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Ithaca, NY Chapter

The Ithaca Chapter of UPA is delighted that you've taken a moment to visit. We look forward to connecting with you via the email addresses below.

As you may know, Ithaca was recently deemed "The Most Enlightened" city in the United States (The Utne Reader, Mar/April '97, Issue #80, www.utne.com), due to our long-standing progressive traditions. Home to Cornell University and Ithaca College, Ithaca and Tompkins County were frequent stops for slaves seeking freedom on the Underground Railroad in the 1800's www.ugrr.org, the sites for protests by suffragettes supporting the first women's rights convention in the United States in the early 1900's, and at the end of the twentieth century a local Ithaca currency has been developed as an alternative to the worldwide economic paradigm. Our Southside Community Center was dedicated by Eleanor Roosevelt in 1937, and the Greater Ithaca Activities Center (GIAC) was visited by Hillary Clinton in 1998.

• In the early 1960's local activists stopped construction of a nuclear power plant on Cayuga Lake.
• During the 70's Daniel Berrigan challenged the military-industrial complex while based in Ithaca.
• In the 90's development of a Walmart within the city limits was stopped.
• Tompkins County was the first county in NYS to pass "local law C" prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation.
• Food aficionados can rest in the knowledge that our local Greenstar food coop (started as the Ithaca Real Food Coop in 1971) researches their products for sustainable environmental, human health and safety priorities.
• Finally, local progressives know how to have fun while making positive social change too. The entire county joins in a three day community celebration known as the Ithaca Festival the first weekend in June, with a non-traditional "Granola Olympics" alternative available as well- where local politicians and hopefuls toss eggs and pump activist hands for votes.

Current social change initiatives include a joint elected official diversity training series involving 3 jurisdictions, a countywide resolution to support a livable wage for human service workers in agencies contracting with the county, and several cross-community teams examining crime prevention and alternatives to incarceration. Feel free to contact us, and join in these and many other efforts.

'Who's Who' notables who've come from or still live in Ithaca

Contact

Send an email to ithaca@upalumni.org to get in touch with UPA members in the area.