In a classroom of 35 students, Alieu Jallow stands confidently, teaching English Language with clarity, warmth, and authority. His voice moves across the room, explaining, questioning, and guiding. To his students, he is “Sir.” A teacher, mentor, and disciplinarian when needed.
I attended Governor Josh Shapiro’s 2026 Budget Address at the Pennsylvania General Assembly which afforded me a firsthand look at the legislative priorities shaping our Commonwealth.
Faith and activism converged over the weekend at Enon Tabernacle Baptist Church during its 2026 “She’s My Sister” event. Founded by First Lady Dr. Ellyn Jo Waller, the “She’s My Sister” (SMS) ministry has spent nearly two decades evolving from a local awareness group into a powerhouse of advocacy and restoration for victims of human trafficking.
On a Saturday afternoon at Penn’s Gutman College House, a group of Black boys is doing something radical. They are learning to hold a violin bow or read sheet music; preparing to sit in a PEACE circle with total strangers and to facilitate a community-building circle session to complete their rite of passage.
“the liberation of the African mind, the empowerment of the African character, and the enlivenment and illumination of the African spirit.”
When Maureen Murugi Smith left Kenya for Philadelphia in July 2015 to join her husband, she arrived with the hopes familiar to many immigrants. She dreamed of starting over, finding work, and building a sense of community. What she did not expect was that the very organization that welcomed her into the city would one day become the place where she would help hundreds of others find their own voices just as she had done.
“I was a leader called for such a time as this,” she said. “But I had to ask: ‘Am I also the leader for the future?’”
Born and raised in Imo State, Nigeria, Ikechukwu Okoro has spent his life proving that sight is not the only way to see the world. Totally blind since childhood, he has transformed what many consider a limitation into a source of purpose and excellence.
In today’s interconnected world, few stories embody resilience, representation, and purposeful leadership like that of Dami Ayeko.
The green and white of Nigeria’s flags being passed out waved through the crowd like a living breeze. Strangers paused mid-step to take in the sight, the celebration of heritage right in the heart of the city. For a moment, everyone felt included in the story.
