Opinion
Don’t Abuse Identity Politics to Defend Danielle Outlaw
Right now, I can’t get the words of legendary Black writer and Harlem Renaissance fixture Zora Neale Hurston out of my head: “All my skinfolk […]
Why Is Philly In Such a Mess Right Now? Because Our Politicians Have Lost Their Souls
“We need leaders with the courage to risk the thing that matters most to them: their own jobs,” former Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell wrote in […]
One Reason I Hope We Never Stop Wearing Masks
Last year, I opened an email from someone I had met in person exactly once. She was responding to a work-related inquiry I’d sent. “I […]
New Report Makes It Crystal Clear: Kenney and Outlaw Both Need to Resign for Violating Human Rights
When I first called for Mayor Jim Kenney to resign last summer following initial revelations that the city mishandled Black Lives Matter protests, I was […]
I Learned to Love Outdoor Winter Dining — and You Can, Too
For the most part, the rhythms of life that defined my pre-COVID existence have disappeared, suppressed by months of anxiety, grief, frustration and restaurant shutdowns. […]
I Took a COVID-19 Vaccine Selfie. Then the Questions Came Pouring In.
On Saturday, I walked into Deliverance Church in North Philly and got my first of two injections of COVID-19 vaccine. A few days earlier, I […]
After Trump Insurrection, the Need for Newsroom Diversity Couldn’t Be More Obvious
It’s been a week and a day since a mob of domestic terrorists stormed the Capitol Building. Six people died as a result of the […]
I’m Bad at Journaling, but a Memory Jar Helps Me Stay Grounded
Welcome to Ritual, Be Well Philly’s column of essays about the low-tech, inefficient things we do that pleasurably slow us down. From taking the long […]
Philadelphia’s Homicide Rate Hit a Record High. Now Can We Get Serious About Defunding Police?
At the start of a new year in Philly, I’ve come to expect two initial headaches: the Mummers doing something stupid, and another disappointing annual […]
10 Philly Comforts We Hope to See Again in 2021
Now that 2020 is in the books, it’s time to start planning for a better 2021. Among the many hardships of 2020 was the way […]
2020 in Review: These Are the People and Things I’m Grateful For in a Challenging Year
While stocking up on last-minute groceries at Whole Foods this week, I got my privilege checked. As I was wrapping up a call, I began […]
5 Dining Resolutions for a Better, Healthier, More Delicious 2021
Around this time each year, we put together a list of dining resolutions. With age comes wisdom, ya know? We learn about predatory delivery apps […]
2020 in Review: 11 Winners (and No Losers) from Philly’s Strange Year
Now that 2020 is (mercifully) more or less behind us, it’s time to take a look back at the year that was. Around here, that […]
All the Little Things We Miss About Restaurants
It’s been so long since I’ve been seated inside a restaurant that I’m starting to forget what it was like. When indoor dining was an […]
Black Americans Don’t Trust the COVID Vaccine. It’s Up to Doctors to Change That
As the first COVID-19 vaccinations are being administered in America, a sense of relief has come over me. This feels like the beginning of the […]