She The People

Shredding the patriarchy, one paper at a time. 

Cheers, dears! Time to recognize all the womany wonderfulness in the world – and there’s a lot. Women have been a part of every stage of human evolution: every civilization, every discovery, every advancement. <glass clink>

President Jimmy Carter designated the first National Women’s History Week in 1980, which quickly snowballed from there into bigger celebrations in cities and states across the country. By 1987, Congress voted to formally establish March as Women’s History Month, an annually recognized observance in perpetuity. Each sitting U.S. president since 1995 has kicked off the month with a special “Presidential Proclamation” honoring the extraordinary achievements of American women in history.

Ria’s cover art is our own proclamation – that Philly women are awesome!!!

In March, we celebrate and honor women who have made history and those who are making history. Young girls need to know the achievements of women, so they’ll always know anything is possible when you believe in yourself and work hard. 

Three things to carry with you this month and beyond: 1) Anything that is meant to destroy you, you can overcome.  2) Your voice has power, believe in it. 3) Dream big and pursue with all your heart!    — RiaG

Check out the figure at the top of the illustration – the one with the mic. Look familiar? She’s Tamara Russell, aka Proof of Consciousness, from WHYY’s popular Mad or Nah feature, which we’ve been sharing in The Local for over a year now. But that’s not why P.O.C.’s so prominent on our front page. It’s a clue! A nod to local Women’s History being made right here, in these pages…

Revive is Alive! Starting this April, The Local paper becomes the city’s first grassroots news and information collaborative – spearheaded by P.O.C. as publisher and chief visionary officer. Since 2017, P.O.C. has been a driving force in community broadcasting, with a personal approach that meets people where they are, and focuses on real-life engagements.

Welcome, P.O.C. 🥂 There’s lots to learn, we’re entering an exciting time of growth and experimentation. A free paper is a special kind of public space, and an opportunity to break out of the bubbles that limit our full experience of the world. No filters, algorithms or SEO. Philadelphia is one of the most segregated large cities in America, but not on these pages.

Anchored by the partners of WHYY’s News & Information Community Exchange (N.I.C.E.), the new Local paper reflects a robust and authentic niche between social and mainstream medias. Independent writers, broadcasters, youtubers, bloggers, artists – equal partners and editors of our own work.

REVIVE’s mission has always been to reach & restore the minds of The People – illuminating issues, stimulating conversations & broadcasting positivity & unity to a wide, diverse audience. Let’s see what happens when we print Philly’s strongest neighborhood voices unfiltered, and enhanced by audio/video you’ll never find on network news.

This’ll be an ongoing effort; expect to see some interesting changes (including a new website) over the coming months. As an equal collaborative, we’ll now have numerous lenses to explore local issues that affect all of us: art, food, music, business, development, politics, safety, education, environment and more.

Meanwhile, keep finding us here on nwlocalpaper.com, and wherever you’ve been grabbing our newspapers. Follow us on Facebook & Instagram. Reach us at editor@nwlocalpaper.com where we welcome your feedback/pitches/photos/artwork/etc. FYI: All our regular NW Philly features will remain (as will current editors-in-chief).

Feel free to leave your congrats and welcome messages for P.O.C. here in the comments, and be sure to follow this empowered and talented young woman who is changing Philadelphia’s news and information environment in new and innovative ways.

ReviveIsAlive.com @revive_POC on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram & YouTube. Or reach out to revive.poc@gmail.com

March’s edition features P.O.C.’s behind-the-scenes interview with Lyfe Jennings at the legendary Met Theater — another good reason to seek it out, in addition to Ria’s delicious cover art. This month the paper is a female-forward mix of local news & views including:

• INVASION SEPARATION: A Billy Penn article about an East Falls couple separated by the war in Ukraine.
• HEART BEATS: We welcome a new N.I.C.E. partner with an uplifting story about four very special women making change in their communities in very different ways.
• PURPLE POWER: Purple Queen shares about the power of her chosen hue.
• SCHOOL SUIT: Racist funding for PA public schools exposed in court proceedings (another new N.I.C.E. partner!)
• HUMAN RIGHTS CRISIS: Cory Clark’s exposes the obscene disaster of Philadelphia County’s prison system.
• HISTORIC HONEY: The true story of “The Philadelphia Pollyanna” — a remarkable tale of forgiveness and optimism.
• REGULAR FEATURES including Ask Athena, trivia, crime report and real estate rundown. Plus perennial reader favorite: Missed Connections on the final two pages.
• AND SO  MUCH MORE!! (Really it’s kind of amazing how much we can cram into 24 pages.)

Of course you can read the posts online and also view the latest digital edition here. PRO TIP: It’s more fun in print. Find The Local paper at shops, markets, libraries, waiting rooms, cafes, laundromats, universities, etc. in East Falls, Germantown and other random spots in NW Philly (and beyond). There’s also a red box outside our office at Chelten & Pulaski, where you can grab a copy 24/7.

For subscriptions or sponsorship email editor@nwlocalpaper.com (also businesses, say the word and we’re happy to drop off a stack for your customers).

Keep an eye on Ria’s Insta, too: @captured.by.ria — she’s always posting interesting stuff: podcasts, parties, photoshoots. Stay tuned at the Local, always, for more from this multi-talented neighbor.

Thank you for supporting local art and free independent community press!

View Ria’s last cover feature HERE