Introduction
Upon first glance, Philadelphia looks like a pretty idyllic city: lots of housing and public schools, universities, museums, historic landmarks, public libraries, rec centers, public transportation, public pools, and public playgrounds are among many of the spaces that make Philadelphia a nice place to live. But on closer inspection, the history of those spaces isn’t always so pleasant. On even closer inspection, the rules and regulations around spaces in Philadelphia can get complicated and confusing even to the city native. This unit explores how the city got to be the way it is now, and how much work we have left to do.
Beginning with the University of Pennsylvania’s move across the Schuylkill River and pervasive expansion into West Philadelphia, continuing through repeated efforts to put a sports stadium in the middle of Chinatown, and right up to the current policing of spaces that are public in name only, space and place have been contentious issues in Philadelphia. Race and class play a large role in these policing and expansion projects, and students are all too aware of how law enforcement views them already. I want to teach my students the history and politics behind these big moments in Philadelphia, and spur them to envision and enact peaceful solutions to the problems they see in the city. Some students have already had an overview of these movements and protests in their African American history classes, and some have families that lived through the experiences and have their own stories to tell.
We will look at protest through art, both legal and otherwise, music, speech, written word, and legal action. Students will explore topics that interest them in the history of Philadelphia, and then move forward to imagine solutions to the issues they’re already experiencing in their own lives in the city. No teenager wants a mall that makes you present ID during school hours, a library that looks more suspiciously at some kids over others, or a store that follows those who fit the “profile” of a shoplifter. No truly progressive community wants a city that over-polices the few third places we have for teenagers in the late hours of a summer afternoon. Exploring the classist and racist policing as well as unofficial policies of how our city got to where it is can inform our choices and actions to prevent Philadelphia from continuing down this path. By the end of the unit, students will have learned about the history of protests over place and space in Philadelphia and have crafted a cohesive and informed argument to keep and/or regain spaces they hold sacred as third places.
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