Event organized to enlighten those behind Philly Mag's 'Being White in Philly' piece
Organizers hope Philadelphians of all races will turn out next week for an event at Love Park called "Being in Philly." The gathering, scheduled for 4 p.m. on March 20, is in response to a controversial Philadelphia magazine cover story called "Being White In Philly." In the piece, based on anonymous interviews, Ron Huber makes the claim that white people are afraid to talk about race for fear of being called racist.
Event organized to enlighten those behind Philly Mag's 'Being White in Philly' piece
Jenice Armstrong, Daily News Columnist
UPDATE: The Being in Philly event has been postponed due to possibily inclement weather.
Organizers hope Philadelphians of all races will turn out next week for an event at Love Park called “Being in Philly.” The gathering, scheduled for 4 p.m. on March 20, is in response to a controversial Philadelphia magazine cover story called “Being White In Philly.” In the piece, based on anonymous interviews, Robert Huber makes the claim that white people are afraid to talk about race for fear of being called racist.
The article has a lot of problems, many of them well documented already. But the first-day-of-spring event isn’t so much to address the issue of bad journalism but to present another view of what’s happening in Philly.
“The goal is to have an intellectual dialogue and discourse that promotes a positive outcome and interactive cultural understanding,” Chris Norris, a lead organizer, told me last week.
Organizers also hope to bring Huber, the author of ‘Being White in Philly,’ to Love Park to introduce him around.
“To introduce him to organizations like Rising Sons and to introduce him to the Black Male Engagement Project that the Knight Foundation is spending millions and millions of dollars on to change the narrative in this city and Baltimore and Detroit. To introduce him to people like Gregory Walker (founder of the Brothers Network)…Gregory Corbin and Solomon Jones. That’s the goal. Not to make him feel scared, to make him feel like there’s going to be an angry black mob waiting for him. That there’s going to be intellectual black men waiting with open arms to embrace him because, hey, he needs a hug. “
Organizers hope Philly mag will respond by writing some sort of piece of follow up to Huber’s piece.
“We want to encourage Philly magazine to write a part 2 (called) being a Philadelphian. Not being white. Not being black. But being a Philadelphian. That’s really important,” pointed out Rashaun Williams, 18, a Temple University sociology and history major who's helping organize the gathering.
In addition to all that, organizers say there will be free musical performances and a water ice giveaway. Editors at Philly mag also have been invited.
i dont think tr88 likes liberals.— snowboardwcu- You must not have an opinion. You will not believe your own experiences. You will submit or be re-educated.— goodbye
- Don't bother showing up, white people. Nobody cares what you have to say. You'll always be racist,— Smooth88
- The event articles need to draw many Caucasian philadelphians to this event, not just the author of the article.— farhorizons
- I think Ms. Armstrong's article is a great example that when a white person speaks up about race, they get slandered by the press and labeled as racist by the media & community activists groups. I guess freedom of speech is only for non-white Americans.— BigE
- Why don't they invite a Wolfpack to the meeting. Than you will a true answer to what the title of the story is about.— watsonmr
- I agree wholeheartedly BigE. It's not easy being white in Philly. Remember,not one of those black kids that formed mobs and attacked white people,while yelling racial slurs mind you, got charged with a hate crime. I'm not even sure that anyone was arrested.Also,anytime a white person speaks up about the black people in this city they get reamed.Also,why is it that the so called leader of the black panther group can stand in a corner and rant and spew racial hatred and is tolerated. Where is the media then>— miller71
- When it comes to race in Philadelphia it is a very touchie subject to talk about let alone have the courage to write an article in Philadelphia magazine. Mr.Hubert she be applauded for his article for bring something to the table that many white philadelphian's are to scared to talk about. Being as I am from south philadelphia and i am a white person living in this city my whole life and have attended college locally. I agree with many with 95% of Mr. Huberts article. espically the conclusion. However for many non-whites who read this article have taken offense for him not asking a black person perspective. It would not make sense to ask a non- white person because the article is giving the white perspective. However he does ask a immigrant european and other individuals whom moved to this city from out side of it. How ever being as if i said i am from South Philly i have to cite an article written on March 24, 2011 " A wary Point Breeze confronts its demographic shifts" by Natalie Pompilio and William Bender. In this article the address the confrontation of the native point breeze residents and developers who are buying up the properties and fixing them up. The article pertaints to taxes and many other ethical issues. But one comment in the article sticks out from that of a local point breeze resident whom commentted that "she'd rather see a vacant lot with a drug dealer in it than white people gardening,".
This article in march 2011 was very confertational but it made me as native white south philadelphia resident very upset and uneased that it was okay for a person of color to make this comment. Fastward to March of 2013 the article "being white in Philly" came out and it spoke many volumne to how i feel as being a native south philly resident and have the same view points as those in this article from fairmount and other northern regions of Philadelphia.
I apologize for any typo's or misspelling i am on my phone and it is being very difficult.— milkiemilk - Huber's Philly mag piece was one of the best local articles I read in years. He fairly chronicles the plight of white working class folks who live fear of the predatory actions of blacks in surrounding neighborhoods. Having grown up in north Philly I appreciated the candid presneetation of this reality. Not from a racist perspective but simply a realist perspective. If you are a white working class resident, you need to adapt to a growing population of black young men who grow up without fathers and in many cases who lack opportunity to do better; but also in many cases who lack drive or work ethic.
Again, ,it is the reality that many hardworking black and white citizens must deal with. The erosion of the black family unit along with the proliferation of crime has degraded the quality of life in this city. To have an author ariticulate the frustration of many white citizens in not being able to ariticulate this reality (for fear of being branded a racist) is a great service.
Kudos Robert Huber.— BillMcG - This event will not accomplish the goals proposed. The only way to have real dialogue is to have it between "everyday" blacks, whites, and other races.
Once you get the "experts," the academics, and the extremists (on both sides) involved, you lose what people around the water cooler are thinking and feeling.— LT4 .jpg)
I may go with my mic and do some spoken-word for the crowd.— Lil Tyreese Biggums- Palestra Jon... What the h$ll are you smoking? "White suburban gated community" 95% here by choice--there is no fear of raising the race card from either side. You are just kidding yourself. I think the "whites" might want to elect another spokesperson, because you are ridiculous.— jimday
- Try reading the post before you spout nonsense, Jimmy. Philly Mag has a readership of 95% suburban readers. No one reads it in the City itself. But I live in Mt. Airy--so I voluntarily live with my black brethren. It's one of the safest areas of the City, as opposed to those areas where the reaction to a black person moving in is to put up the For Sale signs and run away. Look, no one supports crime or corruption. But it is the sign of a small mind to blame anyone with black skin for all crime. There is plenty of crime committed by white people too. But mindless hatred like you exhibit would be better off in South Jersey, where most of the like-minded people have moved. Meanwhile, the white population of Philadelphia has increased for 20 years. Goodbye. — Palestra Jon
- Palestra Jon, have you looked at the crime statistics in Philadelphia lately? — Doyoumissbushyet?
- So let me get this straight Jen,its alright for you to put a racial spin to almost every article you write,but when a White Reporter does it, its wrong.Another reason why your paper and you, lack any credibility.— suits
Read more from Jenice Armstrong at Earth to Philly, the Daily News blog on anything and everything "Green."
Reach Jenice at armstrj@phillynews.com.
