4 stories of moms, food, and empowerment | Morning Newsletter

Hello, readers of The Inquirer Morning newsletter, and happy Sunday.

Mother’s Day should be every day, but for Latino families in the United States, it actually does happen more than once. Many Latin American countries and Spain celebrate Mother’s Day on a different week, and for some, it’s an extra day to share inspiring stories of love and empowerment. Here are four stories of tradition, reunion and refuge of Latina moms in Philly to celebrate.

And I’m wishing a happy Mother’s Day to every mom reading this. For kids like me, watch out for a few ideas for gifts, outings, and more later in the newsletter.

— Lauren Aguirre (@laurencaguirre, morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)

Correction: The Friday edition of the Inquirer Morning Newsletter misstated the number of murder exonerations since 2018. There have been 19.

You can buy dumplings for a good cause with The Wonton Project. Restaurateur Ellen Yin is using her mother’s dumpling recipe to raise money for organizations fighting anti-Asian racism. Here’s how you can get some wontons, and other ways you can donate to support Philly’s AAPI communities.

Ways to celebrate:

On talking with kids: Priya Mammen shared her experience and thoughts on talking to her own children about racism and hate as a South Asian American mom.

During May, we’re highlighting the lives and experiences of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in the Philadelphia region. Please reply to this email if you have an event or story you’d like to share here.

Each week we go behind the scenes with one of our reporters or editors to discuss their work and the challenges they face along the way. Ahead of the 36th anniversary of the MOVE bombing on Thursday, editor Craig McCoy shared his thoughts on May 13, 1985, and what’s happened since.

What were you feeling that day as the events unfolded?

What was horrible was the nightmarish quality of the day — how things just kept getting worse and worse, from 10,000 rounds being fired in a city neighborhood, to an ominous six-hour standoff, to the bomb, to the fire, to the leveling of 61 homes, to the 11 dead in the MOVE basement, to five of them being children.

Can you describe your role in covering the MOVE bombing in 1985? What did you do as an editor?

After months of ignoring neighbors’ pleas for help because of harassment from MOVE, the city evacuated the MOVE block on Mother’s Day, Sunday, May 12, 1985, and surrounded the group’s fortified rowhouse. I was the weekend city editor and worked all weekend lining up coverage.

As police closed off access, a handful of very gutsy reporters made their way past their barriers to cover the story. Inquirer police reporter Bo Terry crossed the police line by volunteering to carry a resident’s groceries. He had a gigantic mobile phone and called in a running commentary when MOVE and police exchanged gunfire just before 6 a.m. Monday, May 13. I was in the Inquirer newsroom with a handful of editors as we took rewrite. I vividly recall hearing the gunshots through the phone line. Terry later got out safely.

We published a special second edition that day, at about noon, reporting the shoot-out. The paper’s staff united, dug in, and reported the story that day and in the months ahead. I’ve seen the same thing over the last year with our pandemic coverage.

What has stayed with you from that day as more was learned about what happened?

The stubbornness of both the city and MOVE, the willingness on both sides to sacrifice the children, remains unfathomable. At the same time, the malevolence and sheer incompetence of the city was absolutely stunning. I still remember at midday Mayor Wilson Goode declaring, “We intend to take control of the house by any means necessary.” The insanity of city officials’ decision to use a bomb and fire as weapons is still startling.

That said, I found the hearings and investigative work of the MOVE commission inspiring. There were so many emotional moments — the testimony of 13-year-old survivor Birdie Africa, neighbors talking about how MOVE held them hostage and how the city told them to keep quiet, the near-tears of commissioner and ex-Justice Department official Henry Ruth when he confronted Goode, and the denunciation of the mayor by civil rights pioneer and commissioner Charles Bowser.

In your reporting and observations, how has the bombing impacted the city of Philadelphia over the years?

I’m not sure. Because it was a nightmare, so discordant and without precedent, I think the city has never really found a way to make sense of the tragedy. It remains a piece that just won’t fit into the Philadelphia narrative.

Email Craig McCoy at cmccoy@inquirer.com.

Sometimes it is just about the little things. Thanks for sharing, @onelaneswitch.

Tag your Instagram posts or tweets with #OurPhilly and we’ll pick our favorite each day to feature in this newsletter and give you a shout-out!

It’s Mother’s Day, so we have many ways to honor and celebrate mothers and mother figures of all kinds. First, there’s the classic: chocolate. But you can also get her a candle or some skin cream, or maybe you just want to spend time together at these outdoor events in Philly. If none of that hits you just right, we have six more ways to give thanks to your mom right here.

What’s the best memory you have of your mom? Today is Mother’s Day, so we asked our Instagram followers to share the best moments they have shared with their moms. Here’s what a few of them said:

🚗 “All of our road trips growing up. She’ll always be the reason I have an adventurous spirit. 💫”

💖 “The incredible, unwavering love she had for all her children, and the fact that she was always there for us, regardless of any circumstances.”

🏛️ “Taking me to the museums in DC.”

🌡️ “Super mom, super nurse 👩🏻‍⚕️ and she saved my life when I was a child, choking on lettuce.”

🍪 “Baking cookies with her as a child ... She was so patient and a great teacher!!”

Remember to follow @PhillyInquirer on Instagram so you can share your answer next time.

Looking to develop your green thumb? You can get your hands in the dirt at gardens and farms in the Philly area this summer. Here are seven places where you can plant, harvest, weed, mulch and more, to your heart’s delight.