Committee of Seventy

06/02/2026

We hope to see you TOMORROW for our 5th Annual Women in Public Leadership event. This is your last chance to secure your spot, and this is one you won’t want to miss. In addition to a panel of changemakers fighting on the frontlines of women’s rights, we will be honoring Kathryn Kolbert with this year’s Civic Leadership Award.

Meet the honoree: Kathryn Kolbert

Kathryn Kolbert is a public-interest attorney, journalist, and executive in the non-profit world. She has had a long and distinguished career advancing women’s rights. A co-founder of the Center for Reproductive Rights, she has argued two abortion cases in the U.S. Supreme Court, including Planned Parenthood v. Casey, the 1992 case which was widely credited with saving Roe v. Wade. Both Casey and Roe were recently overruled by the Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization.

The co-author of the recent book Controlling Women: What We Must Do Now to Save Reproductive Freedom and the popular Ted talk on the end of Roe, Kolbert has been speaking to audiences across the country about what to do in the post-Dobbs era. She was the creator and executive producer of NPR’s Justice Talking, an award-winning public radio program.

06/01/2026

Philadelphia’s Pride celebrations and LGBTQ-affirming city protections that we know today didn’t appear overnight—they were built through decades of civic engagement, advocacy, and community organizing across public space, housing, workplaces, and healthcare.

From the Annual Reminders at Independence Hall to early community care like the Eromin Center, from Dewey’s sit-in to today’s city-supported protections for gender-affirming care and LGBTQ-affirming housing, each milestone reflects people pushing civic systems to be more inclusive.

Pride is both a celebration and a reminder: progress is the result of sustained civic participation and that engagement is what continues to move equity forward today. 🏳️‍🌈

05/27/2026

Time is running out ⏲️ ‼️. We’re days away from our 5th Annual Women in Public Leadership event. On June 3rd, join us for a dynamic conversation with changemakers fighting on the frontlines for women’s rights.

Secure your spot here: https://seventy.org/attend-an-event/women-in-public-leadership-2026

Meet our panel moderator: Tamala Edwards

Tamala Edwards has been an anchor at 6abc Action News since 2005, where she regularly co-anchors Action News at 10am and co-hosts Inside Story. She has interviewed newsmakers and political figures like Governor Josh Shapiro and PA Senate and House leaders Kim Ward and Joanna McClinton. She recently moderated the 2025 gubernatorial debate in New Jersey.

Edwards worked for ABC News and World News Now and was a staff writer at Time Magazine. The Education Writers Association awarded her first prize for her contribution to Time's 1999 cover story, "What Makes a Good School." In its August 2000 issue, Vogue named her a journalist for "The Next Establishment," and in November 2000, she was featured in Folio Magazine's "30 Under 30" list.

05/25/2026

May we continue to work and participate in our democracy that honors their legacy 🇺🇸

05/20/2026

Reports are showing 21% of eligible Philly voters cast a ballot in yesterday's election. One way to get that higher? Inspire those closest to you!

Join C70’s WeVote program and help your employees, members, or community stay informed on the issues that affect us all. Learn more here:

Committee of Seventy focuses on a variety of issues affecting voters in Pennsylvania and Philadelphia. Browse the issues we're currently working on, or review our archive for ongoing and past issues.

05/20/2026

We’re two weeks out from our 5th Annual Women in Public Leadership event. There’s still time to join us on June 3rd for a dynamic conversation with changemakers fighting on the frontlines for women’s rights.

Secure your spot here: https://seventy.org/attend-an-event/women-in-public-leadership-2026.

All attendees will receive a copy of panelist Melissa Murphy’s book The U.S. Constitution: A Comprehensive and Annotated Guide for the Modern Reader.

Meet two of your panelists: The Honorable Kelley Brisbon Hodge and Melissa Murray

The Honorable Kelley Brisbon Hodge is a United States District Court Judge for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, a position she’s held since 2022. Judge Hodge previously served as Philadelphia’s 25th District Attorney, becoming the first African American woman to lead the office in its 167-year history and the first African American woman to lead a District Attorney's Office in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

Throughout her career, Judge Hodge was appointed by two Pennsylvania Governors to serve on statewide commissions that focused on school safety, juvenile justice and citizen’s review of law enforcement. Over her twenty-five years as an attorney, she has developed an extensive and comprehensive trial, litigation and compliance practice focusing on education law, criminal law, government policy advising, discrimination and civil rights.

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Melissa Murray is the Frederick I. and Grace Stokes Professor of Law at NYU School of Law. She is also a bestselling author, host of the popular legal podcast Strict Scrutiny (Crooked Media), and a regular commentator on MS NOW. She is a regular guest on NPR, PBS, and other national outlets to speak on the Supreme Court’s decisions. Following law school, she clerked for Sonia Sotomayor.

Prior to her role at NYU, Murray was on the faculty of the UC Berkeley School of Law, where she was the recipient of the Rutter Award for Teaching Distinction. From March 2016 to June 2017, she served as interim dean of Berkeley Law.

05/19/2026

It’s Election Day! Join us throughout the day as we interview civic leaders from throughout SEPA about today’s election and how the leaders we are voting for today will shape the future of the region.

05/19/2026

It’s Election Day! Join us throughout the day as we interview civic leaders from throughout SEPA about today’s election and how the leaders we are voting for today will shape the future of the region.

05/19/2026

If you're going in-person to vote, be sure to thank the poll workers!

Did you know about 40,000 people work the polls on Election Day throughout PA? You can too! We offer trainings and informational sessions with our partners at League of Women Voters of Pennsylvania to ensure these paid roles are filled to keep our democratic process running smooth.

05/19/2026

It’s Election Day! Join us throughout the day as we interview civic leaders from throughout SEPA about today’s election and how the leaders we are voting for today will shape the future of the region.