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As 2018 draws to a close, we are fortunate to look back on a year of incredible victories. Thanks to the support of people like you, we will enter our 50th year in 2019 ready to keep fighting for civil, social and economic rights. In these harrowing times, you give us hope.
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The congressional district map established for the 2018 primary and general elections |
We started the year off with a bang: in a historic victory for Pennsylvania voters, we successfully challenged the state's 2011 congressional district map as a partisan gerrymander in violation of the state constitution. A new map was put in place for the 2018 primary and general elections. In the New Year, we're keeping the fight for free and open elections alive with a challenge to Pennsylvania's absentee balloting system, which disenfranchises thousands of voters.
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| Our school funding lawsuit legal team, petitioners, and supporters after oral argument in March |
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We made great steps forward this year in our case challenging Pennsylvania's inadequate and inequitable school funding system. After Commonwealth Court dismissed legislative leaders' claim that our case was moot, trial is now scheduled for 2020. We are preparing in earnest to prove to the court that thousands of students in low-wealth districts are being denied the education they deserve, and have the constitutional right to receive.
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Housing client Brenda Harrison and Law Center fellow George Donnelly |
We helped low-income tenants in Philadelphia stand up to landlords who discriminated against them, refused to make needed repairs, or failed to follow the law. Working with our clients and other partners, we successfully advocated for many important reforms, including more city funding for legal support in eviction cases and transparency for anonymous LLC landlords. Next year, we will expand this work and empower tenant organizing. We are now hiring a community-based housing lawyer and a community organizer--please share with your networks!
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| New Jerusalem gardeners, supporters and residents with staff attorney Ebony Griffin |
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By filing an adverse possession lawsuit and working with city agencies, we helped New Jerusalem, a residential addiction recovery center and garden in North Philadelphia, secure ownership of plots they had tended for decades. New Jerusalem is just one of many community garden clients we assisted this year through our Garden Justice Legal Initiative.
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Federal Detention Center client Allen Woods and his children |
This year, we supported justice and fairness for incarcerated Pennsylvanians and those who have served time. Our class action lawsuit led to a change in one of the country's most restrictive visitation policies for pre-trial detainees at Philadelphia's Federal Detention Center, allowing more inmates to see their children. And, in a precendential decision, the Third Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed
in our case on behalf of SEPTA job applicants with criminal records
that candidates have the right to review and respond to background check information being used in a hiring decision.
As we enter our 50th year in 2019, we reflect on five decades of helping ordinary people stand up in the face of seemingly insurmountable challenges. Help us prepare for whatever the next 50 years may bring.
If you have not yet donated to support our mission, now is the time. Contributions made by midnight on December 31 are tax deductible for 2018.
Thank you for your support. Happy New Year!
Sincerely,
Jennifer R. Clarke
Executive Director
P.S. Does your employer match your donations? Many companies support causes that are important to their employees by matching charitable contributions. Ask your employer today!
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