or Philadelphia Police Chief John Timoney, please see the yellow postcard enclosed which provides a "mini" report inclusive of contact phone numbers. Many thanks. And thanks to members who have sent contributions – please do ask friends and colleagues for their financial support of our work. It is very critical right now – just $10 from everyone you know will free us to focus on civil and human rights work – not fundraising.