Anti-Trump Protests Break Out While Social Justice Academics In Philly
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - A convention of teachers, students and researchers who study communications happened to be meeting in Philadelphia during this election week.
They were here to work with community leaders and activists, when election news changed the stakes.
Nearly 50 Philadelphia-based organizations took part in a social justice exchange hosted by the National Communication Association Convention.
Bryan Crable -- a professor of communication at Villanova -- put together the event.
"The idea was to bring together nonprofit and activist groups from Philly and the surrounding areas to dialogue with communications scholars and activist around partnerships," he explains, "the kinds of possibilities that can emerge from people who teach and study communication, have students interested in communications, essentially getting connected with people who are doing good work on the ground to work for justice for community."
He says the effects of Tuesday's election have changed the tone of the conference:
"People are interested in and sort of energized by conversations about how we can organize for justice because a number of us are concerned that there are a lot of communities in America that are not going to be well served in the next four years."
Amadee Braxton is the board president of the Leeway Foundation, which supports women and trans artists.
"It just felt good to connect with people and to be engaged in conversations about what this election means for us going forward and what we can do together," she says.
Corrine Guest is a therapist at The Open Door, which assists undocumented immigrants.
"It was exciting to hear about people who are interested in bridging the gap between community work and the ivory tower," she tells KYW Newsradio. "We're a tiny organization so were always looking for collaboration, it's an important part of what we do to increase our impact"
The theme of the conference is Communication's Civic Callings and the opening session featured a "die in" with some of the attendees joining the anti-Trump protests in Center City Thursday night.