North Philadelphia: To Rebuild Trust, Heal Trauma in Black Communities, Mental Health Professionals Take a Culturally Relevant Approach
Tyrone Goldsmith used to sit at his grandmother’s window, his backpack ready, and wait for his father. He was 6 years old and had just moved from South Philadelphia to West Oak Lane with his mom. As time went by, Goldsmith (above) realized his dad wasn’t coming. But he had other male figures in his […]
Strawberry Mansion: At Everquest Studios, Hip-Hop is Both Art and Outlet
For Gary “Goliath Curtesy” Moody, hip-hop is about pain and healing. Moody has experienced his fair share of pain. When he was 16, his dad died of cancer. Moody found hip-hop as a way to express himself and his experiences, and reach others dealing with their own pain. He was 19 when he went to […]
Strawberry Mansion: For One Urban Rider, Growing Up Was Just Something Different
The Fletcher Street stables are home. At least that’s how Jamil Prattis describes them. Prattis, 29, has been coming to Fletcher Street since he was 11 when his cousin taught him to ride. His first horse was a 12-year-old thoroughbred named Lady Tracey. He took care of her, riding her until she died in 2013. […]
Strawberry Mansion: A Family Man Who Helps Lead His Community
For the past 54 years, Alfonso Glenn has lived in Strawberry Mansion. Born in the 1960s, Glenn has experienced decades of change, but still believes some of the same issues plague his community. Growing up during the peak of the city’s crack epidemic, Glenn found himself dealing drugs on the corner because it was the […]
Strawberry Mansion: For Students at Hank Gathers Center, Success is Top Priority
It’s 10 a.m. Saturday when the young, aspiring basketball players of Hank Gathers Recreation Center trickle into the gymnasium. By 11 a.m., practice has started. The gym is full as coaches Rodney Richardson and George Major order push-ups and suicides to warm up. The Hank Gathers basketball program has seen its successes including participants and […]