To the Editor,

John Caskey, Joseph Wharton Professor of Economics

I would like to thank Swarthmore College, and professors John Caskey and Hansjakob Werlen in particular, for inviting the Making A Change Group to contribute to the college’s current Lifelong Learning series, “Towards an Economy of Distributive Justice.” The classes in this free, online series focus on different forces that perpetuate economic disparities, especially along racial and ethnic lines. The series also offers resources for participants interested in activism and volunteerism.

The first class, Professor Caskey’s “Why Is Chester, Pennsylvania, So Poor? The Role of Housing in the Concentration of Poverty,” focused on low-income housing in Chester. He explained that although such housing is necessary for many of the city’s residents, its current abundance may create a daunting roadblock to the revitalization of the area. The key to progress, he suggested, lies in developing equitable housing policies.

We appreciate that the voices of the Making a Change Group and others in Chester are being included in the presentations, so that the concerns of those impacted by current and future policies may be heard and counted. While broad changes in policy may well be necessary to adequately resolve many of our city’s issues, we are grateful for the opportunity to also share the grassroots work our residents are currently engaged in, such as violence prevention, community development, and family and youth advocacy.

We are grateful to the college for its attention to activism, and we are also grateful to the many community members who have reached out to us to offer their personal and financial support. When we grow our alliances, we have the best chance of success, both in the community and at the level of government.

Best wishes,
Cory Long
Executive Director, Making A Change Group

makingachangegroup.org
cory@makingachangegroup.org

Register for the rest of the Lifelong Learning series.