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Draft:Melissa Robbins

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Melissa Robbins is an American activist and politician from Philadelphia. She is currently serving as Vice President of Advocacy, Public Policy & Legislative Affairs at the Urban League of Philadelphia..[1]

Melissa Robbins
BornOctober 19th, 1972
TitleVice President of Advocacy, Public Policy & Legislative Affairs at the Urban League of Philadelphia

Early Life and Education

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Robbins was born on the Eastern Shores of Maryland in 1972. After high school, she joined the United States Army as a combat medic veteran, having served four years in Colorado. In 1995, Robbins moved to Philadelphia to care for family. She attended the Community College of Philadelphia in 2004, where she received her Associate of the Arts. She later attended Temple University in 2011 to receive her Bachelor of Arts in Broadcast Journalism and Political Science.

Career

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In 2009, Robbins briefly hosted her own radio show in Atlanta, Georgia before moving back to Philadelphia. In January of 2018, she joined WURD Radio[2] as a host until October of that same year. She has remained a frequent guest and contributor. Robbins can often be seen as a television political analyst at 6ABC Inside Story[3].

Robbins has worked on campaigns for Tom Wolf, Bob Casey Jr., Helen Gym, and most notably the 2016 Presidential Campaign for Sen. Bernie Sanders - when she served as an elected delegate at the 2016 Democratic National Convention[4][5][6].

Robbins is the co-founder of Northeast Philadelphia Against Racism (N.E.A.R), a local non-profit advocating for anti-racist policies at the local and state level. She has led dozens of protests across the city, including the first anti-racist in Northeast Philly[7] following the murder of George Floyd. In 2023, she organized a large coalition of local leaders and organizations to denounce Gov. Ron DeSantis being honored at the Philadelphia Union League[8][9][10]

In 2019 Robbins launched a campaign for Philadelphia City Council but suspended her campaign after a challenge to petition signatures[11][12]. She ran again in 2023 for Philadelphia City Council making it into the May Democratic Primary[13][14][15]. In a field of 27 candidates for 5 seats, Robbins finished 11th with 24,270 votes[16]. She was endorsed by PASNAP[17] and Make the Road Action in PA[18][19].

Robbins joined the Urban League of Philadelphia as Vice President of Advocacy, Public Policy & Legislative Affairs in February of 2024.

Personal life

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Robbins lives in the Fox Chase section of the city and is the mother of four children, who all attended Philadelphia public schools.

References

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  1. ^ "Staff & Board". The Urban League of Philadelphia. Retrieved 2024-03-07.
  2. ^ "Morning Show Team React to AM News by WURD Radio". Spotify for Podcasters. Retrieved 2024-03-07.
  3. ^ "Should we regulate social media? | Watch March 3 Inside Story". 6abc Philadelphia. 2024-03-02. Retrieved 2024-03-07.
  4. ^ "Clinton must heal the racial divide among supporters". WHYY. Retrieved 2024-03-07.
  5. ^ "Bernie Sanders supporters protest in media tent after Clinton nomination". 6abc Philadelphia. Retrieved 2024-03-07.
  6. ^ "What swing state delegates want to hear from Hillary Clinton tonight". 6abc Philadelphia. Retrieved 2024-03-07.
  7. ^ Times, Northeast (2020-06-17). "Northeast Philly sees first Black Lives Matter protest". Northeast Times. Retrieved 2024-03-07.
  8. ^ "Union League of Philadelphia under fire for Ron DeSantis honor". www.audacy.com. 2023-01-24. Retrieved 2024-03-07.
  9. ^ Shuler, Aziza; Bailey, Wakisha; Roberts, Alicia (2023-01-25). "Dozens protest Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis arriving in Philly - CBS Philadelphia". www.cbsnews.com. Retrieved 2024-03-07.
  10. ^ WRITER, Alec Larson TRIBUNE STAFF (2023-01-24). "Union League event honoring DeSantis draws protest". The Philadelphia Tribune. Retrieved 2024-03-07.
  11. ^ Writer, Michael D’Onofrio Tribune Staff (2018-12-20). "Veteran Melissa Robbins joins crowded field in at-large City Council race". The Philadelphia Tribune. Retrieved 2024-03-07.
  12. ^ Johns, Alaina (2019-03-16). "Melissa Robbins on Running for Democratic City Council At-Large and Being True to Yourself". CityWide Stories. Retrieved 2024-03-07.
  13. ^ "Philadelphia City Council candidate tracker: Get to know everyone on the May primary ballot". WHYY. Retrieved 2024-03-07.
  14. ^ Brennan, Max Marin | Chris (2023-03-15). "'Are you freaking kidding?': Little-known candidates get lucky in Philly ballot lottery for May 16 primary". www.inquirer.com. Retrieved 2024-03-07.
  15. ^ Staff, The Philadelphia Citizen (2023-03-13). "Who's Running for Philadelphia City Council?". The Philadelphia Citizen. Retrieved 2024-03-07.
  16. ^ Runes, Sam Morris | Jasen Lo | Dain Saint | Charmaine. "Philadelphia Primary Election 2023 Results". www.inquirer.com. Retrieved 2024-03-07.
  17. ^ "Pennsylvania Association of Staff Nurses and Allied Professionals | Endorser". bluevoterguide.org. Retrieved 2024-03-09.
  18. ^ "Make the Road Action in PA | Endorser". bluevoterguide.org. Retrieved 2024-03-09.
  19. ^ Ledger, The Valley (2023-04-14). "Make the Road Action in Pennsylvania Announces 2023 Primary Endorsements". The Valley Ledger | Its All About The Lehigh Valley. Retrieved 2024-03-09.