Over the past four months, Progressive Democrats of America (PDA) has developed a brilliant partnership with Manufacturing Renaissance. I first encountered MR through a group of PDA organizers in Appalachia. I had been asking them to recommend an organization that PDA could partner with to help lift the prospects for American manufacturing, as I believed that President Biden was serious about making such an effort (in contrast to Trump, whose promises on this front were hollow words).
When I first heard about MR, it sounded perfect. Since I’ve been working with them, it’s been even better. This is exactly the type of organization we need at the front and center of the American national dialogue about manufacturing. MR foregrounds the needs of communities, the environment, and workers; while recognizing the imperatives of the bottom line. The MR model convenes all of the necessary partners in a region to work together to preserve and expand manufacturing insisting on a fundamental commitment to inclusion in theory and practice. It’s born of real world experience and a perfect fit for a moment when the incoming Administration is committed to re-invigorating U S manufacturing. It’s also a perfect fit for a growing social movement that is in need of a practical strategy for re-building communities guided by a vision of development that is economically, socially, and environmentally sustainable and restorative.
Please join me in partnering with Manufacturing Renaissance on advancing the Manufacturing Renaissance Agenda!
Alan Minsky
Executive Director
Progressive Democrats of America