On August 28, 1963, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. stood before a crowd of nearly 250,000 people at the March on Washington and spoke about “the fierce urgency of now”:

“We have also come to this hallowed spot to remind America of the fierce urgency of Now. This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism. Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy.”

Today, we honor Dr. King’s birthday by reminding ourselves that racial justice cannot be achieved unless we take action on the things that matter most.

There is a “fierce urgency of now” for every parent and caregiver making a decision about whether this city can provide a school worthy of their child’s dreams.

There is a “fierce urgency of now” for our neighbors who deserve safety at home and in every community.

There is a “fierce urgency of now” to end redlining and deliver real affordability in our city and to allow residents to age gracefully and with dignity.

There is a “fierce urgency of now” for every entrepreneur and creator dreaming of starting a business to call their own.

There is a “fierce urgency of now” for newly arrived immigrants and residents looking to call this city home.

That’s why we can’t afford to wait as career politicians and out of touch millionaires perpetuate a status quo that doesn’t work for far too many Philadelphians. A Philadelphia politics that relies on the same types of people running our city over and over.

Not me.

I’ve dedicated my life to taking on powerful interests and a status quo politics that hasn’t moved the needle on poverty, educational dysfunction, or the safety of our communities.

In my first year on Council, I guaranteed lead-free clean water in every public school because the health of our children can’t wait.

In less than five years, we slashed evictions by two-thirds because housing justice can’t wait.

We advanced new labor laws in a $7.25/hour minimum wage state because fairness and dignity for workers can’t wait.

And we invested in opportunity funds and Commerce Department grants because growing economic opportunity can’t wait.

More than ever, the imperative of acting with the “fierce urgency of now” is our calling as a city and is a driving force for my campaign. Building the safe, prosperous, equitable, and just communities that we all deserve cannot wait.

Let’s honor Dr. King’s legacy by moving our city – and this country – forward as fiercely and as urgently as the moment demands.

Onward,

Helen
Friends of Helen Gym
PO Box 11766
Philadelphia, PA 19101
United States
www.helengym.com [[link removed]] | [email protected] [[email protected]]
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