Dr. Kenneth A. Salaam (b. March 23, 1949), also known as "Freedom Smitty, " was raised in North Philadelphia and was a member of the NAACP Youth Council under the leadership of Cecil B. Moore. As a teenager, Dr. Salaam participated in the Columbia...
Richard "Sonny" Driver is the founder of Scoop magazine and lived in North Philadelphia during the 1964 Columbia Avenue riots. Mr. Driver reflects on race relations in North Philadelphia and shares his recollections of the riots, changes to the...
Mel Dorn (b. January 5, 1945) grew up on Columbia Avenue and lived in North Philadelphia during the 1964 race riots. Mr. Dorn discusses the difficult economic conditions within the community and the tensions between residents and police that helped...
Augustus Baxter (b. December 25, 1928) worked as a "gang worker" in North Philadelphia counseling at-risk youth during the 1950s and 1960s. Mr. Baxter discusses living conditions in North Philadelphia before the 1964 Columbia Avenue riots and the...
Richard Watson (March 24, 1946- ), a North Carolina transplant, spent his formative years in North Philadelphia just a few blocks south of Columbia Avenue. Mr. Watson recalls his experiences living in the city at a time when neighborhood gangs were...
