Sulaiman Rahman: Power Through Access By: WURD| Economic Mobility, Latest PJC stories, Love Media Now, WURD March 23, 2026 | Sulaiman Rahman, is featured in Freedom Journeys for his work leading DiverseForce. Still photo from WURD video. Sulaiman Rahman is building pathways to power and making sure more people are prepared to walk through them.…
Do bodegas still offer economic opportunities to new generations of Latines in Philadelphia?
The latest episode of PhillyCAM’s “Philly Unpacked” dives into the reporting of 2 Puntos Platform and Metro Philadelphia on how the current immigration crackdown is affecting local businesses and workers in the city’s Latine community.
As immigration enforcement intensifies, congregations and organizers are pooling resources to help families stay housed, informed and connected to critical services.
“Reporting that takes a solutions approach is better received, works against news fatigue and helps people see that there are approaches to address persisting problems.”Welcome to the Philadelphia Journalism Collaborative’s reporting page — a space where we share insights, stories and reflections from our newsroom partners. Here, you’ll find coverage that explores how communities across Philadelphia are working toward solutions to the city’s most pressing challenges.
As a child in Indianapolis, I learned early that music is memory. My father and I drove miles each month…
Artificial intelligence is whipping up beautiful pictures of cakes to salivate over. But, at least for now, it cannot bake…
On a recent Saturday, more than 30 volunteers gathered in Malcolm X Park to plant street trees on sidewalks in…
En el otoño de 2021, Tytianna Hawthorne recibió un mensaje telefónico de un investigador del Departamento de Servicios Humanos de…
Sulaiman Rahman: Power Through Access By: WURD| Economic Mobility, Latest PJC stories, Love Media Now, WURD March 23, 2026 | Sulaiman Rahman, is featured in Freedom Journeys for his work leading DiverseForce. Still photo from WURD video. Sulaiman Rahman is building pathways to power and making sure more people are prepared to walk through them.…
Do bodegas still offer economic opportunities to new generations of Latines in Philadelphia?
The latest episode of PhillyCAM’s “Philly Unpacked” dives into the reporting of 2 Puntos Platform and Metro Philadelphia on how the current immigration crackdown is affecting local businesses and workers in the city’s Latine community.
As immigration enforcement intensifies, congregations and organizers are pooling resources to help families stay housed, informed and connected to critical services.
A Philadelphia mother’s fight to reunite with her children offers a grim window into the problems of the American cities’ child welfare systems – and how they can be improved.
Housing for All? Who Really Benefits in Philly By: Jordana Rubenstein| PhillyCAM, The Philadelphia Citizen February 18, 2026 | Melissa Monts of One PA Renters United speaks on an episode of "Philly Unpacked" produced by PhillyCAM. Each month, “Philly Unpacked” breaks down one of the current issues affecting life in Philadelphia. In this episode we…
Philly workers dealing with domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking (DV/SA/stalking) have two separate job protections allowing them to take time away from work to handle issues without risking employment.
Jeán Ruiz remembers their high school years in Kensington as a period of stress and survival.
Leon H Sullivan: Pastor who leveraged Black buying power to open opportunities By: WURD| Economic Mobility, Love Media Now, WURD February 2, 2026 | Tagged: Economic Mobility, Leon Sullivan. Rev. Leon H. Sullivan. Still image from video by WURD. As part of WURD’s series Freedom Journeys, a storytelling initiative honoring 250 extraordinary African-American Philadelphians who…
For Philadelphia’s Latino community, daily life now revolves around survival, fear, and anxiety. The effects are already visible in a local economy that depends on this community.
Philadelphia’s growing AI programs face scrutiny over governance and public input By: Katie Malone | PhillyCAM, Technical.ly January 27, 2026 | Tagged: AI, Civic Tech. PhillyCAM's Jordana Rubenstein (L) interviews Technical.ly reporter Sarah Huffman (R) about AI policy in Philadelphia (Screenshot/PhillyCAM) Philadelphia is moving ahead with using AI in city services, but some residents worry…
Philadelphia ranks last in the US when it comes to escaping poverty — but its social media creative scene is becoming a standout.
