Peaceful protests, Rizzo statue’s removal give Philadelphians hope for change | Morning Newsletter
Plus, there’s some uncertainty about Philly entering the “yellow” phase tomorrow.
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The Morning Newsletter
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Powerful storms yesterday swept through the Philadelphia region, knocking down trees, causing tens of thousands to lose power, and killing at least three people in the suburbs. Before most people woke up yesterday, Philadelphia removed the statue of former Mayor Frank Rizzo, who was known for his aggression in policing black and gay communities. And, Philadelphians again gathered to protest police brutality, marching throughout the city.
— Josh Rosenblat (@joshrosenblat, morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)
Yesterday morning, Philadelphia woke up to a profound change in Center City. The Rizzo statue disappeared overnight, but Philadelphia is still unpacking its legacy.
For Mayor Jim Kenney, who tweeted that “The statue represented bigotry, hatred, and oppression for too many people, for too long,” the removal was part of an evolution of his thinking about law and order.
But the removal of his statue does not necessarily mean that Rizzo’s imprint on Philly’s police department will disappear. His legacy of unchecked police brutality and division is something that the department has been reckoning with for nearly 30 years since his death.
“The protests that happened before this kind of died out, but the rage still stayed inside everyone,” said Jasmine Harvey, 27, referring to protests after the deaths of black people in police custody in recent years. “This time, we’re trying to become a unit, and use our voices and the white voices as our allies.”
Harvey was one of the hundreds who marched and gathered at City Hall and in front of the Art Museum yesterday, raising their voices in nonviolent protests against police brutality. Here’s what it looked like.
Gov. Tom Wolf announced yesterday that his amended stay-at-home order would expire at 11:59 p.m. tonight. That was only still in place for some Pennsylvania counties, including Philadelphia and its surrounding suburbs. Those suburbs in Southeastern Pa. were planning for a partial reopening tomorrow, but Mayor Kenney cast some uncertainty about whether the city would end up delaying its move to the next phase of the coronavirus-related restrictions.
What you need to know today
The severe storm that slammed Philly and the surrounding region yesterday was a derecho that killed at last three people in the suburbs. A derecho is a long-lasting thunderstorm with wind damage extending more than 240 miles and gusts of at least 58 mph along most of the storm’s path, according to the National Weather Service.
Students and teachers will be allowed to return to schools and have in-person instruction beginning as soon as July 1 in Pennsylvania, the state Education Department announced yesterday.
Here’s how black Americans can practice self-care right now. And, advice on how everyone else can help them.
Some results from Tuesday’s primary election in Pennsylvania are beginning to trickle in. Pa. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick has beaten a Trump fan in the Bucks County GOP primary. And, in Philly, Nikil Saval has been declared the winner over Pa. state Sen. Larry Farnese in the Democratic primary. Full results might not be available for days.
The bankrupt South Philly refinery will have to pay just a small portion of the millions of dollars it owes in unpaid renewable energy obligations.
Business owners in the Italian Market and Manayunk have hired armed security agents at night.
Philly’s home health workers spoke with my colleague Jason Laughlin about working while facing COVID-19 and civil unrest.
Through your eyes | #OurPhilly
A powerful storm swept through the region yesterday. Here’s what it looked like from @imagicdigital’s perspective. Thanks for sharing.
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
🍧My colleague Cassie Owens rounds up eight water-ice shops that are quenching the city’s thirst for a favorite frozen treat. And, if you’re feeling ambitious, we went searching through The Inquirer archives for recipes and found a 1906 story that featured several variations including Concord grape, lemon, and ginger.
⚾Time is running out for MLB owners and players to reach a deal to have a season this summer.
😊A dancing security guard brightens the days of dialysis patients. Here’s what that looks like.
🏀The NBA is expected to approve a 22-team restart slated to begin in July, which will include the Sixers.
🦅Three Eagles contributors are still free agents. Could any of them return to Philly for next season?
Opinions
“And being black in the eyes of far too many police officers means my dignity and my life are not worth protecting. ‘Your lives don’t matter!’ is what police actions tell and have told me and people like me for centuries.” — writes former Eagles safety Malcolm Jenkins in The Inquirer about why he marched with the Philadelphia community.
President Trump “would likely applaud Philadelphia’s response" to people protesting. And that’s sad, The Inquirer Editorial Board writes.
One key thing in Philadelphia that would help the fight for equality is rent protections, write Rev. Gregory Holston, a pastor and senior adviser for the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office, and Rev. Robert Collier Sr., a pastor and president of the Black Clergy of Philadelphia.
What we’re reading
Joe Biden gave an interview with the Philadelphia Tribune this week in which he called for reforms that would increase police accountability.
Sixers forward Tobias Harris writes for the Players’ Tribune about his views on law enforcement accountability.
The Washington Post reported a story on how U.S. cities were slow in protecting black residents from the coronavirus.
Your Daily Dose of | Speaking up
Brothers Rick and Ky Cao are the owners of Ps & Qs men’s boutique in South Philly. They created a “Fight The Virus Not The People” shirt project because they “had to speak up" about coronavirus-related racism.
Editor’s Note: The Philadelphia Inquirer published a headline in Tuesday’s edition that was deeply offensive. We should not have printed it. We’re sorry, and regret that we did. We also know that an apology on its own is not sufficient. You can read our message to our readers and Inquirer employees here.