The Why: Philly Explained

Groups in the greater Philadelphia area have undertaken a major effort to get as many people counted in the 2020 census as possible — especially low-income communities of color, which are most likely to be undercounted and miss out on federal funding and political representation. But census workers and volunteers are facing more headwinds than ever before. Thanks to the pandemic and a recently shortened deadline, the count is looking grim. WHYY reporter Ximena Conde explains how these groups are pressing on to get a more complete count.

It started when Rodney Muhammad, president of the Philadelphia NAACP, posted an anti-Semitic meme on his Facebook page. And, after two weeks of silence from the Black civil rights organization’s national leadership, it seems to have ended in a place that has satisfied no one. But it’s clear the incident has brought long-simmering tensions between Black and Jewish people to the surface. WHYY reporter Nina Feldman and Billy Penn’s Max Marin explain why this moment could push the two groups to talk honestly with each other about their common enemy: white supremacy.

Philadelphia is filled with historical markers and monuments honoring mostly white men claiming to have built the nation — but a big piece of that history is not well represented. Morgan Ridgeway, who is Black and Lenape, grew up in West Philly and studies the region’s Indigenous history as a PhD candidate at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. And he’s questioning why a city that takes pride in being the birthplace of America has done so little to memorialize the Indigenous people who were here long before Columbus.

Some Philly neighborhoods haven’t gotten mail delivered in three weeks, leaving some residents scrambling for their medications and paychecks. Democratic lawmakers are now raising the alarm that the U.S. Postal Service won’t be able to handle a surge of mail-in ballots for November’s presidential election. Philadelphia Inquirer reporters Ellie Rushing and Jonathan Lai explain the reasons behind the mail delays and why lawmakers are right to be concerned about the potential impact on the election.

When the Philadelphia School District unveiled a plan to bring students back into the classroom part time this fall, the backlash from parents and teachers was swift. One week later, the district abruptly changed course and said school would happen entirely online until almost Thanksgiving. WHYY education reporter Avi Wolfman-Arent explains the flip comes down to just how tough it is to navigate the risks of COVID-19 and disrupting the education of tens of thousands of children.

Entertainment is taking a page from the old drive-ins of the 1950s and 60s, with more and more events during the COVID-19 era being held in parking lots so concert- and movie-goers can stay socially distant. While it’s too soon to tell whether the trend is here to stay, WHYY’s arts and culture reporter Peter Crimmins says drive-ins have made a comeback this summer — and traces their origins back to the 1930s in Camden, New Jersey.

Sidewalks in Philadelphia neighborhoods are covered with plastic bags full of trash that haven’t been collected in a week. It’s rotting. It smells. It’s full of holes. And nobody knows when it’s going to get picked up.

The city blames the pandemic, which has caused more people to stay home and make more trash, along with a shortage of sanitation workers as the main reasons trash pickup is delayed. But the workers have a different view.

What’s going on? Catalina Jaramillo of WHYY’s PlanPhilly explains why Philadelphia’s trash problem is so much worse now.

At a time when Black students at other Philly area schools were anonymously calling out their alma maters on social media, Kayla Gibson took different approach: She made a documentary called “16,” featuring 16 stories of racism, stereotyping and microaggressions she and her peers experienced at Masterman High, the selective magnet school where 16% of the students are Black. Kayla and Masterman principal Jessica Brown join us to discuss what students and the school are doing to address the issues raised in her documentary.documentary called “16,” featuring 16 stories of racism, stereotyping and microaggressions she and her peers experienced at Masterman High, the selective magnet school where 16% of the students are Black.

Several colleges and universities in the Philadelphia region plan to hold mostly online classes this fall, while still inviting some students to come back to campus. While many educators are pushing back against teaching in-person, Penn professor Jonathan Zimmerman joins us to unpack his argument that schools can’t justify this hybrid approach.

In Philly, the same people vulnerable to COVID-19 are also vulnerable to extreme heat. That means they have a difficult choice to make: escape the heat or avoid the virus? Catalina Jaramillo of WHYY’s PlanPhilly explains how one couple faced such a dilemma.