Local

ABOVE PHOTO: (Photo: Bill Foster) Passing the torch: the legacy beyond his birthday By Afea Tucker People across Philadelphia and the surrounding suburbs are gearing up to celebrate the life and legacy of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.  As it has in years past, the region will celebrate what would have been the…

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ABOVE PHOTO: “Racism Can End” speakers at Eli Siegel Day celebration in Baltimore, (l-r) Captain Allan Michael, Dr. Jaime R. Torres, NYC teacher Monique Michael, Dr. Arnold Perey. By Alice Bernstein As we observe the federal holiday honoring Dr. Martin Luther King’s courageous life and his opposition to racism, poverty, and war, I am moved to…

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ABOVE PHOTO: Judge Renée Cardwell Hughes  After an exhaustive search, the board of irectors of Philadelphia OIC has named Judge Renée Cardwell Hughes as its new president and CEO. Hughes is a model leader for Philadelphia OIC.  She is highly attuned to the needs of the community and is dedicated to making effective and impactful…

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ABOVE PHOTO: The Rev. Dr. Gregory Edwards The Germantown Jewish Centre, located at 400 West Ellet Street, is hosting its 36th annual Ralph Granger Memorial Shabbat, “Reimagining Our Journey Toward Racial Justice” with the Rev. Dr. Gregory Edwards on Saturday, January 18 at 10:00 am in the Charry Service. All are invited to lunch in…

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Bebashi Transition to Hope, an agency normally associated with sexual health care, continues its evolution of addressing other social problems affecting the community by conducting a mobile food pantry to commemorate Martin Luther King Day of Service on January 20.  Food insecurity remains one of Philadelphia’s most intransigent problems. In addition to having the highest…

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The African Bicycle Contribution Foundation (ABCF), which has distributed 500 free Ghanaian-made bicycles, at predominantly rural schools throughout Ghana since 2016, recently announced a new “Collaboration for IT and Communications Excellence” program at a demonstration project at the Girls Model School, in Nabdam, Ghana, with students, teachers and administrators in attendance. The foundation reached out…

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On January 8 at the City Commissioners’ Sunshine Meeting, newly elected City Commissioner Omar Sabir made a motion to begin the process to create and launch a mobile app that would provide critical information about the voting process to a target audience of young voters, ages 18 – 26. The motion was unanimously approved. This…

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Fifty years after it participated in the first Earth Day, the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University is launching a yearlong initiative to show how everyday choices can affect the health of the environment.  Starting this month, Philadelphia area residents—and everybody, really—will be encouraged to join Academy scientists, staff, the institution as a whole,…

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ABOVE PHOTO: Mayor Jim Kenney getting sworn in. (Photo: Bill Z. Foster) During Monday’s City of Philadelphia inauguration ceremony, it was a mix of the old and the new By Denise Clay During the April 2019 primaries and the November general election, the citizens of the City of Philadelphia voted to make more than a…

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As she leaves Philadelphia City Council, Jannie Blackwell reflects on 47 years of working for the people and what’s next. By Denise Clay Cleaning out three offices and more than 40 years of supplies, papers and memories requires a lot of hands. On the Friday before New Year’s Day, Jannie Blackwell and the members of…

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