190 years of police brutality against Black people in Philly | Morning Newsletter
A timeline of discriminatory law enforcement, from 1830 to 2020.
The Morning Newsletter
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Hey, everyone, it’s Josh. I want to introduce you to Madeline Faber. We cowrote this morning’s newsletter and she’ll be pitching in over the next couple of weeks as I’m heading into a bit of time off. You’ll be in excellent hands.
As far as today’s news is concerned, our colleagues put together an intense look at Philadelphia’s history of police brutality against Black people. It’s an absolute must-read, especially in light of the civil unrest in the city and across the nation over the last couple of months.
— Josh Rosenblat (@joshrosenblat) and Madeline Faber (@maiden_memphis), morningnewsletter@inquirer.com
Philadelphia has a long history of police brutality, with Black people being the victims of the brunt of it. And you can’t begin to comprehend that frustration without understanding our past. In short, it didn’t start with George Floyd. Our colleagues Dain Saint, Craig R. McCoy, Tommy Rowan, and Valerie Russ compiled the key moments in the painful history of police violence against Philadelphia’s Black community. They covered 190 years in stunning detail, cataloging the legacy of discriminatory law enforcement practices in Philadelphia.
From the 1830s to 2020, here’s a glimpse at what our colleagues covered:
🔵 In May of 1838, a white mob broke into and burned a building constructed by antislavery groups. Police stood by watching and firefighters sprayed other buildings but let the new hall burn down. The mob also burned down the Shelter for Colored Orphans. Police did not arrest anyone for setting the fires.
🔵 More than 180 years later, people in Philly took to the streets to unite against police brutality under the banner of Black Lives Matter. During the first weeks of protests, police stood by while a group of armed white vigilantes roamed the streets of Fishtown. Police also teargassed protesters marching on I-676 and in predominantly Black West Philly.
A New Jersey task force found that companies took advantage of the state’s multibillion-dollar tax incentive program — and the consultants who managed those negotiations had close ties with state officials. In short, investigators found that companies won tax breaks to keep jobs in New Jersey, but those companies were often not actually at risk of leaving the state.
The task force ultimately recommended that the state’s Economic Development Authority suspend, terminate, or review $578 million worth of tax credits.
What you need to know today
In twin visits to Pennsylvania yesterday, Vice President Mike Pence, former Vice President Joe Biden, and their supporters clashed as the campaigns made their cases in one of the nation’s most hotly contested battleground states. Here’s how the day went, as Pence met with Philly police and hundreds of supporters and dozens of protestors gathered.
Philadelphia School District officials have signaled what a return to school buildings in the fall might look like. Our colleague Kristen A. Graham reports that there could be a hybrid in-person and online learning model, students and staff won’t get their temperatures checked, and high-touch areas could be cleaned every four hours.
Philly’s courts have a “culture of nepotism, mistrust and racial tension,” according to the results of a study our colleagues obtained.
Pennsylvania’s statewide eviction and foreclosure moratorium will now run through the end of August, instead of expiring tomorrow.
Black and Hispanic pregnant women in Philadelphia tested positive for the coronavirus antibodies five times as often as white pregnant women in April and May, a Penn study found.
Despite rising coronavirus cases in Pennsylvania and requests to mask up, some shoppers at the King of Prussia Mall are skipping face masks, making others uncomfortable.
Through your eyes | #OurPhilly
We love this Fairmount sidewalk comic strip. Thanks for brightening our day, @philly_stoops.
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
⚽The Union won their opening game of Major League Soccer’s tournament — but the highlight was the players’ jerseys, which bore the names of people killed by police.
☔️Storms are expected to hit the Philadelphia region today. Do you know what to do if your house is flooded?
🖼Philadelphia families are buying swing sets, kiddie pools, and trampolines to keep their children active while summer activities are canceled. Our colleague Heather Chin has advice on how to keep your backyard equipment sanitized.
🍺A new beer garden is opening in Spring Garden, and we’ve rounded up the top New Jersey craft breweries if you want to get out of town for a socially distant drink.
🍽️Restaurant critic Craig LaBan writes that these Jersey Shore restaurants are getting outdoor dining right.
Opinions
“We say we care about youngsters and acknowledge that they are our future, but illegal guns proliferate on our streets and babies fall asleep with the sound of gunfire in the background.” — writes columnist Jenice Armstrong about the three children who were shot in separate incidents this past Sunday.
ICE’s threat to deport students if their schools move to an online-only curriculum is cruel, writes Nicholas Toloudis, an associate professor at the College of New Jersey.
Taking down Frank Rizzo was just the beginning. Architecture critic Inga Saffron offers sites that are important to Black culture and achievement in Philadelphia that would benefit from some TLC and recognition.
What we’re reading
New York City is providing free-of-charge AC units to low-income senior residents. In Philly, you’re advised to visit your neighbors who have air-conditioning, WHYY reports.
An NBC News story looks at a new report focused on thousands of contracts between Big Tech and the U.S. military.
The Food Timeline is an archival look at the history of food, going all the way back to just water and ice. But its creator died in 2015, and no one has taken over the project, Eater reports.
Your Daily Dose of | Surviving to help others
Felix Jones wears his nursing scrubs with the same feeling with which he wore his U.S. Army uniform: pride. The North Philly native was selected as one of five nurses out of over 1,100 who were nominated for Independence Blue Cross’ Celebrate Caring award. Jones is a rehab nurse and a nurse with the Philadelphia Department of Prisons who survived COVID-19 in the spring and couldn’t wait to get back to fighting the virus.