Blogs: The Philadelphia Experiment

Students march for schools, but where are the adults?

philaexperiment@whyy.org (Solomon Jones) — Sat, 18 May 2013 23:54:59 GMT

The estimated 1,000 high-school students who marched Broad Street to protest School District budget cuts on Friday were not just visible. They were loud, rambunctious and utterly unmoved by the politics of the moment.

Going beyond Mother's Day

philaexperiment@whyy.org (Solomon Jones) — Mon, 13 May 2013 02:52:57 GMT

I celebrated Mother's Day as I do every year — by celebrating the women who shaped me.

They ran (and cheered) on Broad Street for America

philaexperiment@whyy.org (Solomon Jones) — Mon, 06 May 2013 12:45:00 GMT

At 8:30 on a sun splashed Sunday morning, some 40,000 runners made their way down Philadelphia's main thoroughfare.

As in years past, the annual Blue Cross Broad Street Run was a mixture of chutzpah and determination, pride and purpose. But this year, there was something else. It was tangible. It was valuable. It was real.

There is power in community

philaexperiment@whyy.org (Solomon Jones) — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 03:07:04 GMT

Communities thrive because of neighbors. Not because of high property values or community associations. Not because of political connections or tax structures. They thrive because of people who care.

Son teaches father lessons after Boston bombing

philaexperiment@whyy.org (Solomon Jones) — Sun, 21 Apr 2013 01:33:02 GMT

I normally don’t watch television newscasts because they portray a world where murder is the order of the day, acts of kindness don’t exist and grief takes precedence over joy.

But there are times when I have to watch; times when there are acts so heinous that I must look at them with a steady eye, absorb them completely and commit them to memory.

Bringing Philadelphia's ideas to life

philaexperiment@whyy.org (Solomon Jones) — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 03:07:08 GMT

At the start of this year, I told myself and my readers that I would give voice to Philadelphians and in doing so, affect change. I thought I would be changing others. In truth, it is others who have changed me.

More big ideas from everyday Philadelphians

philaexperiment@whyy.org (Solomon Jones) — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 01:12:24 GMT

Two weeks ago, when I asked everyday Philadelphians to submit their ideas for improving life in the city, I had no idea that the floodgates would open, but that's what happened.

Everyday people with extraordinary ideas

philaexperiment@whyy.org (Solomon Jones) — Mon, 01 Apr 2013 01:40:16 GMT

Last week, I told Philadelphians that the old-boys network can no longer hold back the rest of us, because in today's environment of the internet, entrepreneurship, online commerce and international communication, ideas are the new currency. You can't kill an idea or extinguish its fire.

It's time to create our own opportunities

philaexperiment@whyy.org (Solomon Jones) — Sun, 24 Mar 2013 21:34:18 GMT

Lately I’ve read and heard a lot about people trying to get others to grant them opportunities.

Fighting the war at home

philaexperiment@whyy.org (Solomon Jones) — Sun, 17 Mar 2013 04:00:15 GMT

I work hard. Between writing stories, blogs and books, and also producing video, I am frequently stretched thin. But I love the work, I love the creativity it requires, and I love the city whose stories I’ve been blessed to tell.