On MLK Day, activists want Dr. King’s political radicalism remembered; impeachment playing a role in South Jersey congressman’s tight reelection campaign | Morning Newsletter
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After we got a brief break yesterday from the cold and snow we saw early this weekend, today looks set to be another cold one. But the region should get a little warmer as we move deeper into the week. 🙏
Today is Martin Luther King Jr. Day, and we have articles for you that discuss and analyze King’s legacy, especially on some of the radical political ideas that many people might not know about. Also, an ex-Eagles head coach took his team to the Super Bowl yesterday with a win in the AFC championship game.
— Josh Rosenblat (@joshrosenblat, morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)
Kim is a former national security aide for President Barack Obama. And the Democrat narrowly won a South Jersey district in 2018 that President Trump won by six points in 2016.
Unlike Rep. Jeff Van Drew, his South Jersey colleague who ran as a Democrat and flipped a district that voted for Trump, Kim decided to vote for impeachment. Van Drew voted against it and defected to the GOP.
While Kim says his decision was politics-free, his opponents are trying to paint him as a “left-wing radical.”
The legacy of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is often associated with his “I Have a Dream” speech at the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. The speech has come to be remembered as, among other things, inspired and optimistic about race relations in the U.S.
More and more, black Americans are calling for new ways to analyze and celebrate King’s legacy more accurately. He denounced racism, materialism, and militarism. And he focused on trying to fix entrenched inequity, especially in U.S. economic policy. But, some say that America’s sanitizing of King’s ideas prevents them from growing into a larger movement.
Educators in 12 school districts across the state are piloting a curriculum that includes instruction about the contributions of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people. Last year, Gov. Phil Murphy signed a law requiring New Jersey’s public schools to include LGBTQ-related instruction, and it takes effect statewide next school year.
But the movement has its detractors who believe the curriculum is inappropriate. Parents, they argue, not schools should be the ones teaching their children about what they believe is a moral issue. Some have asked for an “opt-out” option for their children, but that’s not allowed under the law.
What you need to know today
Last month, an explosion devastated a South Philly block, leaving five rowhouses destroyed, 60 people evacuated, and two dead. Just last week, officials announced that a 92-year-old gas main led to the explosion. And those who still live on the block are wondering whether it’s safe to be in their own homes.
The board chair of the Philadelphia Museum of Art will lead a "cultural assessment” of the museum’s workplace following reports regarding the inappropriate behavior of a former executive.
Next week, President Trump will arrive in Wildwood for a campaign event, finding a town now without its former mayor who served up a Jersey Shore version of brash Trumpiness.
An 8-year-old girl is in the U.S. legally to get treatment for a deadly blood cancer. But the Trump administration says that although the girl, her father, and her younger brother can stay, her mother must go.
A pending business deal could reshape Philadelphia’s health-care market.
Despite cold weather and snow in Philadelphia, thousands turned out for the fourth annual Women’s March on Saturday.
Through your eyes | #OurPhilly
Did you do anything fun in the snow this weekend? Looks like @adam_englehart got out to shoot some awesome pics!
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!
That’s interesting
🏈Every Eagles fan should give ex-coach Andy Reid his due, writes sports columnist Mike Sielski. Reid, who led the Eagles for 14 seasons, guided the Kansas City Chiefs to a Super Bowl appearance with their win yesterday over the Tennessee Titans. They’ll play the San Francisco 49ers on Feb. 2.
🏅At least a half a dozen marathoners competing at the Olympic trials next month not only have Philadelphia ties but are also health-care pros in the area. How does that happen?
🎓Rutgers is expected to appoint its first-ever black president later this week.
🍾The last dry town in Bucks County could start allowing alcohol sales because of a new law in Pennsylvania.
⚡New Jersey looks poised to become a leader in electric cars with new legislation that will make the plug-in vehicles much more affordable.
🎂The group of business leaders and politicians in charge of planning the United States’ semiquincentennial anniversary — or 250th birthday — includes a number of Philadelphians. The group is seeking national funds for the celebration that will be “not just about Philadelphia,” said commission member Sen. Pat Toomey (R., Pa.).
Opinions
“While there’s nothing inherently wrong with Philadelphia honoring that legacy through community service, limiting the day to generic volunteerism, here or elsewhere, is a gross misrepresentation of King’s radical message.” — writes Rashad Grove, a journalist, media personality, and pastor in Wayne, about how the MLK Day of Service dilutes Dr. Martin Luther King’s radical political message.
The Philly resident survey reveals some progress but also the magnitude of the city’s challenges, writes The Inquirer Editorial Board.
Columnist Trudy Rubin writes about the 2020 Democrats’ foreign policy credentials.
What we’re reading
NJ.com lets us meet the very first pitbull training to be an arson detection K9 in New Jersey. Hansel is a part of the Millville Fire Department.
For the last year, Cosmopolitan and Type Investigations reported on the culture of incest, rape, and abuse in Amish communities, including some in Pennsylvania.
The New York Times has a new tool that allows you to see how much warmer or colder your city was in 2019 than it normally is.
Your Daily Dose of | The UpSide
For the first time, volunteers with the nonprofit Phoenixville Area Time Bank will have their own office, paying a buck a month to share a common space with other nonprofits from the area. A time bank has volunteers who can both “deposit” their own time to others’ tasks or projects and “withdraw” the time of others when they themselves need help.