Freedom’s Ballad features three stories exploring the theme of Freedom Past, Freedom Now, and Freedom to Come, each showcasing how freedom and safety are woven together in Philadelphia’s past, present, and in the community acts that are seeding freer futures. These stories showcase community building and center collective solutions, lived experiences, and the everyday practices that help communities thrive.

Read the stories:

Freedom Past | Resistance to Racism: The Philadelphia Roots
By Linn Washington, Jr.

Freedom Now | Redemption Songs: How Philly Creatives Are Looking to the Past to Dream of the Future
By Cassie Owens

Freedom to Come | Currents Rising: The Lenape’s Invitation to Friendship and Collective Stewardship
By Malav Kanuga with Adam Waterbear DePaul

Freedom’s Ballad features three stories exploring the theme of Freedom Past, Freedom Now, and Freedom to Come, each showcasing how freedom and safety are woven together in Philadelphia’s past, present, and in the community acts that are seeding freer futures. These stories showcase community building and center collective solutions, lived experiences, and the everyday practices that help communities thrive.

Read the stories:

Freedom Past | Resistance to Racism: The Philadelphia Roots
By Linn Washington, Jr.

Freedom Now | Redemption Songs: How Philly Creatives Are Looking to the Past to Dream of the Future
By Cassie Owens

Freedom to Come | Currents Rising: The Lenape’s Invitation to Friendship and Collective Stewardship
By Malav Kanuga with Adam Waterbear DePaul

Freedom’s Ballad features three stories exploring the theme of Freedom Past, Freedom Now, and Freedom to Come, each showcasing how freedom and safety are woven together in Philadelphia’s past, present, and in the community acts that are seeding freer futures. These stories showcase community building and center collective solutions, lived experiences, and the everyday practices that help communities thrive.

Read the stories:

Freedom Past | Resistance to Racism: The Philadelphia Roots
By Linn Washington, Jr.

Freedom Now | Redemption Songs: How Philly Creatives Are Looking to the Past to Dream of the Future
By Cassie Owens

Freedom to Come | Currents Rising: The Lenape’s Invitation to Friendship and Collective Stewardship
By Malav Kanuga with Adam Waterbear DePaul

A rending scream jolted him awake. He frantically scanned his surroundings. The room was dark. Through the eyes of the windows and behind the wavy curtains, he saw scattered yellow and red lights. They were too faint to illuminate the room or cast a dim glow on the opposite wall. He rushed to one of the windows. And from there to the balcony . . .