We Hope This Message is Getting Through by Kensington Action Now, Kensington Area Revitalization Project (KAN-KARP)

When over 35 playgrounds closed in the Kensington area of North Philadelphia, local teens, seniors, and other adults mobilized to give neighborhood youths recreational opportunities that went beyond playing jacks or stickball. Eager to reintroduce more wholesome youth activities like soccer and skating parties to the local landscape, Kensington Action Now (KAN) teamed up with exuberant -- and rapping! -- neighborhood teens and worried adults to produce this video documenting its two-year struggle to increase city funding for year-round public recreational facilities and programs (00:16:00). Read more

Montessori Genesis II: A Family Thing by Montessori Genesis II

Unhappy with your child's schooling? Don't call the principal; start your own school. That's what a group of low-income African-American families from the Mantua community decided to do 30 years ago, and as this short video testifies, the results have been astounding. It wasn't the easiest decision to make, but in September 1976, in the midst of a teacher's strike, sixteen African-American families decided to opt out of the Philadelphia public school system (00:08:00). Read more

First Things First by Philadelphia Unemployment Project

The Philadelphia Unemployment Project is a group of unemployed and low-income workers who organize around issues affecting the poor, including campaigns for a fair minimum wage and the expansion of health care access to the uninsured. This video documents their past and present struggles, their philosophies, and strategies that guide their work (00:14:00). Read more

Peace At Home: Getting a Restraining Order in PA by Women Against Abuse (Community Legal Services)

Both WOAR and CLS work closely in the area of domestic violence and provide legal representation to the overwhelming majority of Philadelphia women who go through the court system to seek protection from abuse.  Because a new law now allows women to file for protection orders without the help of an attorney, WOAR and CLS are producing an educational, self-help video to provide women with the information they will need to successfully petition for, and enforce, protection orders (00:23:46). Read more

From Victim to Survivor by Women Organized Against Rape (WOAR)

This important video sensitively depicts the ability of victims of sexual assault to become survivors and shows how Women Organized Against Rape helps women to heal and cope. Founded in Philadelphia, in 1973, Women Organized Against Rape (WOAR) is a vital non-profit organization dedicated to addressing sexual violence in our society. For almost thirty years, WOAR has worked together with the police, hospitals, and courts to serve the needs of survivors of sexual violence (00:18:00). Read more

Women Housing Women by Women's Community Revitalization Project

In this intimate portrait of the women of the Women's Community Revitalization Project (WCRP), a culturally and economically diverse group of tenants, staff and board members speak of their success in developing affordable housing for low-income and formerly homeless women (00:15:00). Read more

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