The Why: Philly Explained

Managing Director Brian Abernathy will resign after Philly was heavily criticized for tear gassing protestors. But the mayor and others who helped make those decisions remain. Ryan Briggs with WHYY’s PlanPhilly explains how a one-time drama student from Arkansas became the second-in-command of Philadelphia, and why he’s now the one taking the fall.

The Philadelphia Police Department wants 100% of its patrol officers to wear body cameras by 2021. About one-third of the force already wear cameras, which police and police reform activists both agree can help hold officers accountable. But what if they don’t actually turn them on? NBC10 reporter Claudia Vargas found some Philly officers haven’t been, and that’s not the only problem.

The NFL plans to start training camp next month, and the regular season is supposed to start on time. However, some players are at odds with the owners over safety concerns. Each pro-sports league has a different plan, leaving many fans to wonder why they’re all adjusting to COVID-19 so differently — and when they can get back to rooting for the home team. To get the scoop on what’s happening with the leagues and local teams, The Why talked to our former WHYY colleague, Ty Johnson of 97.5  The Phantic.

Years of perceived inaction on the part of Philly officials over affordable housing could come to a head this Friday, when the city plans to evict people living in an encampment along the Ben Franklin Parkway. Part temporary housing solution, part protest, WHYY’s Susan Phillips spoke to residents of the camp about life there and explains how the issue of affordable housing fits into the wider movement against systemic racism.

A few weeks ago, Black employees at the Free Library of Philadelphia pointed to what they called racism in the workplace, and demanded change. Their letter was one of two documents complaining about conditions at the library.  The other was a petition from a group of unionized employees, expressing “no confidence” in library leadership. The complaints made it to prominent authors, including Pulitzer Prize winner Colson Whitehead, who canceled speaking engagements at the library.

Why did current events reveal deep mistrust at the Free Library of Philadelphia? TyLisa Johnson of  Public Source and WHYY’s Miles Bryan break down the history of the complaints and how the petitions are playing out.

Nationwide protests over racial injustice and police brutality have spurred lawmakers in Philadelphia and Pennsylvania to put some reform bills on the fast track. Now, many advocates who’ve long called for these measures say they’ll only go so far to address the root problems in policing, and the evidence on their effectiveness is mixed. Cynthia Fernandez of Spotlight PA and WHYY’s Aaron Moselle explain.  

Saleemah McNeil, a Black Philadelphia psychotherapist and founder of Oshun Family Center in Jenkintown, has raised more than $90,000 to provide free therapy sessions for people of color since the Justice for George Floyd protests began. McNeil sat down with The Why’s Shai Ben-Yaacov to discuss why she believes it’s particularly important for people of color to have access to mental health services now, and what it’s like to experience the same things her patients are going through.

WHYY’s Cris Barrish recently dug into every police shooting in Delaware since 2005 and while officers have shot 56 people in that time, no officer has ever been charged — even when prosecutors wanted to. Now, the protests over the police killing of George Floyd have the state’s top prosecutor and some lawmakers pushing to change the state’s use-of-force law.

Pennsylvania’s Attorney General has filed criminal charges against Cabot Oil and Gas — more than 10 years after problems first surfaced in the small town of Dimock, which became ground-zero in the national debate over fracking. StateImpact Pennsylvania Reporter Susan Phillips explains why these charges are coming so many years later, vindicating some Dimock residents, and why it doesn’t necessarily mean more companies will be held accountable.

If you live in or around Philadelphia, you’ve probably heard unexplained booms well into the night. They started during the protests against police brutality, which has the city chalking them up to fireworks and ATM robberies, while some concerned citizens are looking to conspiracy theories. Max Marin and Michaela Winberg, reporters for WHYY’s Billy Penn, investigated the #PhillyExplosions and some inconveniently-timed changes to Philadelphia’s fire code.