I am a longtime community organizer who made my home in Brewerytown Sharswood nearly 20 years ago. It’s the richness in history, the proximity to Fairmount Park and Kelly Drive, and the cohesion of resident-led community organizations that made me stay. Our community is a resilient one whose progress is entirely grounded in robust partnership, […]

Recently, I was honored to stand in solidarity with students, teachers represented by the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers, Service Employees International Union, Teamsters from the Commonwealth of School Administration and their dedicated President, Dr. Robin Cooper, for a Day of Action to protect Philadelphia students and their constitutional right to a free and efficient education. […]

“I shook hands with them, and then I made this little song about down there, so I advise everybody to be a little careful when you go along through Alabama. Stay woke; keep your eyes open.” Cultural origins That’s the first recorded use of the word “woke”, from an interview with folk artist Huddie Ledbetter, […]

Sometimes it felt like a breakneck sprint, sometimes it felt like a crawl in slow motion, but we made it to the end of 2024. Each year that passes as of late seems to demand more of us, both as individuals and as fundamental units of a larger whole, whether that whole is our families, […]

By now, people in Philadelphia know that Chinatown is opposed to this arena. It is increasingly evident that there is widespread popular opposition to the arena. Arena proponents sometimes ask “Well, if you don’t want an arena, what else can you put there?” or sometimes declare “Chinatown shouldn’t be able to block the development of […]

The Sixers Arena Deal is a Scam An Open Letter from 200 Black Philadelphians   We, Black Philly for Chinatown, are a coalition of Black organizations, communities, and constituents from across Philadelphia, who are united in our opposition to the proposed 76ers arena in Chinatown. We are outraged by the City’s blatant disregard for the […]

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 […]

I am a 17 year old Black male from Down The Bottom in West Philadelphia. I’ve become too familiar with the sound of sirens and the cold feel of handcuffs. Gun charges became part of my life early on, not because I was out to cause trouble, but because it felt like I had no […]

I didn’t learn anything substantial about civics until I was 25 years old. Despite mandates to learn about government in school, my public school education left me unprepared for civic engagement. My public school education taught me the basics of government but I didn’t realize how incomplete it was until I was eligible to vote […]

Although I often take pride in my resourcefulness, it – and my pride – were acutely put to the test after I got myself into a $46,000 emergency surgery, only to find out I was uninsured. I began calling phone numbers and bookmarking links before I was even discharged from the hospital. But it still […]