Ben Waxman

Early activism

Waxman was heavily involved in left-wing activism during his high school years, leading protests against the Iraq war and U.S.A. Patriot Act. He also served on the board and later as youth organizer for an anti-death penalty group called Pennsylvania Abolitionists United Against the Death Penalty. Waxman was recognized for his high school activism by the American Civil Liberties Union and Juniata College, where he received the Burkholder Scholarship and other awards. Waxman continued his activism in college, where he was active in local Democratic politics and published liberal opinion articles in newspapers across Pennsylvania.

Journalism

After college, Waxman was hired as a reporter to cover state and local government for a joint project between Philadelphia Daily News and WHYY-FM called “It’s Our Money.” During that time, he wrote about government corruption, criminal justice reform, the state budget, and other topics. Waxman also appeared regularly as an analyst in local media, including WHYY’s Radio Times and local television stations. “It’s Our Money” was named Best Blog by the Philadelphia Citypaper in 2008. Waxman left the project in May 2011.

Progressive activism and Pennsylvania Senate

After leaving journalism, Waxman joined the staff of the United Food and Commercial Workers as part of a campaign to unionize Walmart employees. He then worked on the Pennsylvania campaign against the so-called "Voter ID" law during the 2012 election.

Waxman was hired by State Senator Vincent Hughes as Communications Director in May 2013. As Hughes’ primary spokesperson, Waxman was regularly quoted in media outlets throughout the state and maintains an active presence on social media. Waxman played a role in several legislative campaigns, including raising the minimum wage, expanding health insurance, and increasing funding for public education through a tax on natural gas drilling. Waxman was named to Billy Penn's "Who's Next: 18 young Pennsylvania's shaping politics" and Politics PA's "Pennsylvania’s 2014 Rising Stars: 30 Under 30."

Post-Trump Election

Waxman has been highly critical of President Donald Trump since the 2016 election, telling City & State PA that he was "looking for new ways to fight Trump...I'm not giving him a chance." He told the Philadelphia Jewish Exponent in a separate interview that traditional political approaches by Democrats had failed to prevent Trump from being elected and the party needed to consider alternative forms of engagement. Waxman also encouraged millennials to run for political office at a local post-election panel discussion, stressing the need for grassroots organizing tactics such as door-to-door canvassing.

Waxman announced on Facebook on January 23, 2017 that he was leaving the Pennsylvania Senate to become the executive director of Wage Change, a new grassroots organization of small businesses that were raising employee pay voluntarily in protest of federal inaction on the minimum wage.

Public education and community involvement

Waxman has been active on issues related to Philadelphia public schools. He co-founded Friends of Albert M. Greenfield, which helps raise money and volunteers for a neighborhood elementary school in Center City, Philadelphia. The group also organized a panel discussion on race and public education in response to a controversial cover story of Philadelphia Magazine that some criticized as being racially insensitive.

Waxman is also involved in local civic activism, serving on the board of the Center City Residents Association and was elected in 2014 to the 8th Ward Democratic Executive Committee. He Is also on the board of the Philadelphia Jewish Labor Committee.

Waxman is a member of Beth Zion-Beth Israel Synagogue.