Comedy: Laughing Matters
“I was wondering why stand-up is good,” said Shane Gillis, a stand-up comedian who has been performing for about six years. “It’s just because you get to pay money to sit in a room and hear a guy tell the truth and you don’t see that anywhere else.” When people go to a comedy show […]
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 […]
East Passyunk: Victim/Witness Services of South Philadelphia Reaches Those Needing Help In Community
The Victim/Witness Services of South Philadelphia is a non-profit organization that has offered free support and advocacy to victims and witnesses of crimes in South Philadelphia since its establishment in 1989. The advocates from the Victim/Witness Service work with victims of crimes that occur within the three South Philadelphia police districts. These districts are the […]
City Politics: Larry Krasner Campaigns For District Attorney In North Philadelphia, Kingsessing
Nearing the end of his campaign for the November 7 election of new district attorney in Philadelphia, Larry Krasner doesn’t get a day off. The long-time defense attorney is recognized in Philadelphia and beyond as a man who has sued the city’s police department a whopping 75 times, representing individuals and groups including ACT UP, […]
Bridesburg: Residents Suggest Isolation And Community Create Its Neighborhood’s Safe Streets
From May 26 to June 25, the Bridesburg section of Philadelphia reported zero violent crimes, making it the only neighborhood in the city that can stake such a claim, according to a live-tracking data set compiled by the Federal Census Bureau and the Philadelphia Police Department. The working class neighborhood is tucked away in North Philadelphia, […]
East Falls: Town Watch Is Appreciated but Understaffed
Once every month, Mary Jane Fullam organizes meetings for the East Falls Town Watch, an organization that she has been a part of since its inception in 1998. Since then, she has assumed the role of president within the organization. The East Falls Town Watch consists of 12 people, with Fullam running the entire nonprofit […]
How To: Overturn A Wrongful Conviction If Innocent
Innocent people get convicted for crimes they did not commit, but how often it happens is impossible to determine. The Philadelphia District Attorney’s office recently added to its Conviction Review Unit (CRU) in an effort to right the wrongful convictions of innocent people. This year it overturned the conviction of two people, including Shaurn Thomas […]
Kensington: “It’s Not Just A Gurney Street Thing.”
Prevention Point Philadelphia has opened a year-round respite at its center in Kensington as a direct response to the City of Philadelphia’s decision to close down and clean up encampments along the Gurney Street Corridor. The organization has been doing winter respite for the past three years, but as of July 31 its doors are […]
Social Issues: Councilwoman María Quiñones-Sánchez Talks Income Inequality
María Quiñones-Sánchez took office 10 years ago representing District 7 in Philadelphia City Council. Long considered a party outsider, it is not uncommon to find her battling politically with Latino leaders in her own neighborhood, as well as other council members. Her sprawling council district is comprised of a wide area, covering all or parts […]
Social Issues: “I Felt It Was Important To Give Back To My Community As Much As I Can.”
Michael Lee is the executive director of the nonprofit organization Philadelphia Lawyers for Social Equity. Born and raised in Philadelphia, Lee graduated from Central High School and was a part of the inaugural class of Drexel University’s Thomas R. Kline School of Law in 2009. Following his graduation from law school he began practicing as a criminal […]