North Philadelphia

https://vimeo.com/18394156] When some teens at the Allegheny West Foundation’s after-school program were sent texts encouraging them to attend the recent flash mobs in Center City, they ignored them altogether and stayed in the center, reading

https://vimeo.com/18393244] The Alaqsa Halal Meats and Groceries on Wyoming Avenue is a desolate place as the month winds down. Husam Abdullah, the owner, awaits the new month with apprehension because with it comes a replenishment

Just a few short weeks ago, Olney’s PA CareerLink Center was bustling with activity, with many job-searching hopefuls lined up outside of its door and still more seated in the waiting room. Today, the office is almost a ghost town.

https://vimeo.com/18394290] In an alley on North Orianna Street with walls covered in graffiti in Ludlow rest seven men just hanging out and talking with each other. Many people assume that illegal activities occur in the

https://vimeo.com/18394850] “I’m an individual that wants to try and get ahead in life,” said Hymine, 53, an ex-felon who reentered society in 1992 after spending a year in prison for a drug possession. His story

https://vimeo.com/18391394] Terrific is how Marcelino Esgailin describes Philadelphia’s Kensington community when he moved into that area in 1955 from Puerto Rico — a Caribbean island that many forget is a part of the United States.

https://vimeo.com/18391937] Although the Fairhill School is easily visible and just two blocks away, no child on this block is thinking about school — they’re thinking of their next target. It’s a snow day on West

https://vimeo.com/18392215] A stroll along the 1900 block of North 23rd Street reveals a scene not unlike the many other blocks in North Central Philadelphia. The row home facades are kept tidy, cars are parked along