Activist Debbie Wei on Love for Community and the Fight to Save Philadelphia’s Chinatown

When I ask Debbie if Parker’s recent endorsement means the fight to save Chinatown is lost, she looks up from her mapo tofu noodles and laughs. “Oh God, no,” she chuckles, reminding me that Mayor Street’s pet project was a proposal to put the Phillies stadium in Chinatown and Mayor Nutter eyed the neighborhood as the site for a casino. The community defeated both.

Community Education Will Save Us: West Philadelphia’s W.E.B. Du Bois Abolition School 

“Education must not simply teach work – it must teach life.” Teaching life means transmitting survival tools that allow folk to live freely and fully. This framework underpins the mission of the West Philadelphia-based W.E.B. Du Bois Movement School for Abolition & Reconstruction (the Abolition School), a critical space for political education born from the 2020 uprisings.

Focusing on ‘joy’ in Philly schools will reduce racial discipline disparities

Lift Every Voice, the organization behind this year’s Joy Campaign, is backing the creation of a “joy-based budget” for schools to bolster access to recess, the arts, counselors, and the district’s program to bolster student mental health known as the Support Team for Educational Partnership. The blueprint would also create a Chief of Joy position in the district; in June, the City Council adopted a resolution exploring the creation of this position in Philly schools.

AI Goes to College: Can artificial intelligence and higher education peacefully coexist?

Does artificial intelligence have a place in these supposed bastions of independent thoughts?
We should obviously be considering the ethics of AI use by students and teachers, but also be thinking about recruitment and retention as well as the technology disparities between public and private universities as we embark on a deeper search for answers.

Black Women Find Play and Community with New Approaches to Wellness in Philadelphia

“Sometimes it was intimidating being in a space where people were already super buff, throwing around this equipment with these loud noises – and then it’s just little old me,” said Briana Thomas, who works out as part of the Get Mo Phit program. In response, Green-Smith says, “as Black women so often do, we find a way” to find solutions and approaches that work culturally and create safe spaces where Black women feel comfortable, in contrast with a fitness industry where less than 10 percent of instructors are Black.

‘Fair Chance’ Hiring Helps Formerly Incarcerated People Find Work

“Fair chance” hiring is the practice of hiring individuals with a criminal record. It is also sometimes called “second chance hiring.” When formerly incarcerated people can’t find a job after leaving prison, they face significant challenges, including lack of food, clothes, transportation, or shelter. This can cause desperation and lead to additional crimes or addiction issues, perpetuating the cycle of incarceration.

Kid Killebrew: The Sneakerhead Superhero

There is something nostalgic about opening a box of new sneakers: the anticipation as you peel back the paper, pluck them from the box, spin them around in your hand in admiration, and take in that fresh sneaker smell. He’s never forgotten the confidence he felt as a child when he stepped into a new pair. “I felt like a Superhero,” shared Killebrew, “especially when I played ball. It may sound like a small thing, but it can be a big feeling, particularly to underprivileged children.” He wanted to give that feeling to youth in need.