A Look Inside
Issue 19 Summer 22
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The Welcoming Center
The Welcoming Center promotes inclusive economic growth through immigrant integration. We sat down with Program Managers Alvaro Drake-Cortes and Nicole Marcote to learn more about their programming here at Bok and their experiences at the Center. Tell us about The Welcoming Center.
often get asked about?
The Welcoming Center supports immigrant professionals and entrepreneurs in the areas of workforce development, entrepreneurship, and community engagement. Workplace development includes job searching, interviewing, and navigating the marketplace. Entrepreneurship includes coaching and technical assistance, as well as helping them connect with micro lenders. A n d c o m mu ni t y engagement includes a n i n te r c u l t u r a l wellness program that focuses on both mental and physical wellness.
When people hear that The Welcoming Center supports entrepreneurs, they are expecting someone well off - “entrepreneurship” is often seen through the US individualistic lens. At The Welcoming Center, we support groups, and they support each other. Some of these include the
What do you find is the greatest need at the moment?
There are language needs and a digital literacy gap among those we serve. It is important to us to help participants not feel like outsiders which is so often the feeling when you are new to this country. Also, people are ready to meet in person again.
What is something about the Welcoming Center you’d like people to know, but don’t
Global Craft Market // A collective of immigrant artists sharing their handmade, fair traded crafts to celebrate and sustain craft making traditions Global Food Market // An incubator market that allows food entrepreneurs to share their culture and cuisine Brightly // The country’s first franchise of worker-owned cooperative, eco-friendly cleaning services Global Craft Market, Global Food Market, and Brightly.
How can the average person support immigrant-owned restaurants and small business owners?
Support the food vendors at FDR Park. Hire them through the Brightly program. Follow them on social media. But above all, support immigrant businesses any way you can. They have suffered
more during the pandemic, especially when it comes to access to financial resources.
Why did you decide to open your space at Bok?
We have a placebased approach, and want to meet people where they a re at. We have locations in Center City and Northeast [Philadelphia], and wanted to reach the immigrant community in South Philadelphia. Here at Bok we have the space to help participants plan and produce. It’s a space to receive projects, ideas, and dreams - to manifest ideas the community has to thrive.
welcomingcenter.org @welcomingcenter
2 Phillips Black Phillips Black is a nonprofit, public interest law practice. We met with Philadelphia Principle Jennifer Merrigan to learn more about the work they are doing in the city.
Who does Phillips Black serve? Phillips Black represents people serving sentences of death and death by incarceration throughout the country. We train new attorneys and interns, run clinical programs in several law schools, consult and support other lawyers, and conduct legal research and scholarship aimed at elevating the rights of people facing the harshest punishments under the law.
Anything you have learned from your time working in the justice system that you’d like the public to know?
In Pennsylvania, post-conviction lawyers are allowed to file something called “Finley letters.” These letters tell the court that their client has
no legal issues, and can reveal confidential information from clients and witnesses, and even use that information against the client. Many states do not allow these letters. But in Philadelphia, they are very common. I’ve seen cases here where lawyers have filed these letters, despite grave constitutional issues or even innocence. It really amounts to a deprivation of counsel.
What is a project you are most proud of?
I am really proud of our apprenticeship project, which is for returning citizens who studied the law in prison, but do not have the requisite legal credentials to practice law. It is one of the ways that we work to include impacted people in the legal field, which is overwhelmingly white and homogeneous.
Troy Cotton, Leroy Cotton, Bilaal Wilson, Quahir Trice, and the Phillips Black team celebrate their client Leroy Cotton’s commutation after spending over 40 years in prison.
We are named after Samuel Phillips: the lawyer who represented Homer Plessy in Plessy v. Ferguson. He argued against segregation. He lost, but he was on the right side of history. Fighting for justice sometimes means fighting against what is popular, and it often means losing. That makes it even harder, and even more important to keep fighting. phillipsblack.org // @phillipsblacklaw
What is something about Phillips Black that you love to share, but don’t often get asked?
Let’s Vote! Now more than ever, it’s important that our voices be heard. One of the ways we can do this is by voting in our local and national elections. With PA elections coming up this fall, we sat down with State Representative Elizabeth Fielder to learn more about why voting is important, how to vote, and how to best prepare for election day.
Why is it important to vote? An election is your chance to decide who will make decisions for your community. Every law, every policy, and every tax dollar spent is decided by elected officials like me. And the decisions we make as elected officials have tremendous consequences — it’s why rich and powerful people spend billions every year to influence the results of elections.
What are some important issues on the ballot this year?
This November, Pennsylvanians will be electing a new Governor and US Senator. Control of the PA state legislature (where I work) could also change. These races will have a huge influence on the future of the state and country. Think about what you care about. Maybe it’s clean air and water. Maybe it’s schools, parks, libraries, public safety, roads, health care, your retirement, parking, or trash pickup. Whatever your issues are, election day is your chance to put in office people that will represent you and fight for your priorities. Will we start to address climate change or continue to prioritize fossil fuel consumption? Will we invest in our public schools or shift to a private system? Will we prioritize an individual right to own a deadly weapon, or will we prioritize public safety? Will Pennsylvanians have the right to an abortion? These questions and more will be answered by voters this fall.
