Mayor Nutter declares, "Movements begin with the telling of untold stories."
On July 15th, Media Mobilizing Project celebrated the opening of five new public computer centers in Philadelphia. Some 100 supporters, including Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter, came together to launch the newest chapter in our ongoing effort to tell the untold stories of poor and working people. Mayor Nutter began his remarks with MMP’s slogan: “Movements begin with the telling of untold stories.” He then went on to explain the significance of this project: “You can't truly be free if you don't have information ... And that's what this project is really all about … 44 percent of Philadelphians don't have access to the internet ... How can you truly live in a free society? How can you get the information that you need? How can you be a full participant?"
In a time of budget cuts and high unemployment, these computer centers offer a way to connect people—not just to the internet, but to each other.
Each MMP computer center will be tailored to the specific needs of our community partners: The Taxi Workers Alliance of Pennsylvania (4233 Chestnut Street); the Philadelphia Student Union (4205 Chestnut Street), Casa Monarca (1448 S. 17th Street), SEIU Healthcare PA (1706 Race Street, 3rd Floor) and Logan CDC (4542 N. 11th Street). MMP will provide trainings in digital literacy, advanced computer skills, and community journalism to hundreds of people over the next two years.
Javier Morris, a recent Bodine High School graduate and alumnus of the Philadelphia Student Union, spoke about the impact that the Young Peoples’ Computer Center is having on students:
“The students of Philadelphia who don't have internet access at home are trailing behind students who do. I can tell you that the opening of these public computer centers, such as the Young Peoples' Computer Center, begins to fill this void.”
These centers are part of a citywide network of more than 70 computer centers managed by 13 organizations. They were made possible by an $18.2 million grant from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act’s Broadband Technology Opportunity Program (BTOP).
Andrew Buss, of the City of Philadelphia’s Department of Technology, explained the Media Mobilizing Project’s role in making this grant possible:
“This organization makes government and those of us working in government better. They hold us to a higher standard...You really reminded me of what I think is one of the great roles of government and that's to do great things with the citizens.”
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