Center City crowds are coming back | Morning Newsletter
And, a march on school district headquarters.
The Morning Newsletter
Start your day with the Philly news you need and the stories you want all in one easy-to-read newsletter
First: In Center City, the crowds are starting to return.
Then: Philly kids and teachers all marched to demand racial justice in schools.
And: A former GOP leader who left Delco amid a corruption scandal is running as a Democrat in the Philadelphia primary.
— Ashley Hoffman (@_ashleyhoffman, morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)
In recent weeks, vaccinations became more readily accessible, eligibility opened up to all adults, temperatures ticked upward, and Rittenhouse Square started to look something like it did before the coronavirus hit, merchants and business advocacy groups say with enthusiasm.
The Center City District, a promotional organization that oversees 233 retail-heavy blocks, reported more pedestrians in Center City in the first week of April — at a daily average of 103,296 — than at any point last year. The beginning of more patron foot traffic is a sign that one of the city’s most powerful economic forces, which took a major hit during the pandemic as thousands of office employees suddenly went all remote, is evolving.
Read on for reporter Katie Park’s story on the start of the return of Center City crowds.
Yesterday, a crowd of 100-plus students, teachers, parents and community members marched from City Hall to school district headquarters to demand more for students.
Advocates banded together to demand such things as an antiracist curriculum, more robust funding, more mental-health services, environmentally healthy buildings, and a more diverse faculty room.
”We have poor schools in this poor city,” said Christina Ly, now a senior at the Academy at Palumbo, who, like most district students, will not set foot inside a classroom this year because of COVID-19. “Just because of where our Black, our Latinx, and our Asian students live shouldn’t be limiting their opportunity to pursue their future potential. This is bluntly unjust.”
Simply put, those who took to the streets told us they don’t want to return to school as it was before the pandemic.
“Waving signs, chanting ‘when Philly schools are under attack, what do we do? Stand up, fight back!’ and marching in time to a drum line, the crowd moved north, united in their demands,” reporter Kristen A. Graham writes in her dispatch from the scene. They say the time away has only underscored the urgent need to address many issues before they return.
🆕 This is what we know about rare “breakthrough” COVID-19 infections in vaccinated people.
🆕 Will you have to prove you’re vaccinated? Pa. and N.J. aren’t making plans for vaccine ‘passports,’ but the topic is hot.
🆕 Here’s what you need to know about taking allergy medicines before getting a COVID-19 vaccine.
Here’s when you need to wear a mask, according to CDC guidance. We broke it down with our expert-informed guide, whether you’re vaccinated or not.
Where can you get a COVID-19 vaccine in the Philly area? Use our lookup tool.
What you need to know today
Here’s one story to watch in the May 18 primary. A former Haverford GOP chair left Delco amid a scandal. Now, he’s in a position to potentially win a Municipal Court judgeship after an endorsement from the Democratic City Committee.
Are Pa.’s state House and Senate maps gerrymandered? The answer depends on how you measure them.
It was another weekend of violence in Philly, including two fatally shot, a double stabbing, and more wounded in shootings.
Through your eyes | #OurPhilly
Now that’s a mosaic-covered doorway we’d like to walk into. 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
🎓 We’ve gathered tips for college grads on finding jobs as a better economy is on the horizon.
🏀 The Sixers’ Ben Simmons has had a good run since he’s come back. But it’s his postseason game that will be something to watch.
🏈 Brian Baldinger from NFL Analyst breaks down the NFL Draft without pulling punches.
🦅 The Eagles have signed a player who is a quarterback, Jamie Newman.
Opinions
“For the last five years, I’ve called on Philadelphians impacted by violence — that’s all of us — to meet at the steps to raise awareness of an unrelenting epidemic, to put faces and stories to the rising statistics, to stand shoulder to shoulder and realize that’s how close all of us are to the violence that plagues our city. And every year — despite a recurring fear that I’d be standing there alone — you’ve shown up.” — columnist Helen Ubiñas writes about what’s next in her call to action to build on Fill the Steps.
Columnist Jenice Armstrong shares her confidence in the members of “The Tribe” as the young Black men prepare for college graduation.
Joe Biden’s agenda looks a lot like the “socialist” presidency that Bernie Sanders’ detractors feared. This is why it took Joe Biden to pull it off, columnist Will Bunch writes.
What we’re reading
For when it’s time for a sky-high evening, Philly Mag is raising a glass or 20 to Philly’s great rooftop bars, secret (shh!) gardens, and outdoor patios.
This is what the post-pandemic office culture is like in Australia, where people are back to work in the flesh, reports the Wall Street Journal.
Japan’s Soichi Noguchi and NASA’s Michael Hopkins, Victor Glover, and Shannon Walker have all returned safely from space, Reuters reports.
Want a Bob Ross original to impress your future guests? It’s not easy, per The Hustle.
The social media masters, the BTS boys, are already coming through with a contender for the song of summer 2021, “Butter.”
This recent scholarship recipient may have fallen on hard times, but she never gave up on herself. She had been kicked out of her Philadelphia public school, not to mention suffered housing insecurity and financial hardship during the pandemic. But recently, the West Philly teen was surprised with a $50K scholarship on live TV. Did you catch that on Good Morning America? No? Then it’s about time you get to know Lyric Wise.