A prayer walk and candle-light ceremony will take place this Sunday, Nov. 8, beginning at 1:30 p.m. The event, organized by local community organizations, churches, activists, and West Philly residents, will begin and end at Malcolm X Park (51st and Pine).

The goal of the West Philly Prayer Walk is to “affirm unity over our city and country.”

“With over 400 homicides this year alone in Philadelphia, including the recent murder of Walter Wallace Jr. by Philadelphia police officers, the hearts of our residents are in a constant cycle of trauma, grief and anger,” reads the announcement from one of the event organizers, writer and activist. Ayannah Kamryn.  Continue Reading

Juneteenth will be celebrated as an official city holiday in 2020, following an executive order signed by Mayor Jim Kenney yesterday. City offices will be closed to the public on Friday, June 19 to observe the holiday and municipal services, like trash collection, will be postponed until Saturday.

Juneteenth commemorates June 19, 1865, the date considered as the end of slavery in the United States, and it’s an important, big step for Philadelphia officials to finally recognize it.  Continue Reading

A participant in the gathering at Malcolm X. Park that resulted in several dozen police officers clearing the park out Saturday night told CBS3 that the event was peaceful and that cops overreacted.

Joseph Clifton says in a video posted on CBS3’s website (see below) that people gathered for a video shoot and cookout. He said the city had issued a permit for 300 people.

Clifton said as many as 30 police officers initially responded to ask organizers to turn music down. Soon after, more police arrived and cleared the park. Cell phone video that Clifton shot shows police lined up shoulder to shoulder with batons drawn, walking through the park. Several blocks around the park were closed and a police helicopter circled the park for about an hour.  Continue Reading

Police broke up a large crowd that gathered in Malcolm X Park on Saturday night, according to reports. As many as 200 people gathered in the park at around 8 p.m. on Saturday and became increasingly aggressive, throwing objects at officers, 6ABC reports.

The crowd was dispersed after extra police help was brought in. A police helicopter was also seen in the area.

Some arrests were made, but it’s not clear yet how many people were arrested. No injuries were reported.

The local theater company Theatre in the X will stage the world premiere of The Beast of Nubia on Sunday, Aug. 4 at 5 p.m. in the center of Malcolm X. Park (51st and Pine). Performances will follow on the next two Sundays, Aug. 11 and 18, also at 5 p.m.

Here’s how they describe The Beast of Nubia, which was written by Jonathan Bethea:

“In the deserts of ancient Nubia there is a magical kingdom guarded by a monstrous beast. When a merchant wrongs the beast his eldest daughter agrees to sacrifice herself in his place. What follows is a grand adventure filled with romance and excitement, as two very different people learn to cope with one another.”  Continue Reading

Photo from Theatre in the X website.

One of our favorite things about summer in West Philly is performances by Theatre in the X, the company that stages free Afrocentric plays at Malcolm X. Park. This summer they will present the world premiere of “The Beast of Nubia” on Aug. 4, 11 and 18. (look for a more detailed preview later this month). Check out the trailer below. For now, we wanted to let people know about their fundraiser and volunteer sign-up.

Theatre in the X has a GoFundMe campaign here to keep the summer performances going well into the future. They are also seeking volunteers for everything from ushers to wardrobe assistants to set builders. Go here to fill out the volunteer form.  Continue Reading