Looking back over the semester as my partner and I covered Nicetown and Tioga, I wanted to reflect on some of the things I've come to understand about the neighborhoods.
After covering the Nicetown and Tioga neighborhoods I feel a greater sense of appreciation for local community leaders who put many hours into developing and bringing life back into their neighborhoods. Majeedah Rashid, the Chief Operating Officer of the Nicetown Community Development Corporation, has been working tirelessly since 2002 to develop Nicetown into a cultural and economic hub for it's residents.
"I've always had the desire to work in the greater community," says Rashid.
Even when Nicetown was offered a lucrative deal with the Trump Organization to build a casino in the heart of the neighborhood, Rashid opposed. To her, bringing a casino to the neighborhood did not promote the values the community admired such as. Much to the dismay of her fellow Nicetown board members, the offer was rescinded and now instead of a casino, the Nicetown Court, an affordable housing rental building with street-level commercial corridor will be constructed instead.
When Majeedah told me about this, I was not only impressed by her commitment to serving her community but the value she placed on the people rather than trying to commercialize the neighborhood and make profits from it. To me, looking at leaders such as Majeedah made me realize how important community leadership on a local level is by creating strong values for its people and influencing development.
Group 13, Nicetown-Tioga, Ayisha Arshad and Morgan Ashenfelter
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