Say It Loud, You're Making Us Proud: Councilmember Kendra Brooks

This episode spotlights Councilmember Kendra Brooks and why her work matters for everyday families in Philadelphia. Ms. V frames the conversation around public service, neighborhood access, and what it looks like when elected officials deliver concrete results for children, families, and communities.The focus is on two major issues: library access and public space investment. Ms. V explains how Brooks’ lived experience shaped her advocacy, then walks through the funding wins and community benefits that followed.

Key topics

• Ms. V introduces the special series "Say It Loud, You're Making Us Proud" and its purpose: recognizing elected officials whose work strengthens Black communities.
• The episode centers on Councilmember Kendra Brooks, a mother from Nicetown who entered City Council after challenging Philadelphia’s long-standing two-party political structure.
• Ms. V uses the example of a mother walking her children to a closed library branch to show how staff shortages and underfunding limit access for working-class families.
• Brooks’ early activism is tied to that lived reality, especially the need for reliable neighborhood libraries as safe spaces, cooling centers, and places for homework and community support.
• Ms. V highlights Brooks organizing with library advocates, workers, and fellow council members to demand more staffing and funding.
• The episode notes that the city directed tens of millions of dollars toward the free library system, expanding six-day-a-week service across all 55 branches.
• Brooks also pushed beyond libraries, advocating for parks and recreation funding to return to pre-pandemic levels.
• Ms. V emphasizes that parks, recreation centers, and playing fields support trauma counseling, after-school sports, summer programming, and youth jobs.
• Brooks’ co-sponsorship of the city’s youth-powered anti-violence agenda is presented as part of a broader strategy to treat public space as essential community infrastructure.
• The episode closes by framing neighborhood investment as a right, not a handout, and thanking Brooks for her service.

Timestamps

00:00 - Welcome to Let Us Not Forget and the mission behind the show
00:31 - Why this series honors elected officials doing real community work
00:59 - Not a campaign ad - a look at public service and results
01:28 - The real cost of a closed neighborhood library for working families
01:58 - Philadelphia’s library underfunding and limited branch hours
02:27 - How one mother became a grassroots activist
02:56 - Kendra Brooks breaks Philadelphia’s two-party political pattern
03:25 - From a mile-and-a-half library walk to the City Council floor
03:54 - Why libraries matter as safe havens and community anchors
04:23 - Demanding more funding for staff and system-wide access
04:52 - Tens of millions added and six-day service restored citywide
05:21 - Expanding the focus to parks, recreation centers, and playing fields
05:48 - Youth programming, counseling, and jobs as public safety tools
06:16 - Public investment as a basic right, not a luxury
06:45 - Closing praise for Councilmember Kendra Brooks and the episode sign-off

Notable quote

Copy

"When a neighborhood library or recreation center close, the community loses more than just a building."

Notable quote

Copy

"Investing in our neighborhoods is not a handout. It's a fundamental right."