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Fran Byers, community organizer and Friends of Clark Park founding member, passes away

March 1, 2024

fran

Fran Byers at a Clark Park re-opening event in 2012 (Archive Photo – West Philly Local).

We are sad to report that long-term Spruce Hill resident and community organizer, Fran Byers, 83, passed away this week. During almost all of her life in Spruce Hill, Fran was involved with local community organizations and neighborhood groups. She was a founding member of Friends of Clark Park.

“Fran… lived one block away from the park, and was an active member in many neighborhood groups, but her dedication to Clark Park knew no bounds,” reads a post dedicated to Fran’s passing on the Friends of Clark Park website.

“Fran had served as president many times and was still active at the time of her death. A threat to remove the internationally famous Dickens statue from removal triggered the original drive by Fran and fellow activists to create Friends of Clark Park; decades later, she still proudly served the cake at Dickens Birthday Party.”

For years, Fran headed many activities at Clark Park, like Bark in the Park, the Veterans Day celebration and Christmas caroling. She was also involved with St. Francis De Sales Church and the Calvary Center.

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City honors renowned West Philly architect Emanuel Kelly, who passed away last month

February 13, 2024

               Photo from temple.edu

Councilmember Jamie Gauthier (3rd District) recently introduced a resolution honoring the life and celebrating the legacy of the late Emanuel Kelly, a trailblazing architect, longtime Temple University professor, and champion of affordable housing and equity.

Kelly passed away on January 12 at the age of 80. He spent the last 45 years of his life living in a Queen Anne-style house across from Clark Park, which he refurbished himself.

Gauthier’s resolution, introduced last week at a City Council meeting, celebrates Kelly’s historic career and honors his many contributions to Philadelphia.

“Today, we honor one of Philadelphia’s homegrown heroes, an esteemed member of Philadelphia’s ongoing Black history,” Gauthier said. “Emanuel Kelly may have passed on last month, but his mark on Philadelphia – figuratively and literally – will live on for generations.”

Kelly’s wife, family, friends, colleagues, and admirers testified about Mr. Kelly’s legacy during public comment.

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Democratic mayoral candidate Cherelle Parker to stop at Clarkville for Meet & Greet

October 16, 2023

The 2023 Pennsylvania General Election, when Philadelphians will elect a new mayor, is just three weeks away. On Thursday, Oct. 19, from 6-8 p.m., the 27th Ward Democratic Committee (Facebook page) is hosting a meet and greet with mayoral candidate Cherelle Parker at the West Philly restaurant Clarkville, located at 43rd and Baltimore. The event is free and open to the public. Check out the flyer below for more details.

Parker is running against Republican David Oh in the general election on November 7.

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West Philly honors Paul Robeson with block renaming and celebration

April 15, 2023

Councilmember Jamie Gauthier (center) displays a facsimile sign along with Vernoca L. Michael (left), former executive director of the West Philadelphia Cultural Alliance/Paul Robeson House and Museum; Janice Sykes-Ross (right), executive director, and former Councilmember Jannie Blackwell (far right).

 

The draping came down on a new street sign at the corner of 50th and Walnut Streets Friday morning as the 4900 block of Walnut Street became “Paul L. Robeson Way.”

Dozens of local officials, including Pennsylvania House Speaker Joanna McClinton, neighbors and supporters of the Paul Robeson House and Museum were on hand for the street-renaming ceremony near 4951 Walnut, where Robeson lived with his sister Marian Forsythe for the last 10 years of his life. He died in 1976.

“Paul Robeson became one of the most devoted fighters at home and abroad,” said Councilwoman Jamie Gauthier, who introduced resolutions in City Council renaming the block and designating April 9 as “Paul Robeson Day.” “He did this during a time when racists regularly lynched people who looked like him for speaking out against injustice.” Continue Reading

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Pulling Robeson ‘out of the shadows’: Paul Robeson House & Museum honors his 125th birthday with special events

March 20, 2023

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The Paul Robeson House & Museum in West Philadelphia is celebrating the 125th birthday of the legendary Renaissance man – a football star, singer, actor, lawyer, social activist, orator and linguist – next month with an impressive series of special guests and events.

Robeson fearlessly used his bass-baritone voice for both singing and speaking for the rights of Black people in America and oppressed people all over the world. For his advocacy of those considered outsiders, he became a pariah in his own country. The goal of these celebrations is to “pull Robeson out of the shadows.”

The headliner is Sweet Honey in the Rock, a legendary group whose songs and message are in the same vein as Robeson’s. Harry Belafonte, who considered Robeson his mentor, is the honorary chair of the 125th Birthday Celebration of Paul Robeson. Actor Danny Glover is the honorary co-chair. The celebration is being held from April 8-15, 2023, in conjunction with the Paul Robeson Alliance, a collection of Robeson-related organizations from across the country. Continue Reading

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West/Southwest Philadelphia community leaders honored on International Women’s Day

March 10, 2023

Some of the 13 women honored with a City Council resolution on March 8, International Women’s Day. Photo courtesy of the Office of Councilmember Jamie Gauthier.

In honor of International Women’s Day, celebrated on March 8, City Councilmember Jamie Gauthier introduced and passed a City Council resolution honoring 13 West and Southwest Philadelphia women working to make their communities joyful and safe places to live.

The list included:

Tanja Carter – A community activist in Mill Creek, a block captain, and the founder of It Takes a Village of Helping Hands, a community organization which improves and empowers neighbors by hosting events, beautifying alleys, city streets, and parks, and more.

Callalily Cousar – The President of the East Parkside Residence Assistance (ERPA). In this role, she has established a playground, created a food cupboard, hosted block parties, health fairs, Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners, and tax and resume workshops.

Constance Harris Crews – The President of the Kingsessing Recreation Center Advisory Council, a block captain, a committeeperson, the co-commissioner of the Jayhawks Basketball Program, and the Program Liaison for the Jayhawks 1975 Youth Association. Continue Reading

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