I planted my backyard garden in an old bookshelf from Circle Thrift. I removed the back, took out the shelves, and screwed a post of a two-by-four in each corner, wrapping it…
Voices
I want gardening to help me connect and grow with my community
Let’s beautify Kensington through respectful language
A conversation with mother-daughter duo Neyda Rios and Daisie Cardona
Neyda Rios stands with her children Daisie Cardona (left) and Stanley Santoni (right) outside of Sankofa Freedom Academy Charter School on March 23, 2019. (Photo by Solmaira Valerio) On March 13, mother-daughter duo…
Greening projects offer more than just beautification
They help heal the trauma that underlies Kensington
I have lived in Kensington for the majority of my life and can confirm that my community is rich, dynamic, and filled with resilient people who are dedicated to reversing the negative…
I use my platform as a social activist to love my community
When community members are socially engaged and active, Kensington can flourish
I was in elementary school when I first became aware of environments of racism. It was something I read about in books, and it was something I witnessed firsthand while growing up…
To add more love to Kensington, we can change the landscape
We can try harder, work smarter, never give up, and care about ourselves first
Twenty-six years ago, my now husband and I moved into a big, unheated loft at Front and Norris Streets. The place was about 3,000 square feet and so large that we put…
Kensington is crying out loudly for love
Shouldn’t love encourage outsiders to unite with us and help us, no matter what?
As a child, I always wrote. It was a way to express myself without speaking. Because I stutter, I wrote in a broken format. Poetry’s grammatical-free structure came easily to me. I…
Love: Can you tell me what it is?
It’s not just a place, action, or feeling. It’s the feeling of an action in the place.
For our February edition, students from the Kensington Health Sciences Academy Poetry Team wrote poems about love. Conversationby Tywan Madden I love a good conversationI love getting lost in conversation and losing track of…
I believe the future of Kensington is bright
This neighborhood is filled with beauty and love
Teacher Ava Haitz works in her classroom at Taller Puertorriqueño on February 12, 2019. (Photo by Jillian Bauer-Reese) This marks my third semester teaching art at Taller Puertorriqueño and working with kids…
We must remember that everyone suffers painful experiences
When communicating with others, I always try to communicate tenderly
Sometime in 2014, I became aware that respect was lacking in a lot of things that we do as a society. In a reflective moment of prayer and meditation, I made an…
Vacant buildings in Kensington are homes for crime, drugs, and fear
This area shouldn’t be a forgotten neighborhood. We deserve homes that foster love — not fear — just like the rest of Philadelphia.
In my 19 years of serving as an evangelist and block captain in Kensington, I’ve encountered many abandoned buildings and nuisance properties. When you have access to a vacant building, you have…