CED Alumni Featured on NPR

PEOPLE'S PROPERTY CAMPAIGN
          
For Information Contact:
Parisa Norouzi -(202) 234-9119
parisa@empowerdc.org
 
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (February 29, 2008)

Empower DC Activists Featured on NPR's
"This American Life"

The latest installment of the award winning public radio program "This American Life" included a segment focusing on gentrification and displacement around the nation, and will feature the voices of several Empower DC members. 
The theme of one "chapter" of the hour-long radio documentary show was the long suspected "Plan" to displace low and moderate income African American and immigrant residents from the District of Columbia, to bring in a wealthier and white-dominant resident base.
Today, many residents see rampant displacement due to gentrification as proof of the plan, and are working together to organize against displacement.  Among those that were interviewed for the show are DC activists who are fighting to save their neighborhood schools, preserve affordable housing and save public property. 
Activists hope that the program will provide a snapshot of the widespread and harmful impacts of economic policies that result in gentrification and displacement and inspire an intensified involvement. 
Empower DC is a grassroots organizing project whose work builds the political power of low and moderate income DC residents so that they may impact the policies and decisions directly impacting their lives.  Empower DC leads the People's Property Campaign which is working to save public property like schools, libraries and parks for public use, and to end the disposition of public property for private profit. 

The program aired on WAMU 88.5 FM at 12:00 Noon this Saturday March 1, 2008.
"This American Life" episodes are archived online at http://www.thislife.org/.