Photo by Ken McFarlane; digital rendering by Jeff Sugg.

To celebrate Black Lives and Black Fatherhood an outdoor public art installation by West Philly artist and activist Ken McFarlane will be projected on the façade of the Barnes Foundation this Saturday and Sunday (June 20 & 21) from 8 – 11 p.m.

The project, titled “From the Root to the Fruit: Portraits of Black Fathers and Their Children“, is presented by We Embrace Fatherhood, a coalition of West Philadelphia fathers, activists and artists, as a part of the Black Lives Matter movement for eradicating systemic racial injustice and in response to the COVID-19 health crisis which has dramatically decreased public access to the arts.

The installation will be projected onto the facade of the Barnes and can be viewed from their South East plaza as well as from the streets. Music will provided by DJs from PC Radio Live. This will be a COVID-19-safe environment, with six foot spacing. Attendees must wear masks at all times.  Continue Reading

Local organizations, groups, and/or causes are invited to apply for the 2020-2021 cycle of Mariposa Food Co-op‘s Round-up For Change program.

Through the program, which is now in its third year, Mariposa’s member-owners and shoppers “round-up” their purchases to the nearest dollar, and the extra change is then donated to program recipients. The first recipient will be selected for September 2020 and the cycle will run until August 2021.

Organizations whose missions or objectives carry out one of the following will be considered:  Continue Reading

Photo from rickforwestphilly.com

The 188th State House District, which encompasses West Philadelphia neighborhoods of Spruce Hill, Walnut Hill, Squirrel Hill, Garden Court, Cedar Park, and University City, will likely have a new representative after the November election for the first time in 35 years. Community organizer, criminal justice advocate, educator and artist Rick Krajewski has defeated longtime incumbent Jim Roebuck in the June 2 primary. The primary winner is almost assured of winning the seat in the November general election.

Krajewski was endorsed by City Councilmember Jamie Gauthier and Senator Bernie Sanders among others and far outspent Roebuck and fellow challengers – Ward leader Gregory Benjamin and former Roebuck aide Karen Dunn.  Continue Reading

There’s a new map out showing more than 150 Black-owned restaurants in Philadelphia and the region.

The project began when local food writer and editor Kae Lani Palmisano put together a database of Philly restaurants open during the coronavirus pandemic. In the aftermath of George Floyd’s death and in support of the Black Lives Matter movement, the focus shifted to Black-owned restaurants. The project is crowdsourced and the map was created by South Philly resident and IT specialist Charles Rumford, according to BillyPenn. As the database keeps growing the map will also get updated.  Continue Reading

Artist’s rendering of proposed five-floor building on N. 52nd Street near the Market-Frankford El stop.

A Philadelphia born-and-raised entrepreneur plans to build a five-story, $6 million “entrepreneurship hub” on 52nd Street, just north of the Market Street El stop.

Tayyib Smith, a self-described “serial entrepreneur” who has worked in the music industry and started ventures around Philadelphia, introduced the plan on Wednesday night during a zoning hearing with Achieveability, the neighborhood’s registered community organization (RCO).  Continue Reading

Over the last several days, many local organizations have posted public statements or messages reflecting on the protests and civil unrest in the city and on the issue of systemic racism, and showing their solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement. We’re posting some of them below. Some of these messages include information on how you can help the local Black community and businesses in the aftermath of the recent events and also educational resources for non-Black individuals and families.

People’s Emergency Center (PEC):

“As we surveyed the damage of the weekend’s unrest in our neighborhoods, we shared a deep sense of sadness for business owners, community residents, and others who have invested so much to ensure access to vibrant commercial corridors to meet the needs of residents. And though it will take time and money, we believe the damage done to businesses can and will be repaired somewhat easily.  Continue Reading