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HomeAuthorsThomas D Reifsnyder

Articles by Thomas D Reifsnyder

Featured Stories

Powelton Village: A Neighborhood In Transition

May 9, 2016 Thomas D Reifsnyder

Usually when a person’s name is drawn from a hat, they gain something. But when Linn Washington had his name called hours before one of Philadelphia’s most controversial events, he almost lost his head. Literally.

Featured Stories

Mantua: After-School Programs Filling Void Left By Closure of University City High School

April 19, 2016 Thomas D Reifsnyder

For 41 years, the 14-acre plot on Filbert Street between 37th and 38th streets was home to University City High School, Charles Drew Elementary School and The Walnut Center. Today, those buildings have been erased from

Featured Stories

Mantua: “I Just Want to Be That Image For Them.”

March 30, 2016 Thomas D Reifsnyder

After enduring a troubled childhood in West Philadelphia, near 56th Street and Lansdowne Avenue, 19-year-old Rodney Mobley began utilizing his past experiences to positively impact his community. He now serves as the community connector and engagement coordinator for People’s Emergency

Mantua

Mantua: “They Help Me and They Say, ‘Don’t Be Afraid.'”

March 11, 2016 Thomas D Reifsnyder

When Saquan Dixon walks through the Mantua section of West Philadelphia, he feels a vibe much different from the Kensington neighborhood where he was raised. Neither Mantua, also known as “The Bottom,” nor his neighborhood in

Featured Stories

Mantua: “My Parents and Grandparents Trained Me to Survive.”

February 19, 2016 Thomas D Reifsnyder

Nine years ago, De’Wayne Drummond nearly lost it all. A lifelong resident of the Mantua section of West Philadelphia, Drummond had unknowingly fallen asleep in nearly six pints of his own blood at his home

Education

Mantua: “You’re Never Really Alone if You Come to Work Here.”

February 5, 2016 Thomas D Reifsnyder

Branon Gilmore makes enrichment for youths and adults in the Mantua area his priority every day when coming to work in the morning. Gilmore, 44, is the Center Director for the West Philadelphia Community Center on

Featured Stories

Lancaster Avenue: Five Great Eateries Worth Visiting

February 2, 2016 Thomas D Reifsnyder

The Lancaster Avenue corridor in West Philadelphia is  home to many small businesses, including ethnic restaurants, specifically Korean and Jamaican. While these restaurants may not look like the jazziest places to dine from the outside, local

Recent Posts

  • How Community Gardens are Fighting Erasure and Displacement in North Philadelphia 
    January 16, 2026
  • Healing from Gun Violence: A Conversation With Mary Felder
    January 15, 2026
  • With Changes to SNAP Looming, South Philly Mosque Pledges to Continue Food Distribution for All
    January 3, 2026
  • The Light We Hold: Inside a Philly Community Gathering of Art and Grief
    December 27, 2025
  • “Bubhub” in The 215
    December 19, 2025
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