‘By closing schools, you leave a hole in the neighborhood,’ says anti-violence activist Chantay Love.
In 2020, if Covid-19 wasn’t the lead story on our local news, it was shootings. I was baffled.
What Is Trump’s Proposal and How Does It Affect the Immigrant Community? By: Centro Integral de la Mujer Madre Tierra Editorial Team | Kensington Voice, Madre Tierra October 22, 2025 | Tagged: community, Immigration. Photo by Barbara Burgess on Unsplash. In 2023, 47.8 million immigrants lived in the United States, including naturalized, permanent and temporary…
Community members are lobbying ahead of a City Council hearing this week for long-sought reforms to Philadelphia’s Department of Human Services, citing years of systemic problems.
The hearing, the second convened by City Council members Nina Ahmad and Cindy Bass, was sparked by a Philadelphia Journalism Collaborative investigation, published in the Philadelphia Inquirer, which exposed chronic understaffing, turnover in the workforce and the needless separation of families. Advocates had offered a list of concerns early this past summer.
Sonia Ortuño begins her day very early in the morning, traveling from New Jersey to South Philadelphia to earn a living as a baker and support her five children. Although it hasn’t been easy, she believes it has been worth it.
When Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson needed a partner to help launch her 2024 memoir, “Lovely One,” she chose Uncle Bobbie’s Coffee & Books in the heart of historic Germantown. In a remarkable feat for a small, independent bookstore, the discussion and book signing that followed at Enon Tabernacle Baptist Church in Cedarbrook sold 4,000 tickets and became one of the most successful stops on Jackson’s national tour.
Amid Grief in Germantown, The Wissahickon Endures as a Place of Comfort and Connection By: Kristen E. Holmes | Chestnut Hill Local, Love Media Now September 24, 2025 | Tagged: Community Health, Mental Health. Joe Jamison greets Kathryn Rapp during a walk with Bruce Ross (in black) and Al Walker. Photo by Brian Nelson At…
Water, water everywhere By: Kyle Bagenstose | Chestnut Hill Local, Grid Philly August 28, 2025 | Tagged: Environment, Recreation. FDR Park offers free Community Boating Days with instruction and use of rowboats, kayaks, and canoes. Photo by Kyle Bagenstose The federal Clean Water Act created a regulatory system in which the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency…
For Philadelphia Latine business owners, passing down culture and business intertwine By: Némesis Mora | 2Puntos, Metro Philly August 27, 2025 | Tagged: community, Economic Mobility, immigrants. Metro Philadelphia and 2PuntosLocalNews are collaborating to produce a series highlighting second- and third-generation Latines in Philadelphia. Second and third generation immigrants often represent a fresher, more creative…
Swimming against the current By: Kyle Bagenstose | Chestnut Hill Local, Grid Philly August 21, 2025 | Tagged: Environment, Recreation. A man dives into “Devil’s Pool” at the confluence of the Cresheim and Wissahickon Creeks in June 2025. Photo by Kyle Bagenstose. Symiya Taylor, a young woman from West Philadelphia, was keeping cool in the…
Advocates believe Philadelphia’s waterways could be the next great playground — if the City prioritizes it By: Kyle Bagenstose | Chestnut Hill Local, Grid Philly August 1, 2025 | Tagged: Environment, Recreation. Boaters get on the water at FDR Park. Photo by Jared Gruenwald. On an unseasonably cool Saturday during one of this spring’s stretches…
Does the Philadelphia school district fail to communicate effectively and frequently enough with its Latino families for their children to do as well as they should?
For Zulma Guzmán, the clear answer is yes.
The story is unfinished. For many immigrants arriving in Philadelphia, progress is not marked by dramatic moments but by the slow, steady build of ordinary days. It begins with shelter that is not temporary, a phone that stays charged, and an English sentence spoken with confidence. These are quiet wins, easy to miss from the outside but deeply felt by those living them.
¿Segunda o tercera generación? Lo que estos términos significan para la identidad latina en Filadelfia By: Garett Fadeley | 2Puntos, Metro Philly July 24, 2025 | Tagged: Cultura, en español, Familia, Filadelfia, Identidad, Inmigrantes, Latine, Philadelphia. A mural inside Taller Puertorriqueño. (Photo by Stephen Knight) Filadelfia nunca ha sido más diversa, y las familias latinas…
Philadelphia has never been more diverse, and Latine families play a central role in that transformation. As of 2024, over 16% of the city’s population identifies as Latine.
