Just Strategies

Dwayne Wharton of Just Strategies and Karen Hofman, Professor at University of the Witwatersrand in South Africa, recently participated in a Center for Health and Wellbeing podcast on the effectiveness of soda taxes - comparing efforts and outcomes in Philadelphia and South Africa. Check it out.

This episode of The Princeton Pulse Podcast explores the effectiveness of levies on sugar-sweetened beverages, comparing experiences from South Africa and Philadelphia. Sometimes called “soda taxes” or “sugar taxes,” they are used as a policy tool to address rising rates of obesity and other non-communicable diseases, and the related social and economic costs.

Do these taxes actually work in terms of making people healthier? Can a regressive tax be progressive in its design and impact? Host Heather Howard, a professor at and former New Jersey Commissioner of Health and Senior Services, discusses these issues with two guests who were instrumental in the adoption of sugar-sweetened beverage taxes: Dr. Karen Hofman, a pediatrician and research professor at the University of Witwatersrand, who helped South Africa become the first Sub-Saharan African country to implement this kind of tax; and Dwayne Wharton, a health equity advocate behind Philadelphia’s beverage tax.

Wits Faculty of Health Sciences, Just Strategies, Princeton School of Public and International Affairs

Listen Now ⬇️

https://chw.princeton.edu/news/can-sugary-beverage-taxes-improve-public-health

So excited to announce that Tanda Francis has been selected to create the Marian Anderson sculpture to be located at Philadelphia's historic Academy of Music. As noted in this article, "she will now set to work on developing and refining her initial proposal portraying the singer and civil rights leader as an “Afro-future goddess” with a “graceful, angelic” feel." Francis also said she "sought to capture specific characteristics of Anderson: her music, of course, but also her humanity and something in the way she held herself." Please check out her beautiful rendering for yourself.

Meet the artist who will finally give Marian Anderson her Philly place of honor Drexel-trained Tanda Francis is creating the long due statue of Anderson, which will stand outside the Academy of Music.

The Marian Anderson Sculpture Commission, composed of art professionals, philanthropists, and civic leaders in Philadelphia and the surrounding region, will be selecting a final artist for the commissioning of a commemorative sculpture of Marian Anderson to be located adjacent to the Academy of Music in Philadelphia.

Meet one of the five finalists, Vinnie Bagwell. Vinne is an American sculptor who is originally from Yonkers but grew up in the town of Greenburgh, NY. When sculpting she tends to use bronze and bronze resin as a medium. She is known for creating pieces that express historic black images. Bagwell created “The First Lady of Jazz” at the Yonkers Metro-North train station; it is the first public artwork of a contemporary African-American woman to be commissioned by a municipality in the United States.

Please check out Vinnie's amazing work: https://www.vinniebagwell.com/

Calling Artist Sculptors: The Marian Anderson Sculpture Committee is inviting artists to submit their qualifications for an opportunity to produce a commemorative bronze sculpture of Marian Anderson to be located adjacent to the Academy of Music in Philadelphia.

This sculpture will mark the first named African American female’s likeness to be honored in sculptural form in the City of Philadelphia. If selected from the first round of RFQ, artists will receive a stipend, meet with the Sculpture Committee and selection team, and present their proposals for a sculpture.

Artists of color and female artists are strongly encouraged to apply. Please see details here: https://www.associationforpublicart.org/apa-now/news/marian-anderson-sculpture-project-now-seeking-artists/

Marian Anderson Sculpture Project Now Seeking Artists - Association for Public Art Submissions due May 1, 2022. The sculpture will be the first permanent statue of a historic Black female figure in Philadelphia's history.

Just Strategies and Temple University are teaming up to offer a certificate course in Public Policy Advocacy to help people and organizations understand the policy process, take a problem a reframe it into a policy-solution, and share the tools and strategies to champion a vision for change.

How Can We Build More Just Communities? Thanks to our friends and partners at Urban Consulate we'll be hosting cross-city conversations on Wednesdays in August at 7pm (ET) with some really dope people. Mark your calendars & please join us! https://www.facebook.com/UrbanConsulate/

Read the latest from Sara Zimmerman & Dwayne Wharton, Protest and Policy Go Hand in Hand.

https://mailchi.mp/6a3a9e5ace94/protestpolicy?e=17391cf157

Protest & Policy Go Hand in Hand - a 72% decrease in police violence is estimated if police departments adopt Check out https://8cantwait.org/ to see how your city scores and demand your elected officials make change.

We have exciting news to share! Dwayne Wharton and Sara Zimmerman have teamed up to form Just Strategies.

As advocates and nonprofit professionals with decades of experience in organizational change, community leadership, and policy advocacy, our work is centered around shifting power to those closest to issues so they can lead the change that results in a more just and fair world. We are thrilled about the opportunity to combine our talents to support and catalyze equity-driven change.

It's now easier to contact Just Strategies.