As the U.S. Postal Service Faces Unprecedented Challenges and Threats, Americans Urged to Defend Our Postal Service
WASHINGTON, DC-- A video released today by People For the American Way Foundation urges Americans to defend the U.S. Postal Service, which is facing unprecedented challenges and political threats even while it is an essential lifeline for millions of Americans, especially those isolated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Defend Our Post Office” is a centerpiece of a social media campaign as congressional leaders negotiate the next round of COVID-19 relief funding. A coalition of nonprofit organizations representing tens of millions of members will be mobilized to share the video and spread the word about the urgent need to save our Postal Service.
Legislation passed by the House of Representatives in May includes $25 billion in financial relief needed to keep the Postal Service operational this year. Talks are currently under way about Senate passage of the next round of relief funding and it is essential that the Senate version includes the House-passed $25 billion.
“The Postal Service helped build this country by uniting Americans in the biggest cities, smallest towns, and most remote rural areas,” said PFAW Foundation President Ben Jealous. “Like all of us, the Postal Service has been hit hard by the pandemic. Especially now, across America, we need our Post Office – and the Post Office needs us. We’re encouraging every American to contact their Senators and tell them to defend our Postal Service.”
When the U.S. Postal Service is cutting services and considering closing Post Offices across the country, the need for additional funding to sustain the Post Office could not be clearer. Public support for the Postal Service is deep and unites Americans across political divides: It is time to show that support by asking the Senate to approve the House-passed $25 billion the Postal Service needs to function in this COVID-19 environment.
“Defend Our Post Office,”was created and contributed by Work-Order, a New York-based branding studio, and inspired by Risa Mickenberg’s love letter to the post office. Strikingly emotional and with no spoken message, the fast-paced ode reinforces the vital, connecting role the U.S. Postal Service plays in all American lives. To complement the historical imagery, the video features a track that is “a plea to our country, from its citizens,” said Work-Order partners Keira Alexandra and Kiffer Keegan. The song titled “Present Joys,” is a layered cry of thanks sung in a rousing chorale fugue, that originally dates back to the early 1900s.
About People For the American Way Foundation
People For the American Way Foundation is a progressive education organization founded to fight right-wing extremism and build a democratic society that implements the ideals of freedom, equality, opportunity and justice for all. We encourage civic participation, defend fundamental rights, and fight to dismantle systemic barriers to equitable opportunity.
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