Peoplehood’s Return to West Philadelphia Inspires Hope and Fosters Resilience
Amidst the puppets, art installations, and banners, the spirit of community love filled the park, casting a warm glow over the gathering. The air was alive with excitement, showcasing the unity and creativity of the Greater Philadelphia area.
An Uphill Climb to Prosperity: The Journey of a Returning Mother
A wise poet once wrote, “life for me ain’t been no crystal stair.” This could not be truer for a person who is justice-impacted. As a mother returning from incarceration, life is full of bumps, cracks, and splinters on stairs that bruise as they knock me down one step for every two steps that I climb. My journey from incarceration to stability has been a roller coaster ride since I returned to society nearly two decades ago.
The AI will see you now: How artificial intelligence is changing healthcare — and might become your best advocate
As this is the final essay of a five-part series, I thought it appropriate to begin where we started. Although focused on artificial intelligence, love has always been the throughline intentionally guiding each piece.
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.
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.
This Short Film About A Philly Sports Team’s Protest Reminds Us to Say Sonya Massey’s Name
On this, the first day of the Paris Olympics, and in the wake of this week’s amplified awareness around the death of Sonya Massey, I am reminded of this team of young Black girls, ranging in age from 5 to 19, and their activism for Black Women and Girls.This film shows us what love looks like when it’s put into action in the midst of turmoil and uncertainty. It’s not just warm feelings and kind words. It’s empowerment. It’s education. It’s standing up and speaking out, even when your voice shakes.
Love & Release: The Cry Log
For some time, though, I resisted this truth about myself. I wanted to put distance between myself and stereotypes of women of color as being unable to handle their emotions. I thought that crying meant I was volatile and unstable. I considered bursting into tears to be a weakness, to be something embarrassing and unwanted. And people told me this, too, saying I needed to grow a thicker skin because I was “too sensitive” and thus “illogical.”
HNI Collective is Helping Philadelphians Embrace Slow Fashion, One Stitch at a Time
Founded in January by Asemota, HNI Collective’s mission is to make sustainable clothing accessible to all bodies. Her approach is two-fold: help consumers make their clothes last longer while helping fashion brands be as sustainable as possible.
Words Beats And Life’s “Alt Spring Break” Web Series Comes to Philly: A Conversation with Love Now Media’s CEO Jos Duncan Asé
Like many leaders, Jos Duncan Asé’s origin story is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit. She faced significant adversities, such as the loss of her father and her mother’s battle with addiction. With the support of family and community members, these hardships molded her into a change agent, determined to make a positive difference in her community.
For My Sister, For Myself
For The Cook Sisters, the self and selves go hand-in-hand, transcending time and space. And they both require a “yes” to love. “I want for my sisters what I want for myself,” Jeannine once wrote in a post on social media. It would appear that what she wants for herself, is indeed what her sisters feel they need.
