Jessica Blatt Press

2 weeks ago | thephiladelphiacitizen.org | Jessica Blatt Press

Growing up in South Philly and then the Northeast, Theresa Byrd always loved styling hair — she had her first clients in middle school. By the time she got to Howard University, where she had plans to become a pediatrician, she still held on to her love of hair. “On Friday nights, my dorm turned into a salon,” she says. Across town, growing up in West Oak Lane, lived Jennifer Boisseau, who also loved hair. “I would practice hairstyling with my Crimp ’N Curl Cabbage Patch Kid,” she says with a laugh.

3 weeks ago | thephiladelphiacitizen.org | Jessica Blatt Press

Math doesn’t lie. And after the November 2024 election, the numbers said it all: A staggering 92 percent of Black women voted for Kamala Harris — while the majority of White women voted for Donald Trump. It was a depressing outcome for Black voting women, who have been overlooked for centuries by policies and politics shaped predominately by White men. But South Philly native Jasmine Sessoms refuses to give up hope.

4 weeks ago | thephiladelphiacitizen.org | Jessica Blatt Press

Omar Crowder was in line at the American Airlines terminal in Philadelphia when he got the call: There was a mass shooting in Northeast Philadelphia. Nevermind that he was about to chaperone a group of students on a long-planned 10-day educational trip to Italy — he immediately got out of line, into an Uber, and headed straight back to Northeast High School where, for the last seven years, he has served as principal. “Within minutes, I got a call from the Philadelphia Police Department,” he says.

1 month ago | thephiladelphiacitizen.org | Jessica Blatt Press

Apr. 28, 2025 “There’s no higher calling in terms of a career than public service, which is a chance to make a difference in people’s lives and improve the world.” — Diplomat Jacob J. LewWhatever your politics, it’s reasonable to say that the last four months have been plenty demoralizing for folks working in the public sector and those who depend on them, be it at the federal, state or local level.

2 months ago | thephiladelphiacitizen.org | Jessica Blatt Press

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