January 7, 2016 {Thursday}
Statement to the New Mayor, Mayor James Kenney; & The New & Older City Council Members.
From Brother Tracy
Gibson,
I welcome you into office with LOVing arms from a Black
activist, a Man who LOVes GOD, and a Man who will do anything within reason to
advocate for Black People, Black Children & Black elderly. I have talked to
a lot of People about the new People coming into City Hall and even the most
difficult skeptics say they have a warm feeling about perceived change sweeping
City government and a warm feeling about things getting better for the most
poor & left out. I often find
myself reluctantly in line at area soup kitchens at the end of the month
because the money just doesn’t stretch until the end of the month and into the
new month without a little help. My
Sister, GOD Bless Her, always chips in because She knows I have high bold
pressure and can’t always eat the food from church missions which can be high
in salt, fat and sugar and unhealthy for me.
Yet, as a Man of Hope and a man of GOD, I feel this life continues to be
promising, enriching, an educational experience and I cherish each and every
day GOD grants me to live and help myself & others. I say help others because I’m often pressed into
service to help others because it doesn’t just work for me on Martin Luther King, Junior Day only. I have to help others, or my life’s mission
is erased and my purpose goes unheeded.
I often put myself second like any good
Black Earth Father such as myself, often does. I don’t have any blood
relative children of my own. So I have taken on the insurmountable task of
adopting each and every woman, man and child {including transgendered People,
White People, Asian People, Gay & Lesbian People, East Indian People,
Palestinians, Jewish People, Arab People, Native People & Black People—these
are all Spiritually my children even though many of them are much older than me
or much younger—or even the same age. I
feel responsible. Even if I have volunteered for hours, for over two months
like I recently did with the Church of
the Advocate at 18th & Diamond Street, for several weeks,
even if I volunteer for the day and see a lady denied entrance to SEPTA because
She is a quarter short, I will reach down into my pocket and give 25 cents, if
I have it. Sometimes I won’t do this because the financial burden is just too
great for me to allow. I know How much
it actually cost to run SEPTA. If I’m not mistaken, the Common’s Wealth of
Pennsylvania has to kick in about another $5. every time someone takes SEPTA
anywhere for a single ride. That is a
phenomenal amount of money even by today’s standards!!!! I know I have rung the
bells for SEPTA several times before. I have written in about the daily heroism
I see when SEPTA’s female and male drivers actually have to strap in riders who
are disabled. People have gotten used to
being patient and waiting, but this is something People had to learn -- To be patient and wait for People who have a
disability. My particular disability is
a behavior problem so People can’t see it. They call it a mental illness
{Bipolarism with Schizophrenic features } but it has been more of a journey
than a disability in my case. But all that aside, I want to wish you all the best.
I applied for work with Mayor Kenney,
but I have heard nothing yet. I have all kinds of qualifications including:
years of college & a journalism degree; a lOVe for film; years of work in
the entertainment industry (I worked for TV
Guide Magazine as a listings writer for 13 years & for The Philadelphia Tribune for a year
& a half); two certificates from a free Community Program at the Wharton School for Commerce at the
University of Pennsylvania; a number of classes with the Money School in Delaware; Graduate
level classes at Temple University
and Jones International University;
an extensive background -- spanning over 35 years -- doing activism work in the Black Community. (This
has included successfully advocating that area pharmacies stop carrying cigarettes.
The theory is what on Earth are pharmacies – a place of healing and health --
doing selling deadly cigarettes? CVS was
the only network of pharmacies with the courage to actually take cigarettes off
the shelves & stop selling them. I
also advocated that socialist countries like Cuba and Russia NOT show off their
military weaponry on May First, 2015 so as to not further spark a further U.S.
and Western arms buildup. I also
devised, over six years, a Peace Plan for the Middle East {Write me and I’ll
give you all the details}. Part of my community activism also included selling
positive-message Tee-Shirts for Black families and others who have the courage
to put their progressive politics on their backs. This was a test marketing
program that went fairly well. One Tee-Shirt was a good seller for Black youth
and Black families. I also financially supported and designed a program for a
young Black man {27} which allowed Him to visit a working City Council session.
We also went to the Liberty Bell, He studied electric wiring with a qualified
teacher and took a vegetarian cooking class among other duties. He was paid a
salary from my corporation. ). I also have a deep-rooted LOVe for media work; a
good personality and a high level of social intelligence; a strong ability to
be a team player & yet retain my strong proven points of view; contacts
with civic leaders, religious leaders, community leaders and politicians in the
City of Philadelphia; an ability to smooth over hurt feelings, negotiate, make
things better for People & help them actually be included when this is the
actual goal of the People in charge of a government at any level or any
situation ; an ability to utilize money in effective Ways to make a lasting and
on-target positive impact; and a strong
faith in GOD. { I applied for work
specifically in the Film Department but
don’t have a specific credential for such work}. I want to work as a consultant
and Am in the process of filling out papers for disadvantaged and / or disabled
workers. I Am working to help the City
discover and take full advantage of my skills and get full consideration and
cooperation in this work matter from Mayor
Kenney. I will send a copy of this
letter to Mayor Kenney, Sister Jannie Blackwell, Brother Darryl Cark and others
very soon. In the meantime, this letter will stand on my blog for the public to
see. There are over 500 articles on my
blog so the public can see for themselves my own mastery of writing and check
out my resume to see what qualifications I have. {http://thePoliticsofReal.Blogspot.Com
}. With this letter I Am working to
create a groundswell of public support from the community {especially
the Black community & The Gay & Lesbian Community} because I Am very
familiar with these communities in much of my work. I Am a fine addition to Mayor Kenney’s steam’in
team. I will keep the pressure on because I’ve never worked in City Government and
I feel this is a good time to start.
Blessings & Peace,
Brother Tracy Gibson