Although there is no single way to define a culture, Philadelphia is home to thousands of individuals who express their identity in different ways where 16% of the population identifies as Latine.
Tucked on the edge of the Schuylkill River, Bartram’s Garden is dedicated to offering a home for horticulture, an ancient riverfront, and a place of untold histories to the broader Philadelphia Area. Despite being the oldest surviving botanical garden in North America, Bartram’s community farm, Sankofa, continues to serve as a resource for the younger generation.
As a child in Indianapolis, I learned early that music is memory. My father and I drove miles each month to the South Side of Chicago to hear African drumming.
For years, people with intimate knowledge of foster care practices at the Department of Human Services cited similar problems: random and subjective decision-making, the confusion of poverty and neglect, an unstable workforce riven by turnover — and more.
The Philadelphia police special victims unit is investigating the death of a child who apparently drowned in a bathtub when his foster mother left him unattended to go to the microwave.
Records obtained by The Inquirer and Resolve Philly show that a Harrowgate foster parent left 19-month-old Sy’vir Hill and a second child unsupervised and returned to find Sy’vir submerged in the water.
Woman holding “Reunite Our Families” sign in Center City. (Photo taken by Josh Childs)
Artificial intelligence is whipping up beautiful pictures of cakes to salivate over.
But, at least for now, it cannot bake one. And even if it could, that cake would not be as delectable as what the pastry chefs at Cake Life Bake Shop in Fishtown, Philadelphia, can do.
Philly will get a ton of benefits if its first-ever Tree Plan succeeds. Right now, our trees store 99,000 tons of carbon dioxide each year. That number will increase as the canopy grows.
“SAVE MY TREE!”
That’s what Nicole Fakhoury heard her two-year-old son crying and begging over the phone, over the sounds of a chainsaw.
The way survivors are taught to heal from gun violence can be formulaic: talk to your loved ones, seek therapy, and take anti-anxiety medications. But the path to healing isn’t the same for everyone.
On a recent Saturday, more than 30 volunteers gathered in Malcolm X Park to plant street trees on sidewalks in front of homes around West Philly. Despite the rain, they showed up ready to dig out tree pits, spread mulch and get around 30 trees into the ground.
“Trees are the only piece of [public] infrastructure that appreciates in value,” says Dominique London, director of the nonprofit Tree Tender group UC Green.
How Philly can look to New Jersey to fix its child welfare system By: Steve Volk | The Philadelphia Inquirer April 14, 2025 | Tagged: Foster Care and Child Welfare, Our Kids. The problems bedeviling Philadelphia’s child welfare system — too many kids in foster care, worker vacancies, and lawsuits stemming from child injuries and…
Los problemas que aquejan al sistema de bienestar infantil de Filadelfia —como el exceso de niños en hogares de acogida, la escasez de personal y demandas relacionadas con lesiones y muertes infantiles— han disminuido progresivamente en Nueva Jersey en las últimas dos décadas. Entonces, ¿qué puede aprender Filadelfia del Estado Jardín? En la década de…
En el otoño de 2021, Tytianna Hawthorne recibió un mensaje telefónico de un investigador del Departamento de Servicios Humanos de Filadelfia: alguien podría haber maltratado a su hija de un año. El investigador actuó basándose en una pista confidencial enviada a ChildLine por una persona que llamó y dijo que una foto de Su’Layah en…
Inside Philly’s hidden foster care system, where parents ‘voluntarily’ give up their children By: Steve Volk, Resolve Philly | The Philadelphia Inquirer April 10, 2025 | Tagged: Foster Care and Child Welfare, Our Kids. In fall 2021, Tytianna Hawthorne received a phone message from an investigator with the Philadelphia Department of Human Services: Someone may…
A story like this could begin in dozens of places. It could begin with Elliot, an infant shaken so badly that he suffered a traumatic brain injury; or Adeen, another boy, submerged in scalding water; or Samaya, held down and burned with an iron. A story like this could also begin with a mom, like…
Una historia como ésta podría comenzar en docenas de lugares. Podría comenzar con Elliot, un bebé sacudido con tanta fuerza que sufrió una lesión cerebral traumática; o con Adeen, otro niño, sumergido en agua hirviendo; o con Samaya, sujetada y quemada con una plancha. Una historia como esta también podría comenzar con una madre, como…
