Gentrification in South Philadelphia is not just about rising rent or new developments, it’s about the quiet erasure of culture and community. For generations, Black, Italian-American, Mexican, and Asian families built lives in South Philly, forming close bonds around schools, churches, and corner stores. But recent waves of investment, framed as “revitalization” or “green improvements,” have disrupted that fabric, often without community input.

Cool air desperately thrashes through the door  Without a chance to escape Exasperated by my touch, the girl sees outside as a chore Attempting to battle my embrace with her drape

The sirens might not sound, the call might not go through. You could be in your worst moment  and no one’s coming for you.

To all the kids out there know that it's okay  Ya’ll got people like me to show you the better way  All you can do is hope and pray for a toy on Christmas day   Don’t worry it's alright  I’m riding this poetry wave like a bike 

I'm from Philly  where they shoot in places that bring us joy  Christmas mornings waking up to gunshots not no lil toy   “I can’t believe Mommy; it’s Fourth of July already”  “Don't worry baby. Hold ya lil sister nice and steady”

This year, Philadelphia’s Elections Board is calling on young people to serve as substitute poll workers on November 4 to help keep lines moving and make sure every voter can cast their ballot smoothly.

I am considering many things when I head to the polls for midterms; causes that I was not old enough to cast a ballot for come to the forefront. Marching for gun control and women’s rights were things I couldn’t do then.

I realized then, my hands covered in paint and my sleeves wet, that it was bigger than my family — this apathy cut across cultures, backgrounds and generations.

Penn Libraries Civic Engagement Curator Samantha Hill recently hosted young activists from the organization #VoteThatJawn at the Kislak Center, where they responded to historical materials through the lens of poetry.

This guide offers a lesson plan and resources for teaching Whitman's "Election Day: November, 1884."

Let’s travel back in time to 2020, the year the world shut down as coronavirus spread. I was sixteen years old, a sophomore in high school. Suddenly, my friends and I no longer communicated in the cafeteria during lunchtime or on the way to class. Our lives moved online.

Isabel Engel provides ways to get your friends out and to the polls during election season!