News Roundup April 7, 2017

Historic marker for '85 MOVE bomb site

The Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission has approved a historical marker for the West Philadelphia site of the 1985 MOVE bombing, near Osage Avenue and Cobbs Creek Parkway.

The marker was nominated by students of the private, Southwest Philadelphia-based Jubilee School who for two years have studied the 1985 incident in which Philadelphia police dropped a bomb on a residential neighborhood, leaving 11 dead — including five children – and 61 rowhomes destroyed.

“The students were determined to get the whole story and not just one perspective,” said Karen Falcon, history teacher and director of the Jubilee School. “They understood that the neighbors had a different perspective than the MOVE members, and that everybody’s perspective – other than the city government – had some relevance. The students had a very complex view of what happened.” Read more

This creative project grant started from a loan a business consultancy gave to an ice cream business

It was when Little Baby’s Ice Cream was first starting out that cofounder Pete Angevine met Kate Strathmann, CEO and director of Center City-based small business consultancy Elysian Fields.

After some consulting on financials and business development for the local ice cream business, which has since expanded to Baltimore, the two became friends through their experiences as company leaders — something that Strathmann admits might initially seem weird to people questioning how a business consultancy has anything to with a place that sells ice cream. Read more

Fight Islamophobia in West Philly Schools

West Philadelphia Coalition Against Islamophobia is raising money to donate books featuring Muslim kids to local neighborhood elementary schools. We invite you to join us in this exciting project making an important, concrete step towards building the self-worth of our young, Muslim community members and toward increasing intercultural understanding locally. Donate now

10 Philly transwomen who made history

Philadelphia celebrates Trans Day of Visibility today, an international holiday to highlight transpeople, their experiences and the issues that affect them. Yesterday, City Council adopted a resolution to observe it.

Since today is also the last day of Women’s History Month, we decided to delve into the city’s trans history to find some of the pathbreaking local women who’ve left a mark or are forging one. Read more