Activism Beyond the Classroom Dr. Krystal Strong

In Part III of the Philadelphia Communities mini-series, Rehana Odendaal interviews Kalela Williams, a local history enthusiast and founder of the Facebook page Black History Maven. Their conversation at the Free Library of Philadelphia covered Kalela’s interest in African American history, some of her favorite pieces of Philadelphia history as well as conversation about why the past matters to Philadelphia Communities today.

In Part II of the Philadelphia Communities mini-series, Penn Graduate School of Education students Jessica Ch’ng and Kareli Lizarraga interview Adam DePaul, a leader in the Lenape Nation of Pennsylvania. In this conversation at the Lenape Garden, Adam discusses his leadership in the nation and his personal journey with identity. He describes the contradictions of governmental recognition for indigenous peoples, bridging culture with academia, and his hopes for the nation.

Who gets to belong in Philadelphia? What communities and what people are seen as valuable? What communities and people are seen as disposable? What historical sights are the ones that are deem worthy of saving/preserving?  In this podcast mini-series, a sequence of interviews and discussions, we hear the stories behind the histories of what is currently Philadelphia and think about ways of engaging with history and space. In this installment, Part I, ABC students Jessica Ch’ng and Rehana Odendaal discuss the theme of our working group, communities of present-day Philadelphia, and provide an overview of our syllabus and podcast series.

Hosted by the Teacher Organizing group of the Fall 2019 ABC course, this podcast explores social justice in education unionism. We hear from panelists, John Braxton; former co-president of the Faculty and Staff Federation of The Community College of Philadelphia, Jia Lee; United Federation of Teachers and a member of MORE Caucus NYC, Daniel Symonds; Philadelphia Federation of Teachers and a member of The Caucus of Working Educators and Devin Daniels and Audrey Jaquiss; GETUP Graduate Employees Together at UPENN. Together these activists share their experiences and motivations in their fight for social justice. 

What do we choose to memorialize? Why should we memorialize? Who should make these decisions? What are the consequences of memorializing something that is a part of a living, breathing community, with real needs, lives and experiences? Even if we choose to memorialize these high schools, is that enough? In Part II of this mini-series, Rachel and Marissa will introduce you to our second high school, Bok Technical High School, its background, and the conditions of its closure in 2013. We encourage you to visit the high school as you listen to the audio guides, to fully experience and immerse yourself in the podcast.

In 2013, the city of Philadelphia was faced with a challenge: many of the cities elementary, middle, and high schools were underenrolled and underperforming. This mini-series, consisting of two guided walking tours, encourages listeners to remember, honor, and memorialize the closed spaces with their bodies and minds. In this installment, Part I, Sanah and Maya guided you through West Philadelphia High School, its current status as luxury lofts, and what this means for its former students, now housed in a new building a few blocks away. We encourage you to visit the high school as you listen to the audio guides, to fully experience and immerse yourself in the podcast.