Democratic Women Of Philadelphia Includes All Races

by Maria Merlino
Twenty years ago, when Judge Amanda Cooperman was first elected to the bench, one of her first functions was to swear in the board members of the Democratic Women of Philadelphia.

“This is a wonderful group,” she said. “It’s a tradition now that I be here for the opening day.”
Judge Cooperman is running for retention and asks that all retention judges to be voted in again.
President of the DWP is Yvonne Sawyer, a woman who has great vision for the group.
“I was just a member when our founder, Amelia Barnett, was in charge back in the day,” she recalled. “When she passed away, her vice president, the late Angela Cinquino, became president and I was voted in as vice president. It was a great time back then. Angela had a lot of energy and she had a way with getting things done and holding various fundraisers for our mentor, Congressman Bob Brady. He’s been very good to us.

“When Angela died, we were so deflated and many of us drifted away. The DWPs rose up again but then died. But right now, we are, like the phoenix, burned to ashes but rising up alive and vibrant!”
This new Democratic Women of Philadelphia group had a lot of help to get it started. Member Juanita Hatton, who is the treasurer and in charge of public relations, put the word out, as she wanted to see the group survive.
Gwen Collins, who is president of the Pennsylvania Federation of Democratic Women, also reached out to her members.
“We want diversity in our membership; everyone is welcome. We are hoping we get younger members who want to make a difference in the political process,” said Sawyer. “We want to get more women involved, running for office and getting involved with community. This is how you make a base of relations. The younger generation means a lot to us.”

As an example, Jenné Ayers, daughter of former Fire Commissioner Lloyd Ayers, is running for a seat on City Council at Large. She is Harvard graduate with a passion for service.
“We need more young ladies with that mindset,” recommended Sawyer. “I look forward to working with all women from all backgrounds, working to make the city a better place. It’s important because of all the issues we’re facing.”
There will be a candidates’ meet-and-greet, including men, on Apr. 11 at the IBEW Union Hall at 17th & Spring Garden streets, 2-4 p.m. All candidates are welcome to attend. If you want to join the DWP, dues are $10 per year.
One of the traditions that Cinquino started was having a candidate or two to buy the lunch. If you need more info or would like to buy lunch, President Sawyer can be reached at (267) 229-8507.