Opinion

92 results
Page 9
A black-and-white photo of 5 women operating a phone switchboard in 1915.

Saving the kindness supply chain

Life in 2021 is hard for everyone—are you making it harder?

Almost two years into a pandemic, life in 2021 is tough for almost everyone. Roz Warren says that every day, you have a chance to make it better—or worse.
Roz Warren

Roz Warren

Essays 4 minute read
Two white protesters hold handwritten cardboard signs comparing inequitable theater salaries and the words Protect the Artist

Philly’s Protect the Artist protestors take their demands to the Walnut’s opening night

A new opening scene

After a summer of protest and invitations to dialogue that went ignored by the Walnut Street Theatre, Protect the Artist organizers took their message to the Walnut’s 2021 opening night. Wendy Rosenfield was there.
Wendy Rosenfield

Wendy Rosenfield

Features 6 minute read
View from the middle of a crowd of hundreds, facing forward with the crowd. They wave signs at the base of City Hall.

Philadelphia rally speakers warn that the battle for abortion rights is coming to Pennsylvania

Reproductive justice matters to our cultural sector

All eyes are on the Supreme Court this week, taking up cases including one that could overturn the constitutional right to an abortion. What does Philly think about that? Alaina Johns attended the rally.
Alaina Johns

Alaina Johns

Editorials 6 minute read
Kyle, a Black man, lies against large rocks in a river, looking up to the sunny sky while wearing sunglasses and swim trunks

After years of writing from trauma, I’m choosing joy

Why do you want to amplify my voice?

After two long summers and many challenging writing sessions in between, Kyle V. Hiller contemplates how trauma-inspired work is no longer his cup of tea.
Kyle V. Hiller

Kyle V. Hiller

Editorials 5 minute read
The Art Museum, with its giant east stairway large in the foreground. Higher up, people sit in groups on the steps.

Who decides on the outside of the Philadelphia Museum of Art?

The right steps for our public spaces

As new plans for a people-friendly Parkway roll out, the Philadelphia Museum of Art remains an important part of Philly’s public space—but do the people on the outside matter? Camille Bacon-Smith considers.
Camille Bacon-Smith

Camille Bacon-Smith

Essays 5 minute read

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A photo from between two high bookshelves in The Strand, facing more bookshelves, and a rolling cart full of books.

After a summer of solo adventures, I learned how good it can be to go it alone

Why I’m not waiting for you

In a world that expects everyone to travel in pairs, going out alone is a refreshing and important way to reframe your relationship to yourself—and others. Alaina Johns wanders.
Alaina Johns

Alaina Johns

Editorials 6 minute read
A man holding a spray bottle walks down an ornately carpeted stairway, wiping the banister as he goes. He wears a face mask.

As a theater critic, I’m prioritizing coverage of events that require Covid vaccination for all

Getting back to the theater, as safely as possible

As companies in Philadelphia and beyond prepare for a return to in-person performances, theater and music critic Cameron Kelsall knows vaccines are the key to safety, even amidst the Delta surge.
Cameron Kelsall

Cameron Kelsall

Essays 5 minute read
A selfie showing Anndee Hochman in a large mirror on the wall of a freshly orange-painted living room with a leather couch.

Repairing the world takes all kinds of builders, including the ones with words

The tools of tikkun olam

A volunteer stint repairing a Germantown row house reprises Anndee Hochman’s teenage impulse to wield a hammer in lieu of words, and reminds her that all tools can both create and destroy.
Anndee Hochman

Anndee Hochman

Essays 5 minute read
An inside view from the back of a commercial airplane, with the white cabin ceiling overhead and people in rows of seats.

When white people hear racist comments from fellow travelers, how should they respond?

Bigotry in the air

When a stranger shares racist views with you, how do you respond, especially if you’re stuck in the next seat? Roz Warren considers.
Roz Warren

Roz Warren

Essays 5 minute read
A nighttime city view in Islamabad, Pakistan, with dozens of boxy white buildings and colorful lights under a cloudy sky.

From Islamabad to Santa Fe: Finding the elegance in my difference

Ready for my next leap

Shaheer Naveed is BSR’s summer 2021 intern. He remembers what he learned about fitting in during his first trip to the United States from his home in Pakistan.
Shaheer Naveed

Shaheer Naveed

Essays 4 minute read