Resounding well into the night were the voices of so many people, mostly young black men, screaming "No!" at even a hint of violence. The protests were mostly peaceful, though there were a few moments of tension peppering a long march across the city in a show of solidarity with Baltimore.
Image via Mo Manklang
East Kensington cafe and community hangout Franny Lou's porch finally opened, giving neighbors a new space to come together.
Image via Mo Manklang
Tens of thousands rallied in over 300 cities around the world. Philly's march included laundry, security, fast food and grocery workers all demanding #15Now.
Image via 15NowPhilly
Mady Wiley, a 1st grader, collected 1,500 pounds of food for the West Chester Food Cupboard, as part of her mission to collect 20,000 pounds of food for those in need.
Image via West Chester Food Cupboard / Nicole Wiley
This week, hundreds of Philadelphians attended meetings across the city to sound off on what they'd like to see in the upcoming Comcast contract update.
"For the past 15 years, we as Philadelphians have played our roles as citizens, paying our taxes, gathering up enough money it seems to fund a second Comcast Skyscraper. Meanwhile for the past 15 years Comcast has paid just a 3rd of our commonwealth's average state income tax; a fraction which, if increased merely to the average amount, could singlehandedly shift the direction of our failing school system."
Photo by Bill Hangley for WHYY/Newsworks
We might not have gotten the answers we wanted, but now we know where the candidates stand on small business and a sustainable future for our city.
Image via Mo Manklang
Promoting understanding, freedom, and tolerance, the The Interfaith Center of Greater Philadelphia, with the help of photographer JJ Tiziou, countered anti-muslim ads on SEPTA buses.
Image via Interfaith Center of Greater Philadelphia
After taking summer training courses with Need in Deed, Meagan Ingerson focused on graffiti, threading it through every subject she teaches to make curricular connections.
Image via Meagan Ingerson
Starting as temporary contractors, employment of youth from Neighborhood Bike Works has now evolved into what will be a 3 year partnership between Neighborhood Bike Works and Indego.
“I think we’re a big representative of their mechanical staff right now,” said Taylor Kuyk-White. “I’m really glad that everyone — Bicycle Transit Systems, the Bicycle Coalition, Better Bike Share — has been receptive to this partnership.”
Image via Neighborhood Bike Works
Weavers Way General Manager of 11 years, Glenn Bergman was named the new Philabundance Executive Director and will take over June 1st.
Image via Philabundance
IgnitePhilly struck again, with a lineup of speakers ranging from Patrice Banks of Girls Auto Clinic that gets women gritty with their cars, to Dr. Timaree Leigh speaking out to sexual positivity, to Holly Logan of the Philly Fixers Guild spreading the word about repair fairs across the city.
Image via Mo Manklang
Organizer Yuriy Porytko announced the program’s new microgrant program, CivInc, which will provide microgrants for innovative civic technology projects that have been impacted by the OpenAccessPHL community.
Image via Mo Manklang
Young Involved Philadelphia REALLY wants you to vote on May 19th. To that end, they hosted a City Council Candidate Convention with Committee of Seventy on April 2nd, allowing millennials (and any other interested citizens) to get face-time with their would-be leaders.
Image via Mo Manklang
Thanks to all who attended! It was a great event, seeing tons of meaningful connections. We are proud to be a part of creating positive change in Philadelphia.