Counties across Pennsylvania are taking millions of dollars in Social Security benefits owed to kids in foster care, a practice some child advocates equate to stealing. These local agencies contend the practice is allowed under law and needed to offset the cost of care. But it’s often done without a child’s knowledge and how some…
Moussa Diallo’s journey is one of resilience, sacrifice, and the relentless pursuit of a better life. At 62, he left behind his wife and child in Mauritania, stepping into the unknown for stability and opportunity. The road to the United States was neither short nor easy, but Diallo has never backed down from a challenge.…
“Doy comentarios públicos porque soy una defensora. Creo que es la responsabilidad de un ciudadano”, afirma Judith Robinson, una residente de Filadelfia de toda la vida y profesional de bienes raíces desde hace mucho tiempo. Robinson es una oradora experimentada y miembro de Philadelphia Documenters, un programa que recluta, capacita y paga a los residentes…
“I give public comment because I am an advocate. I think it’s a citizen’s responsibility,” states Judith Robinson, a lifelong Philadelphian and a long term real estate professional. Robinson is a seasoned speaker, and a member of the Philadelphia Documenters — an organization which recruits, trains and pays Philadelphians to attend and take notes at…
A decade ago, Jordan Parisse-Ferrarini was already a successful contractor. A skilled carpenter, a licensed electrician, and a certified construction manager, his company, Ferrarini Kitchens, Baths and Interiors, was doing brisk business. He wanted to take the next step and become a developer, and went to some trade shows. But he struggled, and felt frustrated…
La escuela primaria Willard, en Kensington, está a punto de recibir su primer parque infantil. Sin embargo, también tendrá algo menos extravagante: una verja resistente a balas. Ambos tienen una fuente de financiamiento inusual: las compañías farmacéuticas responsables de alimentar la crisis de opioides en el patio trasero de la escuela. La directora de Willard,…
On the stretch of Kensington Avenue between the Allegheny and Somerset SEPTA stations, wound care vans, mobile drug treatment clinics, drop-in centers and harm reduction sites offer daily care to the hundreds of people who openly use drugs on the neighborhood’s sidewalks. And still, the 19134 ZIP code sees the highest number of overdose deaths citywide as…
On a windy afternoon in November, a busload of seniors arrives on a verdant campus in West Oak Lane. Passing by persimmon trees and a koi pond, they enter a building with an array of services and activities, everything from health care and vocational training to bingo and mahjong. These grounds belong to the nonprofit…
Kensington’s Willard Elementary School is getting its first playground. It’s also getting something less whimsical: a bullet-resistant fence. Both have an unusual funding source: drug companies that fueled the opioid crisis in the school’s backyard. Willard Principal Diana Garcia said that every child across Philadelphia should get 30 minutes of play time outside. But students…
Are digital navigators the answer to closing Philadelphia’s tech gap? By: Sarah Huffman | Technical.ly December 6, 2024 | Tagged: Civic News, Digital Access, Internet, municipal government. Whether it’s paying a bill or applying for a job, many everyday tasks exist almost entirely online — but not everyone has the skills or devices to access…
Yero Sy’s journey from Mauritania to Philadelphia is a powerful story of resilience and determination. Despite earning a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Accounting and Finance from Senegal, Yero was forced to leave his successful career as an accountant and university lecturer due to political instability and limited opportunities in his home country. His decision…
For several years before the 2020 election, the elderly residents of Germantown Home needed only to take the elevator downstairs to cast a ballot in the polling center set up in their lobby. It was convenient, and it was busy: Older voters are the most consistent voters, even among the high voter turnout neighborhoods of Northwest…
After years of proposals and community protests, Philadelphia might be getting a brand new downtown arena. Among the largest community concerns over the proposed 76ers basketball arena is the indirect displacement of residents and businesses in Chinatown, located just a block away — a conclusion supported by a report released by the city. But another major concern is the…
