By Catherine Hicks
NAACP Philadelphia Branch President
Philadelphia being identified as “the biggest poor city in America” should ignite a fire in all of us.
The NAACP Philadelphia Branch could not afford to sit on the sidelines while one of the region’s most transformative real estate development projects was being considered.
We decided to support the proposed 76 Place at Market East because it comes at a time when the city is looking for “economic opportunity for all” as per the closing to Mayor Cherrelle Parker’s mantra stresses. The project offers significant benefits for diverse residents across the city…and for the Black community in particular.
Supporting 76 Place at Market East did not come easily. We held extensive discussions with the team and other community stakeholders, asking tough questions and considering options that benefit the community as a whole. This led to our receiving assurances that our Branch would have a seat at the table, all community voices would be heard, civil rights would be protected, and measurable diversity, equity, and inclusion goals would be pursued.
Mayor Parker, Council President Kenyatta Johnson, a majority of city councilmembers, and the Sixers should be applauded for prioritizing Market East to reverse decades of decline, avoiding the displacement of Chinatown’s residents or businesses, and opening new doors to other groups.
Unquestionably, the Black community cannot thrive without more wealth-building possibilities. The unfortunate reality is that far too many Philadelphians in both unemployed and underemployed categories are Black.
We comprise the largest group with unemployed claims by far. Black males represent the smallest group of those seeking higher education, with only 13.2% of Black men holding a bachelor’s degree.
Only 2.5% of businesses in Philadelphia are Black-owned, despite the fact that Black residents make up around 43% of the population. Add lowered life expectancies, high death rates, and mental and physical health disparities, among other challenges, and you can see why local leaders need to place a much greater emphasis on better outcomes for a vulnerable Black population.
When transformative real estate projects like 76 Place at Market East are being planned, our community cannot be an afterthought or a spectator. We must be engaged early and support those groups who make the big decision to support us. That is precisely why my organization is involved.
The NAACP is the nation’s oldest, largest, and most widely recognized grassroots-based civil rights organization whose mission is to achieve equity, political rights, and social inclusion by advancing policies and practices that expand human and civil rights, eliminate discrimination, and accelerate the well-being, education, and economic security of Black people and all persons of color.
We have been advocating for the passage of the 76 Place at Market East legislative package to gain unprecedented and equitable access to jobs, contracts, and other business opportunities that will uplift the communities the branch serves. With City Council’s second reading and final passage vote on December 19, we are optimistic about a future where Philadelphia can make the big decisions necessary to be called “the biggest city in America with economic opportunity for all.”
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