Andi Perez
I am a movement baby. My great-grandfather on my father’s side, who couldn’t read and write, after union organizing in the coal mines in central Pennsylvania, started and became president of the union in his factory in Philly and successfully raised worker’s wages and improved working conditions. My grandfather on my mother’s side started the union in his machine shop and became the first treasurer—my family still has the first signed charter. My uncle, who joined the army and went AWOL in protest of the Vietnam War, went to prison, and his case went all the way to the Supreme Court, paving the way for conscientious objectors from inside of the military. My father, who as a teacher walked out with students from Edison High School, demanding a new building that was finally built more than 15 years later…Philadelphia’s rich history stems from the Rosemary Cubas, the Tomasitas, the Dan O’Briens, the George Mecks, and Debbie Weis, and of course the countless young people from the Philadelphia Student Union and Youth United for Change who are continuing our human rights struggle and improving our communities.