However you feel about the idea of artificial intelligence — whether you believe society’s future depends on it or will be doomed by it — there’s wide agreement that the technology is likely to benefit healthcare. The use of AI to improve diagnostic accuracy in conditions like cancer and cardiovascular disease has shown tremendous promise, and a paper from…
When I think about the idea of artificial intelligence and all that’s come with it recently, I think of the Dr. Seuss book “Oh, the Places You’ll Go.” Optimistically, we’re in a very exciting time for the technology, and the possibilities truly do feel endless. On the other hand, we may just be in another AI…
Surprisingly, several people interviewed said they’d support an AI candidate — but that doesn’t mitigate the danger of deepfakes
When we think about the hallowed halls of academia, we often envision a place where lofty ideas are discussed, philosophies are argued and theories are tested. Does artificial intelligence have a place in these supposed bastions of independent thoughts? We should obviously be considering the ethics of AI use by students and teachers, but also…
A Philadelphia group wants schools to focus more on being places of joy as a way to overhaul the culture in district schools, and it’s relying on parents and community voices for help. Lift Every Voice, the organization behind this year’s Joy Campaign, is backing the creation of a “joy-based budget” for schools to bolster access to…
When you consider some of the more high-profile ways artificial intelligence has gone rogue, it might leave you wondering if the technology is truly ready for prime time. There was the time an AI chatbot professed its love for a journalist and tried to get him to leave his wife. Or when a different AI chatbot designed…
On average, 24 people per minute are victims of violence at the hands of their intimate partner in the United States.
And according to the National Institutes of Health, domestic violence is more likely to occur in Latine relationships — 14% of Latine couples report domestic violence compared to the 6% of reports made by their white counterparts.
In Philadelphia, the tradition of community gardening resonates deeply with some second-generation Latiné immigrants who strive to preserve cultural heritage amid urban constraints.
For many immigrants, the thought of joining a community garden may seem daunting. But César Viveros, co-founder of César Andreu Iglesias Garden in West Kensington, understands the importance of cultural connection.
On a recent afternoon in April, more than 50 employers gathered at Temple University with one mission: to meet and hire qualified applicants for open positions at their companies. Within a few hours, discount clothing store Forman Mills hired 50 people. Unlike other jobs fairs, though, all the applicants had one thing in common: They’d…
Community gardens foster a space for a sense of belonging.
This is especially true for certain groups of the Latine community, particularly for undocumented immigrants. Philadelphia has had a long history of community gardens, creating a melting pot for those with and without citizenship — the city has become a sanctuary for the Latine population who have since founded communities across the city.
Recycling in Philly has lost its way. In recent years, between Covid-caused labor shortages and China no longer buying U.S. recyclables, residents lost faith in the system. Recycling rates plummeted. By spring 2022, Philadelphia’s recycling rate was 8 percent. Today, we’re at a not-much-better 13 percent. (For more on why this is, read this piece from The Citizen.) But there are ways…
Header photo: Brianna Swan (left), John Carr (center), and Madelyn Morrison (right). Carr and Morrison work together in a Train-to-Trainer program at the Attic Center to make communities better. Photo by Tezarah Wilkins. We interviewed three dozen people about their vision for a more loving Philadelphia. A common theme that emerged was a call for more…
I’m going to tell you something you already know: every human being is entitled to a roof over their head and a place to sleep at night. This is an indisputable truth, part of the catechism of humanistic virtue. In a world that lived up to its self-professed ideals of opportunity, any condition of homelessness…
Is my recycling being… recycled? By: Courtney Duchene | Green Philly, The Philadelphia Citizen April 17, 2024 | Tagged: Environment. Todd Lappin via Flickr Philadelphians’ skepticism about the City’s waste policies has led to an abysmal recycling rate. Here’s what really happens after you put out your blue bin — and how the City could…
