Local Activists to be Honored With 2016 Progressives Awards on Friday

Pasadena-based political thought incubator The Progressive Discussion Group is ringing in 2017 by celebrating its fifteenth year of regular meetings designed to bring local activists and community members together under one roof to discuss relevant community issues of all types. The group will fête two special guests for their contributions to local activism at a special breakfast meeting this Friday morning at Du-Par’s Restaurant and Bakery on South Lake Avenue.

Honored will be the group’s founder, Rev. Inman Moore, and Pablo Alvarado of the National Day Laborer Organizing Network.

2015 Progressive of the Year awardee, Occidental College Professor Peter Dreier, explained the group’s mission:

“The idea is to provide a space for people with progressive and liberal views brainstorm about what’s happening in Pasadena and to develop ideas and to get people from the City and other institutions to come and talk about different issues around public justice, civil rights, housing, environmental and more,” Dreier said.

The Progressive Discussion Group’s founder, Rev. Moore, started the group in 2002 after decades of grassroots activism that stems from his time in Mississippi, where as a young Methodist minister he signed a statement with other pastors supporting racial integration, and then suffered racist repression.

Moore has been known and respected for many years in Pasadena as a compassionate and progressive preacher, teacher, and activist, according to a press release from the Group.

“I felt it would be great to have a group gather periodically with no business agenda — no votes — but we would meet and discuss major issues and spend our time with that,” said Moore.

“We would simply have a program presenting a certain issue or issues,” he added, “and we would discuss that issued and leave it up to our members to take it to their various organizations as a background for voting in their organizations.”
Attorney and Group member Dale Gronemeier will be taking over Moore’s position as the group moderator as of 2017.

“It doesn’t itself take action, endorse candidates or endorse measures. It is a place for progressives to come and talk and exchange views on relevant issues. It’s been a place for thoughtful dialogue for fifteen years,” said Gronemeier.

The discussion group continues to grow in size and attract members. What started with six people gathering at the then-Shakers restaurant on Cordova Street has blossomed into meetings which consistently draw anywhere from a dozen to fifty members.

“From their discussions and continuing to come, participants take away a background so that when these issues come up in their democrat or republican party or otherwise, hopefully they will be better prepared to take a vote on these issues,” explained Moore, who mentioned that anybody and everybody is welcome to attend meetings and contribute to discussions.

“Everybody’s welcome. Sometimes it’s good to sharpen your ideas from people who hold different views and ideas from your own,” explained Dreier.

Last year the Group began the tradition of recognizing a Progressive of the Year; Occidental Professor Peter Dreier was given the award for the 2015 Progressive of the Year for his intellectual and organizational leadership in the successful campaign for a Pasadena minimum wage ordinance with a path to $15/hour.

“What’s amazing about Pasadena is there is a lot of activism on different issues, and now we’re trying to pull it together. There’s intersecting constituencies and one of the ideas that came out of the the group was the minimum wage campaign,” explained Dreier. “It’s kind of a free-for-all for people who like politics.”

Other notable topics of discussion that circulated last year were topics of relationships between police and the community and Pasadena schools.

Dreier will give the 2016 Progressive of the Year award to National Day Labor Organizing Network Executive Director Pablo Alvarado for his grassroots organizing in support of the Pasadena minimum wage and on behalf of the Pasadena immigrant community, according to a press release.

Mayor Terry Tornek is scheduled to present Rev. Moore with the 2016 Progressive Lifetime Achievement Award.

The Progressive Discussion Group 2016 Progressive Awards will take place Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. at Du-Par’s located at 214 S. Lake Ave.

The Progressive Discussion Group meets the 1st and 3rd Fridays of every month in the Du-Par’s back room to discuss a designated topic. Meetings are open to anyone wanting to attend. DuPar’s issues separate checks to attendees, so you can have coffee, breakfast, or just thoughtful discussion of progressive issues.