Building Wealth, Not Arenas – Why Philadelphia Must Reject 76 Place
Written by: Diane Cornman-Levy, Chief Disruptor at WOMEN'S WAY
Op-Ed originally published in Generocity on November 20, 2024.
As Chief Disruptor at WOMEN’S WAY, I reject the notion that an arena is a step forward for the people of Philadelphia. There has never been—nor will there ever be—a city that finds prosperity through an arena. The hardworking people of Philadelphia deserve more than the empty promise of temporary construction projects and low-wage, seasonal jobs. Philadelphians deserve true mobility and stable wealth-building, none of which is accomplished by an arena.
For 46 years, WOMEN’S WAY has championed women, girls, and gender equity by centering those most impacted by systems of exploitation. We work with our partners to strengthen alternative economic models that build community wealth and directly contribute to communities’ well-being. To us, it is clear that if we want to build wealth—particularly for women and families—an arena is the wrong conversation to have.
While economic models like arenas consistently fail to deliver on promises of prosperity for anyone but the wealthy individuals who own them, other economic models that center community wealth building show us the way forward.
At WOMEN’S WAY, our mission is to achieve gender equity by building collective power to disrupt oppressive systems and strengthen alternative models centered in love, dignity, and liberation. We do this by centering the wisdom, stories, and expertise of those most affected by systems of oppression; training stakeholders on how to design and lead with gender equity; and investing in collective work aimed at root causes, including strategies that reduce wealth extraction and those that help build individual and community wealth.
The real path to prosperity includes supporting people and communities with the ability to self-determine, not projects that exploit them. We believe that putting resources in the hands of decision-makers in the community is a meaningful investment toward sustainable wealth and the fastest route to economic freedom. Concentrating wealth in the hands of a powerful few, as an arena would do, runs contrary to this goal.
As part of a movement ecosystem, WOMEN’S WAY convenes communities of practice to explore models of equitable and inclusive economies, experiment with transforming sites of wealth extraction, and build power with gender-oppressed communities. In September, WOMEN’S WAY hosted our annual Gender Wealth Summit to strategize around our collective needs, set clear priorities, and build a community that’s ready to take action and create wealth for all. The attendees had the opportunity to connect with 10 local organizations whose work is helping to close the gender wealth gap. At the Summit, we learned from Debbie Wei, an activist with No Arena PHL, and Brittany Alston, the Executive Director of the Philly Black Worker Project, who reinforced our belief that the arena is in direct opposition to the will of the community, and would further exploit already vulnerable workers in the temp industry.
Efforts to improve the lives of women, girls, and gender-oppressed people need to be informed by an understanding of the systemic ways gender intersects with economic exploitation. Because of this, WOMEN’S WAY is laser-focused on addressing the root causes of inequity, such as low wages, lack of affordable childcare, and exploitative jobs that keep people poor. What our communities need are real investments in long-term solutions—opportunities that create community wealth, stability, and upward mobility.
This arena not only misallocates resources but also detracts from our hardworking communities’ demands for transparency, equity, and shared prosperity. At WOMEN’S WAY, we hope to lead by example, starting where all good battles begin—by standing with the people.
