Meet the Mayoral Candidates – Anthony Williams

His Story:
Williams is son of a father who was both a judge and community activist. He went to The College of  William & Mary, where he earned a degree in economics, and rose through the ranks at PepsiCo to become a mid-level executive. The rise of gang violence, blighted communities, and lack of opportunity in

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3 mins read

Meet the Mayoral Candidates-Nelson Diaz

 
by Heather Shayne Blakeslee 
His Story:
Diaz grew up in a public housing project in New York City, and made his way through St. Joseph’s University and then Temple Law. He was the first Puerto Rican to earn a law degree from the University and to pass the Pennsylvania Bar Exam, after which he became a Public

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3 mins read

Meet the Mayoral Candidates-Jim Kenney

by Heather Shayne Blakeslee 
 
His Story:
Kenney was born in South Philadelphia and raised by a firefighter and homemaker. He got his first union card at 17, and went on to get a degree from La Salle University, becoming the first person in his family to go to college. He’s served in City Council since 1991, and

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2 mins read

Meet the Mayoral Candidates-Lynne Abraham

by Heather Shayne Blakeslee
 
Her Story:
Abraham’s bio has a lot of firsts. She’s the daughter of first-generation Americans who lived “on the edges of poverty,” and was the first in her family to go to college; she got a degree from Temple University and went on to Temple Law School. She is the first woman to

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2 mins read

The Progress That’s at Stake

Political progress has been made, but much work remains
Eight years ago, the new crop of mayoral candidates were like sustainability seedlings, just beginning to poke their soft green heads above the soil and move toward the light.
There were some unintended moments of comedy along the way. During a candidate forum, one of the candidates purported

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6 mins read