Councilwoman Cindy Bass
8th District Councilwoman Cindy Bass, 50
Something I always tell my constituents is that you don’t have to have things in your neighborhood that you don’t want.
In the future, communities will truly believe and walk in that reality. Blackness in the future looks like Black people having the ultimate say in what goes on in our communities.
Blackness in the future looks like Black homeownership achieved with stable, equitable home loans that families can actually repay. It looks like economic equality for Black people. It looks like a worthwhile, 21st-century education for Black children. It looks like quality, Black-owned businesses in diverse industries like pharmacy, grocery and ample sit-down restaurants.The future I envision puts Black people at the forefront of innovation and growth in our own communities. To get there, Black people have to start voting in higher numbers and keep voting. We can’t continue to accept harmful factors in our neighborhood as “business as usual.” To achieve true agency over our communities, we have to embrace the power of the individual and of the community to influence outcomes that ultimately impact our lives.
I’ve already taken steps to help residents reclaim their communities in my 8th District by introducing bills that help remove nuisance establishments like stop-n- go’s that sell beer, liquor and cold medicine to be converted into street drugs next to chips and soda for children. Removing this business model makes room for honest business owners to open sit-down restaurants and other valuable establishments in our communities.
My 8th District Rebuild Community Engagement Committee lets residents work to direct the city on where and how to spend millions of dollars on upgrades to parks, libraries and recreation centers in their neighborhoods.
Steps like these slowly transform our neighborhoods of today into our neighborhoods of the future.
Every single day I work to enact real policies and initiatives that will help my constituents achieve the best possible outcomes for their communities. Blackness in the future is more than a vision for me; it’s a tangible goal.
Councilwoman Cindy Bass' Revolutionary Picks:
Two Black women, Augusta Clark and Ethel D. Allen, were political trailblazers in Philadelphia and are the reason I am where I am today. Anyone who finds an issue in their neighborhoods that they want to fix can learn from the example set by these women, the first two Black women to ever serve on Philadelphia City Council. Ms. Allen was a medical doctor who saw an issue with gang violence in her community and joined politics to make a difference. As the first Black woman on Philadelphia City Council, she created the Philadelphia Youth Commission, which is still in existence today. Ms. Clark was the second Black woman ever to serve on Philadelphia City Council and was a tireless advocate for public schools and education for our children.Both of these women saw issues that needed to be addressed in their communities and took steps to fix them. The principle is simple but bold and necessary to achieve change for Black people.