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: Five Murals That Tell the Community’s Story
While in Strawberry Mansion one can see history everywhere. The Historic Strawberry Mansion is in Fairmount Park. An inexpensive and easy way to see the history of this community is to walk around and take in the breathtaking murals. Why We Love Coltrane by Ernel Martinez Being an integral part of the North Philadelphia […]
Strawberry Mansion: Kevin Upshur, Founder of the Strawberry Mansion Learning Center
Kevin Upshur, a longtime resident of Strawberry Mansion, has watched his neighborhood go through changes in his life. The biggest change? Upshur’s family owned and operated bar, was converted into the Strawberry Mansion Learning Center, a non-profit neighborhood education and resource center. Opening its doors in 2008, the center, has provided the children of the community […]
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 […]
Strawberry Mansion: Preschools Are Important, But Underfunded
Amanda Bowman always imagined herself as a mother. When the time came for her to have children, she was presented with two surprises. The first: she would have to raise them as a single parent. The second: she was having twins. Despite the challenges that faced her, she knew she was going to send them […]
Strawberry Mansion: Property Developers Strive To Improve Neighborhood
When walking through Strawberry Mansion, you may notice an overabundance of vacant properties and abandoned houses. It was not always like this. Due to redlining, a racist collusion between banks and city government, where people of certain races were prevented from buying homes in certain sections of the city, the historic neighborhood on the edge […]
Fairmount Park: Protecting the Water Supply
One of the largest urban green spaces in the nation sits right here in the City of Brotherly Love. With more than 10,000 acres of parks, trails and trees, Fairmount Park wasn’t originally created to build recreation centers with playgrounds and pools. It was created to protect the city’s water supply. To begin to understand […]