Reparations for Black Germantown homeowners | Morning Newsletter
And please check your smoke detectors
The Morning Newsletter
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We cool down a bit to start the week, with temperatures in the mid-60s.
Today we introduce you to the Quaker group looking to infuse a little prosperity for Black homeowners in Germantown.
And, we have the latest on the deadly fire in Kensington that killed a man and three children.
If you see this 🔒 in today’s newsletter, that means we’re highlighting our exclusive journalism. You need to be a subscriber to read these stories.
— Kerith Gabriel (@sprtswtr, morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)
Members of the Green Street Monthly Meeting of Friends realized that they are sitting on a pot of “old money,” but what they decided to do with it is perhaps the real worth.
Teaming up with nonprofit legal services agency Philadelphia VIP, the Friends are offering pro bono assistance to Black Germantown homeowners to assist in:
🏠 Creating wills.
🏠 Understanding deeds.
🏠 Providing help with property tax relief.
🏠 Getting help with tangled titles to help them keep their homes, and more.
It’s all part of Green Street’s racial justice plan to give reparations to Black residents in Germantown — work it hopes will spread to congregations citywide. In addition, the congregation plans to spend $50,000 a year on reparations work over the next 10 years.
Our reporter Michaelle Bond has more on the infusion of invaluable knowledge and assistance heading Germantown’s way.
What you should know today
Meet the activists who, fed up with waiting on the city, are raising funds on their own to curb surging gun violence.
Philly Ukrainian Americans continue to prepare for the refugees set to arrive in the U.S. from the war-torn nation.
Despite an uptick in case counts, the Ba.2 variant of COVID-19 is mild in hospitals.
We take a look at the Eagles’ real needs in the upcoming NFL Draft. 🔒
Columnist Will Bunch offers this theory on the reason Republicans dislike corporations such as Disney.
Local Coronavirus Numbers: Here’s your daily look at the latest COVID-19 data.
Sunday’s deadly house fire in Kensington that killed three children and a man early Sunday morning was another possible case of there being no working smoke detectors.
Authorities initially said they did not find any functioning smoke detectors inside the house in the 3200 block of Hartville Street. According to Fire Commissioner Adam Thiel, 21 people have died in fires this year.
The Hartville Street fire drew parallels to January’s deadly house fire in Fairmount that killed 12 people, including nine children. There were more than 20 people recorded living in that Philadelphia Housing Authority duplex – and there were no working smoke detectors in the unit.
Our reporters Layla A. Jones, Nick Vadala, and Diane Mastrull have more on Sunday’s fatal fire.
In addition:
We have tips on the best place to put your smoke detectors, and
If you live in Philly and are in need of smoke detectors, you may be able to get them from the city, for free.
🧠 Philly Trivia Time 🧠
Let’s see how well you were paying attention to yesterday’s Morning Newsletter. My colleague Ashley Hoffman gave reporter Max Marin the keys to talk about his latest article on the overwhelming number of abandoned cars. Today’s question: Just how many cars are we talking about? Take a guess and find the answer here.
a. 20,000
b. 28,000
c. 34,000
d. 38,000
What we’re…
⚖️ Wondering: When will City Council decide to hold agenda meetings in person?
🏀 Hoping: That a torn thumb ligament doesn’t dash NBA Finals hopes for the Sixers. 🔒
🎧 Listening to: I went down a podcast rabbit hole over the weekend and found this throwback interview with award-winning chef Eli Kulp from the Philly Who? podcast that was really worth the time.
🧩 Unscramble the Anagram 🧩
The Philly man who put his hands on stone.
LISML WHIT
Think you know? Send your guess our way at morningnewsletter@inquirer.com. We’ll give a shoutout to a reader at random who answers correctly.
Photo of the day
Appreciate your starting your Monday with The Inquirer. Have a great day. ✌️