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.
This is actually funny. The reaction to this article proves the point--white people cannot bring up race without being labeled as racist. The subject of what it's like being "white" can't even be brought up without minorities rallying as if they've been wronged. If the article was titled "Being Black in Philly" no one would say a word. The thing is, most everyday citizens--of all races--probably don't care that much. It's the grandstanders and "columnists" like this one who see an easy opportunity for attention or an easy "column" without leaving her desk. And as for this "columnist" she is a joke. If she weren't black AND a woman she would not even be working in a market this size. She talks of "bad journalism"? Seriously? She writes that problems with the article are already well-documented and doesn't even bother to give her reader the slightest idea what they might be. A real journalist would not do that. She is a bad "journalist," and worse, a lazy one. But then she'd just accuse me of being racist for daring to lodge legitimate criticisms of someone of color.— bemused- Any person of color under the age of 50 has no right to play the oppressed minority card since they've lived in a black majority in this city in a post-civil rights era for their entire lives. We're even 2 generations removed from the Rizzo boys. Black mayors for 21 of the past 29 years. The article was fair and even-handed, got perspectives from long time residents as well as newcomers. Maybe the intellectual black men should have a talk with the non-intellectual ones that perpetuate stereotypes and act like the Philly whites deserve their comeuppance.— Santa Satan
- echoing so many before me, especially @bemused, in saying just how funny this all is. I love how this author and, trust me, she could line up 10 of her white brethren to back her up, actually presents this stuff as legitimate, that the white Philadelphian has no reason to fear speaking his mind due to the inevitable cries of racism.
No, that's not true, right? It is just a figment of our collective imagination. It's all good, people of all colors can speak of the city's problems regardless of race, and there will be no recrimination at all.
And the Easter Bunny will be coming along in about 20 days by my count, too.
Let's try no to ever change what is already not working...let's continue to ignore the problems in the black community and castigate any white person for daring to mention it.
Jenice - when you and your Philly Mag brethren bring this author around to introduce him to select upstanding black groups, why not detour him and drop him off somewhere in North Philly and count to see how long it takes for him to find his way back.— advantasux 
Jen...you are my hero. So many things in this society are downgrading to African Americans, and many white Americans just don't get it.— BOOKKA- I don't get it....
— DixonBunz - Great article in Philly Mag. Thanks for sharing .— Gone Sovereign
- "suits" tells it like it is.
- I'm sorry for being white. I appreciated the Philly article. I appreciated the home-invasion which occurred two days later just off the Temple campus even more.
— fire fighter - The criticisms generated by the article demonstrate why there never will be a discussion about race. No matter what whites say, they're labelled racists while those following the party line, i.e., it isn't black folks fault they commit the most crimes of any ethnic group, are always right. Hey, when blacks stop committing crimes at the rates they do, stop having multiple kids they can't or won't take care of, and stop acting up in school so that those who want to be educated can, maybe the views held by whites will change. Hey , when the likes of Jesse Jackson and Juan Williams feel afraid when they see a large group of blacks, why can't white people?.— JohnnyB.
- Want to see a racist? Think Jessie Jackson, Al Sharpton.
www.RecallBlondellReynoldsBrown.org— SPENDSPEND - Horrid article— jonline
- I'm white. Rode the EL to 56th and Market everyday for 2nd shift--I have enough material to write a mini series--don't need some guilty white "journalist" to explain the situation to me, with some mealy-mouthed account about what's it's like "Being White in Philly"--ride the EL at 1 am, Mr. Huber, you'll find out about "Being White in Philly"— frontandwildey
- Did someone say free water ice???— PhillyBoy
- Anyone see the last episode of 'Saturday Night Live?' Oh wait, I must've wandering in the wrong comments section. This one seems to be full of white people shrugging their shoulders at how being blamed for being racist constantly has sadly become the norm.— gilligan
- Have at it, racists!— Bartleby
Read more from Jenice Armstrong at Earth to Philly, the Daily News blog on anything and everything "Green."
Reach Jenice at armstrj@phillynews.com.
