FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
News from Progress Michigan
March 4, 2017
Contact: Marissa Luna, 989-798-3051, marissa@progressmichigan.org
Over 700 Activists Converge on Lansing for Michigan Progressive Summit
Michiganders ready to learn, network and organize to build progressive future
LANSING — On Saturday, at the Michigan Progressive Summit in downtown Lansing, hundreds of progressive activists from around the state came together to learn, network and organize to take action in their communities and state to build a more progressive future.
“We couldn’t be happier with how things went today. The attendance in particular exceeded our expectations. Days after the registration closed we were inundated with phone calls from people who wanted to attend,” said Marissa Luna, deputy communications director at Progress Michigan and the lead MI Summit organizer. “This just goes to show you that people are fired up and ready to take action to make Michigan a place that is equitable, sustainable and welcoming.”
The Summit, which took place at the Lansing Center in Downtown Lansing, was an opportunity for both seasoned activists and newcomers to the movement to come together, network, organize and learn to build a more progressive state. Event organizers wanted to emphasize breakout sessions that would give people the information and skills they need to go back to their hometowns and take action on the issues that they care about.
“We tried to make our breakout sessions as inclusive as possible. We had media and messaging trainings, social media breakouts, discussions about legal challenges in the wake of the Trump presidency, and information about renewable energy and the importance of intersectionality in the movement,” Luna continued. “We could not have done this alone. Our partners in the progressive community were instrumental in making the Summit a success and we couldn’t be more grateful.”
The event featured keynote addresses from Charlene Carruthers, national director of BYP100; Stephanie Schriock, president of EMILY’s List; and Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha who exposed elevated lead levels in the blood of Flint children. The day was closed out with a panel discussion on “Journalism in Trump’s America” featuring Michael Cohen from the Boston Globe and Rebecca Buckwalter-Poza from the Center for American Progress, moderated by Nancy Kaffer from the Detroit Free Press.
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