North Philadelphia

Growing up in Philadelphia in the 1970s and ’80s, I often had the sense that there were in fact two separate cities: the affluent, primarily white area within the boundaries of William Penn’s original urban plan called “Center City” where my family lived, and the areas beyond that were predominantly African American and markedly less prosperous. Although people from across the city interacted at work, school, and in public spaces, there was a divide.  Read more ︎