Germantown Voices

Michael Cogbill noticed something strange on Juneteenth. He walked through Center City and saw many enjoying the new national holiday, but others were working. Most who were working were Black people. Michael speaks about his observations and hopes for the city of Philadelphia. 

The move-in day for Dionne Chambers and her husband was unreal. It was a day to remember ad Dionne and her husband learned what it means to be a true Germantown resident. 

While some of us were forced to stay home during the pandemic, others were forced to jump from shelter to shelter during a global pandemic. 

Philadelphia and other cities scrambled to find a solution for people experiencing homelessness. Our city promised no one would be left out on the streets, but Morris Rainey says solving homelessness is not that simple.

It was three years ago when Chantel Carden & Hannah Yoon met. In a Temple University classroom, they both sat down eager to learn about their neighborhood, Germantown.

But while there is a lot to love about Germantown, there are things we can't ignore: Gentrification.So for Hannah and Chantel, having an honest conversation about gentrification eventually happened. Here is Chantel interviewing Hannah about their upcoming project; finding a way to ease the unsettling topic of gentrification.

When the pandemic began, work stopped for graffiti artist NOMAD. Due to social distancing and studio closures, he found himself practicing his craft at home— but then something magical happened. 

The Germantown artist began gaining traction online for his work in and outside of Philadelphia, and for someone who tags “Black is Beautiful” throughout the city, the only thing he could think of doing was paying that magic forward.

Photography helps people see. What Germantown Photographer Steven A. Taylor wants people to see is, themselves.

Because “we are one,” according to him. Steven spent most of his pandemic days working on a space to show this. Ubuntu, the first fine art photography gallery in the neighborhood. Ubuntu is South African for a quality that includes the essential human virtues; compassion and humanity.

A deep transition began for Ja-vac Ag-ni six months before the pandemic. He lost his mother, a huge influence in his life. 

So he began reflecting long before most of us were forced too. In his reflection he took lessons from his mother and combined them with the idea of “shining the light on the fruit in the community.”

Last year taught us that seeing family and friends, going to a grocery store, or a job, are not something we can control. Millions lost their routines as the coronavirus outbreak, and Tomarra Sankara-Kilombo was one of them.

The Germantown resident says she lost the “absolute best job”—but instead of cursing 2020 as the worst year ever, she looked for the good.

Living in Germantown is one thing, having generational wealth in Germantown is another. Our next story isabout that; being part of ancestral lineage that began in Germantown. Listen as Joyce Kearney talks about the importance of keeping her family in Germantown. 

Moving to a new neighborhood is exciting, especially when you make a new friend right away. When Janice Totso moved to Germantown, she met Miss Waddiyah, the best neighbor anyone could ask for.

Produced by Nichole Currie