Tag: freedom

bookmark_borderFree Things To Do In Philadelphia

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According to Visit Philly, the top 10 free things to do in Philadelphia are:

1. Independence Hall

Start your free tour of Philadelphia with a visit to Independence Hall. Free timed tickets (required March through December) are available at the Independence Visitors’ Center.

2. Congress Hall and Old City Hall

These are the two buildings that flank Independence Hall. Congress Hall was the original home to the newly formed U.S. Congress. Built in 1791 Old City Hall was the second official government structure for the city of Philadelphia. Self-guided tours of these two structures are optional after the Independence Hall tour. They cannot be visited independently.

3. The Liberty Bell

The Liberty Bell Center is located across the street from Independence Hall. Resting in its new home, encased in glass &mdash making the Bell visible from Chestnut Street — you can get an up-close-and-personal look, crack and all, while interactive displays tell the story of this national treasure.

Tickets are not required for entry and the Center is open 9 a.m. – 5 p.m., with extended hours in the summer.

4. Carpenters’ Hall

Carpenters’ Hall played host to the First Continental Congress in 1774 and was home to Benjamin Franklin’s Library Company, The American Philosophical Society, and the First and Second Banks of the United States. Now it’s open to visitors Tuesday through Sunday.

5. Franklin Court

Explore the former site of Benjamin and Deborah Franklin’s Old City home. Okay, you can’t actually see it — the long-ago-demolished home is recreated via a “ghost” structure that the inventor in Mr. Franklin would have been quite impressed by. Don’t miss the underground museum, replica print shop and working U.S. post office that operates just as it did in Franklin’s day.

Admission is free, although donations are accepted.

6. Elfreth’s Alley

Elfreth’s Alley is the nation’s oldest continually occupied residential street. Named after Jeremiah Elfreth, this tiny thoroughfare was once home to artisans and tradespeople. Strolling down the alley is free, while guided tours of the two-house museum are available for just $5 for adults.

7. Fireman’s Hall Museum

The Fireman’s Hall Museum is dedicated to the art and science of firefighting through the last three centuries. Kids love the old fire engines and replica firefighter dressing rooms. Open Tuesday through Saturday, admission is free.

8. Edgar Allan Poe House

The Edgar Allan Poe National Historic Site was once home to the macabre poet, and it was here that he penned his famous (and terrifying) stories A Tell-Tale Heart and The Fall of the House of Usher. The house is open Wednesday through Sunday and admission is absolutely free.

9. Institute of Contemporary Art

Head up to University City to expand your mind at this time-honored contemporary art showcase. Having displayed the first museum shows for Andy Warhol, Laurie Anderson, Agnes Martin, Robert Indiana and other influential artists, the Institute of Contemporary Art now offers free admission thanks to a generous grant.

10. Franklin Square

There are countless reasons to love Philadelphia’s most family-friendly square. And while most of them have a price tag (only a buck or two) — including the carousel, mini golf and SquareBurger, the Stephen Starr burger-and-fries outpost installed last summer — hanging out in the Square is free. It makes for a nice resting point while walking around America’s most historic neighborhood.

Bonus: South Street
Between Delaware Avenue and Broad Street on South Street you can find shopping, bars, restaurants, music, and the best cheesesteaks in world. It is the most popular destination for night-life.

bookmark_borderCitywide Summit Folk Arts and Cultural Treasures

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Saturday May 4th – 9:30 AM to 5:00 PM TAG Education for Liberation Curriculum Fair and Citywide Summit Folk Arts and Cultural Treasures School, 1023 Callowhill Street

The morning Curriculum Fair will feature workshops, unit and lesson plans, projects, resources, and best practices for social justice education. This will be a space for educators to connect and exchange, learn from each other, and take new ideas back to their own classrooms. The afternoon Summit will be a space for building stronger community alliances for education justice, as parents, students, community members, and educators. Our public schools are under attack, and it will take a movement to fight back. Come learn from people who have organized together to save and transform their schools, and figure out how to take the lessons back to your school community.

The fair will also be featuring sessions hosted by The Attic Youth Center, Philadelphia Youth Poetry Movement, Decarcerate PA, and more!

Register at http://tagcurriculumfair.eventbrite.com/#

bookmark_borderHave You Seen Martin?

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Martin Luther King Jr.

Have you seen Martin?

I know. That sounds like an odd question. But the truth of the matter is; we do see him in so many of the things we now take for granted and do without giving a second thought on a daily basis. Like dining in any place of our choice or shopping where we like; or coming home and using a key in a door that we choose to live behind; or work on a job that we aspired to and not had to settle for; or vote; when, where and for whom we please. So the next time anyone asks, have you seen Martin; the answer is ABSOLUTELY, yes.

Martin was given breath on January 15, 1929 and over the span of his short life he helped our nation to breathe a little freer and a little easier. Martin once said, “Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase.” I say Martin build staircases with every step he took.

A testament to how inspiring this world figure was is that almost every major city in the United States has a school or a street named after him. From the footsteps he laid in the Montgomery, Alabama bus boycott of 1956. (That made a difference for us all). The organization he helped create in 1957 The Southern Christian leadership Conference (SCLC) that was instrumental in making The Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965 happen. (That made a difference for us all); to the light he shined on the massive protest of 1963 in Birmingham, Alabama (that made a difference for us all). The 250,000 people that walked in lock step with him in 1963 where Washington DC stood still long enough to hear one man’s dream. (That made a difference for us all) Right down to the eye opening vision of over 200,000 people marching and singing through streets that were fired up in many ways as the sun delivered a temperature 82 degrees by 10:30 am on that day in Atlanta, Ga. in 1968.(That made a difference for us all).

Martin Luther King Jr. was Co-Pastor alongside his father for almost a decade at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, Ga. This charismatic leader was named Man of The Year in 1963 and received The Nobel Peace Prize in 1964. Martin Luther King was taken from us on April 4, 1968 at the age of 35. (His life made a difference for us)

As we celebrate and remember him on his birthday, many people will speak of helping others in his honor. I believe that is a very good thing to do. For those of us that were here during his life, we were most fortunate to witness such a leader that not only touched the lives of so many during his live but helped change and improve the life’s of generations to come.

As I reflect on all that this man meant to our nation and wonder what can I do in my little sphere that will matter. I thought about my goal for 2010; that is to inspire others to reach their goals. I intend to do just that. Martin Luther King Jr. traveled over six million miles and made over twenty five hundred speeches as well as wrote five books.

(That all made a difference for us all) I challenge myself and offer you a challenge as well, can we travel across the street or around the corner and speak to someone that may only need an encouraging word from us to help him or her take the next step towards reaching their goals. (Will we make a difference?)

Article by, Ty Ferrell

A Grateful American

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Ty Ferrell Sr.

Ty was born in Phila, Pa. and lived in Germantown and Mt. Airy for over thirty years before relocating with his job.Ty raised five children with his lovely wife of thirty-six years. He has over 40 years of retail management experience holding positions as Store Manager, District Manager, Regional Manager and Associate Director and now lives in York, Pa. Ty has presented a wide range of workshops and seminars as a trainer at many company meetings. He now enjoys writing because it gives him a great opportunity to share his passion for presenting and helping others. His motivation in writing any article is that some will read them and find the encouragement to take the next step toward their own goals.