School groups de-escalate youth violence by meeting students where they are By: Annette John-Hall | Love Media Now April 9, 2024 | Tagged: education, Social Justice. School Safety officer, Kevin Rosa gives an 11th grader a shape-up in a professional chair. He uses his barbering skills to give haircuts that help him connect with and…
Bars to belonging: Overcoming the housing crisis facing returning citizens By: Ryan M. Moser | Generocity March 21, 2024 | Tagged: Clean Slate, housing, Human Services, Reentry. The United States leads the world in mass incarceration – one in three adults have been arrested by the age of 23. As a result, as many as 100 million…
Block captains hope cleanups will keep streets safe from gun violence By: Sammy Caiola Love Media Now March 1, 2024 | Tagged: Block Captains, Local. Nate Riley is a block captain in his Logan neighborhood. He thinks block captains are part of the solution to reducing gun violence in Philadelphia. Photo by Tezarah Wilkins. When…
Philly DHS took a 1-year-old from her mother but the girl was then kicked to death By: Steve Volk| The Philadelphia Inquirer February 16, 2024 | Tagged: Foster Care and Child Welfare. Su’Layah Williams, 1, was allegedly kicked to death in a West Philadelphia home where the city’s Department of Human Services had placed her.…
Philly tax break program fails to deliver hoped-for benefits to students By: Emily Rizzo Chalkbeat Philadelphia, Latest PJC stories February 2, 2024 | Tagged: education, tax breaks. Hannah Yoon for Chalkbeat Every so often, Philadelphia’s school board members have to decide whether to grant huge tax breaks to property developers through a program that, on…
Building hope in Philadelphia neighborhoods under siege – MindSite News By: Denise Clay-Murray | Latest PJC stories January 12, 2024 | This story was reported and first published by MindSite News, a nonprofit news outlet that reports on mental health, in collaboration with the Philadelphia Journalism Collaborative and Resolve Philly. YouthBuild Philly Charter School serves…
Philly still keeps the benefits of foster care youths despite a 2022 law By: Steve Volk and Julie Christie, Resolve Philly The Philadelphia Inquirer January 10, 2024 | Tagged: Foster Care and Child Welfare, Our Kids, Youth. Despite the city’s new law, DHS acknowledges it’s still keeping the money meant for foster kids — about…
Keystone Opportunity Zones power many of the city’s best-known development projects. Are they worth it? By: Meir Rinde | Billy Penn, Next City December 12, 2023 | Tagged: Economic Justice. Some of the biggest and best-known development projects in Philadelphia are powered in part by a state tax break called the Keystone Opportunity Zone. The…
How El Paso residents saved this historic neighborhood By: Christian Betancourt | Next City November 9, 2023 | This story was published as part of our joint Equitable Cities Reporting Fellowship For Borderland Narratives as well as the Philadelphia Journalism Collaborative’s series on downtown stadium developments. Sitting on a street bench on the closed-off Chihuahua…
PA 211 Helpline: An under-sourced ‘resource’ for returning citizens By: Ryan M. Moser| Latest PJC stories, Love Media Now October 24, 2023 | Tagged: philadelphia-journalism-collaborative. When I left the Florida Department of Corrections (FDOC) in 2012 (after serving one year for selling stolen property at a pawn shop), I was driven in a van to…
‘On Being Biracial’ broadens the narrative on racial identity By: Daralyse Lyons and Malcolm Burnley | Kouvenda Media, Latest PJC stories, WURD October 24, 2023 | Tagged: philadelphia-journalism-collaborative. “On Being Biracial” is a podcast hosted by journalists Daralyse Lyons and Malcolm Burnley exploring the complexities of biracial experiences and identities in the U.S. As a…
What it took to build a basketball arena in the middle of D.C.’s Chinatown By: Jordan Levy | Billy Penn Ever since the ownership of the Philadelphia 76ers first announced their intention to build a downtown arena, people have drawn comparisons to the construction of the Capital One Arena in Washington D.C. Though there are…
Meet the Philadelphia Documenters By: Courtney Duchene | The Philadelphia Citizen July 13, 2023 | Tagged: Documenters. Chicago resident Grace Del Vecchio has sat in on enough community development commission meetings to know how they go. A journalist and community activist who studied urban planning, Del Vecchio would watch as developers pulled out maps and construction plans,…
