Stefan Roots brings us up to speed on two recent Swarthmore College men’s basketball games, including a surprising home loss against Widener.
All by Stefan Roots
Have You Been to an Unconference?
Many of us have attended traditional conferences, with a set agenda, a keynote speaker, and a bunch of pre-planned workshops. Unconferences are different: they leave it up to the participants to figure out what they want to discuss and how to organize discussions. Their purpose is somewhat vaguely defined, their format is a bit mushy, and their outcome is unpredictable.
Many Black Folks Don’t Want to Be Counted, According to the Census
According to the preliminary results of the 2020 U.S. Census, which came out recently, since 2010, Chester City’s population has decreased by 1,367 people (4.02% of its population). Is this data accurate? It seems that many Black folks here prefer not to be counted in the Census. In fact, it was even hard to persuade Black folks in Chester to work as census counters for the Census Bureau, even though they were eager to hire people, and were paying close to $20 an hour.
Rotary Supports Students from Chester Through CTEP
Stefan Roots writes about last week’s fundraiser for the Chester Trades Education Project (CTEP), sponsored by the Rotary Club of Swarthmore. Thanks are due to the Rotary Clubs of Swarthmore and Chester, and to Delaware County Community College and the Chester Housing Authority, for helping to bring trades education back to Chester.
Clean Air Regulation Should Focus On Children
Recently, I’ve been learning about the impact that environmental racism has on children, by reading Harriet A. Washington’s 2019 book, A Terrible Thing to Waste. I expect that Zulene and Harriet Washington would really hit it off.
Covanta Is Not Passing the Smell Test in Delco
Contributor Stafan Roots offers an opinion piece about Covanta’s Chester trash incinerator plant, and how Covanta’s talking points are not passing his smell test any longer.
Juneteenth As We Knew It Is Over
Stefan Roots wonders if now that Juneteenth is a national holiday, will it ever be the same?
Something to Read: Deacon King Kong
Stefan Roots’ thoughts on James McBride’s 2020 novel, Deacon King Kong.
A Year Since George Floyd
Opinion writer Stefan Roots explores what has changed, and what hasn’t, since George Floyd’s murder a year ago.
Homeless During Covid
The story of three people living in a Chester homeless shelter when Covid-19 struck. This is the second article in our series about how the pandemic has affected people who are living with disability in our community.
Air Pollution and Covid-19 Work Together in Chester
Opinion writer Stefan Roots describes new research showing that people who live in polluted areas — like Chester — are at increased risk from Covid-19.
Why Do Guns Get All the Attention?
Columnist Stefan Roots wonders why the Chester County Sheriff's Office can speed up the processing of license-to-carry applications when lines at the DMV and the post office remain long.
Talking Trash: Swarthmore Questions Chester Government’s Stance on Incinerator
Columnist Stefan Roots on attitudes about Chester’s Covanta waste incinerator.
Who Cares About Hank Aaron?
Henry Aaron died last month at the age of 86. He played his last game 45 years ago. There’s nothing named after him to keep his memory at the top of our minds. Why should anyone care about Hank Aaron?
Didn’t We Just Have Black History Month?
Columnist Stefan Roots reflects on how much Black history was made in 2020 and recommends finding your own Black History Month icons.
Journalist vs. Engineer
Engineer and contributing opinion writer Stefan Roots highlights the dismal state of education in Chester, and muses on why his writing skills are currently more in demand than his engineer’s credentials.
NBA’s Derrick Jones and the Clueless Reporter
I came across a plain ole ridiculous article on Chester’s reigning NBA Slam Dunk Champion, Derrick Jones, of the NBA Portland Trail Blazers — formerly of the Miami Heat and Phoenix Suns, from NBC Sports Northwest. I was going to let it slide until I spent some time with an 11th-grade Philly high school football player this weekend. We talked sports, and life, and somehow I remembered this crazy article about Derrick Jones. I showed it to him as a lesson on how you have to own your own story and watch what you say to reporters, because they don’t always do their homework.
A Week of Weed Wackiness and Wonder (for the Wealthy)
On Election Day, New Jersey voters legalized the use of marijuana for recreational purposes. The next day, Delaware County Council unanimously approved making the possession of up to 30 grams of marijuana a public health violation that could result in a $50 fine. The day after that, a group of guys in Chester were arrested, having been caught with a few pounds of weed (and some guns).
Why Doesn’t Calvary Baptist Church Capitalize on MLK?
Calvary Baptist Church, at 1616 W. Second Street in Chester, could still be the nucleus of contemporary Chester pride. But there’s no vision coming out of the church or the community. The building still looks great. But, like with so many other churches, the membership is dwindling down to nothing, and the church is struggling to find the finances to stay alive.
I imagine there are extreme situations where breaking down a door with no warning to gain entry to a home is justified. But as long as no-knock warrants are executed, mistakes will be made and people will get hurt. Occasionally, a bad guy will get caught. But the police could probably have caught them by just waiting for them to come out the house. Say Her Name!