What is the best way to learn about the candidates and issues? Read and listen to the news! Before I ran for office, I was a journalist, and I know there are a lot of smart, hard-working people in that world that try every day to get thorough and accurate information out to the public. Is there misinformation out there? Yes. Should everyone read widely and take in different perspectives? Absolutely. But mainstream news sources like the Philadelphia Inquirer and public radio (WHYY 90.9FM) provide a wealth of information that can help prepare citizens to vote with confidence. State Rep. Elizabeth Fielder elizabethfiedler.com
voting faq How can I find out my voter status? Go to votespa.com or call 1-800-VOTESPA. Where can I find reliable day-of info (polling place, hours to vote, etc.)? Polling places in Pennsylvania will be open from 7am to 8pm on November 8. The Office of the Philadelphia City Commissioners (philadelphiavotes.com) has information about mail-in voting, voter registration, polling places, voter ID and more! What is the best post-voting snack? On a good night, there’s nothing better than a slice of cake from Frangelli’s bakery, right across from my office at 9th and Ritner streets!
Artist: Symone Salib // IG: @symonesalibstudio
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BlackStar BlackStar offers spaces and resources needed to uplift the work of Black, Brown and Indigenous artists. They prioritize visionary, experimental, and often overlooked work that reimagines a new story while building on the work of those
that came before us. This summer from August 3-7, they host their 11th annual BlackStar Film Festival - a celebration of the visual and storytelling traditions of the African Diaspora and Global Indigenous communities through film, workshops, and panel conversations.
Many Lumens & Seen Journal
Seen is a bi-annual journal of film and visual culture focused on Black, Brown, and Indigenous communities globally. On the Many Lumens podcast, Founder Maori Karmael Holmes speaks with artists and change makers working in the intersection of art, social change, and pop culture. Recent guests have included poet & activist Sonia Sanchez, author Imani Perry, and painter Amy Sherald.
Philadelphia Filmmaker Lab BlackStar’s Philadelphia Filmmaker Lab is designed to uplift emerging and mid-career Black, Brown and Indigenous filmmakers in the Greater Philadelphia area. BlackStar provides equipment, space, crew, mentorship, funding and critical feedback to filmmakers. Over the course of a 12-month program the filmmakers produce short films which then premiere at the BlackStar Film Festival.
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Summer 2022
Empowering community through the arts Theodore A. Harris Theodore A. Harris is a collagist, poet, and author working in the intersection of art and politics. He was recently named a 2022 CFEVA Visual Artist Fellow and is the co-founder of the Philadelphia Mural Arts Program. Through his work, he encourages the viewer to see his pieces as a call to action and resistance, considering the content and the form of the piece together as a poetic history book. theodoreharris.weebly.com
Nazeer Sabree
Mural Arts Mural Arts Philadelphia’s Restorative Justice program is collaborating with the Barnes Foundation to create the Faces of Resilience exhibition: a literal and metaphorical interpretation portraiture through the lens of loss and hope. The work in this show is created by emerging artists from Mural Arts Philadelphia’s Guild program (an apprenticeship for formerly incarcerated individuals and young adults on probation) and artists at the State Correctional Institution: Phoenix. The exhibition aims to give voice to perspectives of individuals who are often overlooked or drowned out in our society.
Nazeer Sabree explores themes of individual and shared cultural experiences, identity, personal narratives, mental health and African American history. He uses textiles, photographs, magazines, shell casings, and other everyday items in a nontraditional ways to add a coating of the connection to his environment. Nazeer’s work hopes to inspire and create an outlet and vulnerable space for viewers as much as it does for himself. nazeersabreestudios.com
Barnes Foundation // July 8 - August 22 Access is free with admission
Cambodian American Girls Empowering CAGE’s mission is to create a safe space where Cambodian Americans feel free to explore their shared identities, culture, heritage, and history. They perform all over the city, most recently at the Navy Yard and City Hall for the #fundPHLarts rally. They frequently offer dance classes for all ages and workshops. cagempowering.org
Ars Nova Workshop Ars Nova Workshop is an internationally recognized jazz, experimental, and new-classical music presenter. They have curated over 700 events across Philadelphia in both leading cultural institutions (like the Barnes Foundation) as well as more unconventional spaces (like Bartram’s Garden). arsnovaworkshop.org
Issue 19 // Summer 22 A Look Inside
buildingbok.com @buildingbok
What’s Next City Year Back to School Party September 15 at 4pm
City Year Philadelphia will be kicking off of their year of service to our city, our schools, and our students. The
event will feature fun school themed activities for guests to enjoy!
Open Studios October 14 at 6pm
This building-wide, DesignPhiladelphia event allows you to wander the building, meet dozens of members of the Bok community, and purchase Bok-made wares and artwork. It’s free, family-friendly, and a perfect date night.
Trans Art Mart December 3
A shoppable market highlighting Trans & Non-Binary Artists is coming to the West Gym just in time to support local makers for the the holiday season.
Produced by scout Designed by Smith & Diction Photos provided by each feature + social media Cover art: Nazeer Sabree