Progressive Democrats Gather for 10 Year Anniversary

NORTHAMPTON, Mass. - April 13, 2014 - PRLog -- Northampton, MA.—On May 10th Progressive Democrats of America (PDA) will celebrate their 10^th year anniversary, gathering with National Advisory Board Members, National Staff, State and Local Leadership, as well as leading progressives. Attendees will gather at First Churches of Northampton at 129 Main Street to hear from Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-VT; Rep. Jim McGovern, D-MA; National Nurses United Political Director Michael Lighty; Author / Activist Tom Hayden; Actress / Activist Mimi Kennedy; Author / TV and Radio Host Thom Hartmann; Writer / Healthcare Activist Donna Smith; National Coordinator, Labor Campaign for Single Payer Mark Dudzic; Author / Columnist John Nichols, The Nation magazine; Author / Columnist Jim Hightower; In These Times Magazine Writer Cole Stangler; CODE PINK cofounder Medea Benjamin; and many more! Tickets are available on the National Website at http://www.pdamerica.org.

PDA National Director, Tim Carpenter said, “PDA is proud to gather many of our founding members and new allies in Northampton, Massachusetts to mark 10 years of organizing. We launched PDA in 2004 in the shadow of the Democratic National Convention in Roxbury, Massachusetts. Now, we’re returning to Mass. to honor our achievements and plan our next ten years of activism inside and outside the Democratic Party.”

Carpenter added, “When we started PDA, we had a clear and unique mission: to strengthen the progressive voice inside and outside the Democratic Party by using ‘inside/outside’ and ‘grassroots fusion’ models. We’ve put our mission into action, organizing at state conventions, within the halls of Congress, at the Denver and Charlotte DNC conventions, as well as at countless marches, street-heat protests, and other outside actions. It’s so important to take account of how far we’ve come since 2004, and plan where we hope to go in the next decade.”

Carpenter said, “Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Jim McGovern have graciously agreed to join us. We’re also so pleased to reunite with leaders who’ve been with us since Roxbury including Mimi Kennedy, Medea Benjamin, Tom Hayden. We will also recognize those who’ve joined us over the years. Without people like Donna Smith, John Nichols, Jim Hightower, and Thom Hartmann we’d have never achieved the progress we’ve enjoyed. They and many others have made all the difference in our struggle. We know we can count on them moving ahead.”

Progressive Democrats of America is a federal PAC, founded in 2004 to transform American politics and reform the Democratic Party to focus on principles including: economic and social justice; environmental protection; healthcare as a human right; ending corporate rule; election integrity; fair‚ not “free” trade; equality for all; and ending wars and occupations. Visit: http://www.pdamerica.org/

Contacts:    Tim Carpenter, PDA National Director 413-320-2015