It was just two years ago that Philadelphia’s own Rocky 50k run made its debut. What started as a joke by Philadelphia Magazine writer Dan McQuade has quickly evolved into a yearly tradition for hundreds of runners from across the country. (There was even a baby named in its honor!) Created by ultra-runner Rebecca Barber, the serpentine…
Jamal Nasir was 15 the first time he sold drugs. It was an easy choice for the gullible teenager: As a Baltimore high school student in the late ’80s, he watched many of his peers arrive at school sporting flashy clothes, showcasing new cars and brandishing huge wads of cash. “It was eye-catching,” says Nasir,…
In Philadelphia, there’s no shortage of need to help people facing economic hardships. See: the stagnant poverty rate, increasing hunger, a difficult-to-navigate affordable housing crisis. Thankfully, there are also a wealth of nonprofits and other social service organizations eager to step in year-round — and especially on holidays associated with meals, comfort and community. But…
Wendy Johnson had an idea of what she had wanted to major in while she was enrolled at the University of Phoenix’s Philadelphia campus – human services. But that would change over the course of her journey through college, mainly because she was unsure about how to navigate her educational path. Ultimately, Johnson stopped her…
What’s the next level of community reporting? For many, printed text and visuals make complex issues clear. Others absorb information best with audio and video. And the internet brings news to screens we touch. PlanPhilly decided to bring stories to life by tapping into another sense, taste, as well as memory. We focused on two…
Even though it happened just a few months ago, graduation for me was almost a complete blur. I do not remember much of what was said to me on that day except the word “congratulations.” That word was repeated a lot, especially by those who saw me walking to school wearing my cap and…
There was never a particular moment when AJ Young felt that he was supposed to be a guy, but it was more of a continual questioning why it was he felt uncomfortable around friends and family. Not just generally, but socially. Young was born Catherine Rebecca Young. He grew up in Elgin, Illinois where he…
A group of students is utilizing a class project in an effort to raise awareness about suicide, and honor the memory of a graduate who died just before the semester began. Days after he was declared missing by friends and family, Roswell Friend, a broadcast telecommunications and mass media major who graduated last spring, was…
As part of an ongoing effort to explore how technology can be utilized to improve government function, City Controller Alan Butkovitz announced Wednesday that the city has been using drones to inspect dangerous buildings in neighborhoods across Philadelphia. Butkovitz and his team selected four locations around the city to test the drone’s capacity to make…
In this first edition of a Broke in Philly-adjacent reporting series about unsung community leaders, the Pomona Cherokee Civic Council’s president describes people as the neighborhood’s greatest resource.