Spruce Hill: Uhuru’s Flea Market Coordinator Inspires Young Africans To Make Change
Tiffany Murphy, a native of West Philadelphia, fell in love with community organization and civic engagement during her childhood. Years later, she is now the coordinator for the Uhuru Flea Market and the upcoming One Africa, One Nation Uhuru Book Fair Market that institutionalizes and develops programs to defend the human and civil rights of people […]
Bridesburg: Plan For Refurbishing Brownfields Awaits Next Step
Much of the area in North Philadelphia that abuts the Delaware River has been in a decades-long transition stage from manufacturing hub as factories in the neighborhoods move, leaving behind their industrial footprint. The possibility of chemical contamination in now-vacant lots means these properties, dubbed “brownfields,” must be assessed and cleaned before the lots can […]
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, […]
South Philadelphia: Buy Nothing Group Fosters Community And Helps Neighbors Via Facebook
One similarity between Bainbridge Island, WA and Philadelphia is an experimental gift economy. Hyperlocal groups are based on the concept of helping neighbors by giving items one person no longer finds useful to others who do. These groups are forming in communities all over the country. No bartering, trading or illegal activity are allowed. Philadelphia started with one […]
Social Issues: “There Is An Affordable Housing Crisis That Confronts The City In Some Real Ways.”
Kelvin Jeremiah, the president and CEO of the Philadelphia Housing Authority, has brought unique ideas from previous stops in Springfield, Massachusetts and New York City to help develop better living conditions for some of Philadelphia’s low-income citizens. How did you get started with the Philadelphia Housing Authority? So I came to the PHA about […]
Social Issues: Pew’s Larry Eichel Speaks About Population Shifts In The City And Neighborhoods
Larry Eichel has been the head of the Philadelphia Research Initiative at the Pew Charitable Trust for nine years. The nonprofit seeks to inform the conversation and highlight key issues to provide context for changes happening in Philadelphia. In his time there, Eichel has worked researching the city’s issues and demographics for the benefit of […]
How To: Buy Bitcoin
The recent surge in value of Bitcoin led many people to look it up on the internet. According to Google Trends, the search-term “bitcoin” was one of the most-searched terms in the third week of August 2017. Just a year earlier it only had 12 percent as many searches as the most searched term in […]
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 […]
How To: Become A Bouncer
In 2011, City Council enacted a law with requirements for bouncers, one that prohibits bars and other places from employing security who have not completed a training course. Security jobs are one gateway to the workforce for those who may not have completed higher levels of education. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the mean […]
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 […]