Take a Video Tour of the Real Philly

By Kenrya Rankin Jul 26, 2016

All of mainstream media’s cameras are trained on Philadelphia this week as the Democratic party holds its national convention to officially pick its presidential nominee, but global news site AJ+ wants to be sure viewers get to see the parts of the city that exist outside the Pennsylvania Convention Center.

The video below provides a “social justice tour” of the city that explores the major issues that impact the people who live there, 55 percent of whom are people of color. Tour guide Bryan Mercer, a community organizer, specifically touches on school closings that profit the city and local businesses, an oil refinery that the EPA has designated as a significant emissions violator and the dearth of meaningful development in the working class communities that need it most. It also highlights organizations that are advocating on the ground, including Philly Thrive and the Media Mobilizing Project, and asks what the Democratic party will do to benefit the city’s residents.