Racial & Immigrant Justice
Film & Videos
BY BECCA HAYDU ON DECEMBER 21, 2023
On December 4. Juntos and the ICE Out of Courts Coalition hosted a critical press conference at the Juanita Kidd Stout Center for Criminal Justice in South Philadelphia.
The focus? A disturbing uptick in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrests targeting over a dozen immigrant community members with pending criminal charges.
BY BECCA HAYDU, CLAUDIA CEBALLOS, JENNIFER HERNANDEZ, GABRIELA WATSON-BURKETT & KIANNI FIGUEREO, ON NOVEMBER 7, 2023
Join us in this heartwarming short documentary as award-winning Mexican Chef Cristina Martinez opens up about her inspiring path as an immigrant entrepreneur. Discover the power of a strong support system and the impact of programs by the Greater Philadelphia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.
BY KIANNI FIGUEREO, ON JUNE 12, 2023
¡Presente! Media team attended the Rec It Philly’s Post Primary Meeting where action plans and policies were formulated for the next Philly mayor around their wants for safe and clean sites, more rec programming, and growing the urban forest.
BY GABRIELA WATSON-BURKETT, ON MAY 9, 2023
¡Presente! Media team attended Congreso’s event “Tu Voz, Tu Voto:” a bilingual conversation about the issues that matter most to our community and how the upcoming election is an opportunity to make our voices heard.
BY GABRIELA WATSON-BURKETT, AND STEFFANY EL BAROUKI ON MAY 2, 2023
¡Presente! Media team interviewed Philadelphia mayoral candidates at the Latino Mayoral Forum at Esperanza.
BY GABRIELA WATSON-BURKETT, MICHELLE MYERS AND BECCA HAYDU ON SEPTEMBER 26, 2022
Latina immigrants navigating motherhood is a ¡Presente! Media short documentary about the experiences of three Latina immigrants becoming mothers in the United States.
BY BECCA HAYDU ON NOVEMBER 2, 2021
In 2020, ICE detained an immigrant mother as she was taking her child to school. The community, along with JUNTOS, responded by organizing a campaign to create Sanctuary Schools to address the education inequities that uniquely affect children with immigrant parents. On June 2021, the Philadelphia Board of Education approved the Sanctuary School Resolution.
BY LAURA ANAYA-MORGA & KRISTAL SOTOMAYOR ON MAY 13, 2021
Mike Africa Jr. spent most of his life fighting to free his parents from prison. Both were incarcerated and convicted as members of the MOVE 9. The HBO Documentary, 40 Years a Prisoner, outlines the stark similarities between policing in Philadelphia today compared to the 1970’s.
BY BECCA HAYDU ON FEBRUARY 18, 2021
On Monday, February 8, public elementary schools in Philadelphia were set to reopen. Teachers, students and the community came together to protest against unsafe conditions in order to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
POR MICHELLE MYERS EL 2 DE NOVIEMBRE DE 2020
A medida en que Pennsylvania se convierte en un campo de batalla electoral, la comunidad latina tuvo que aprender a votar por sí misma. Solo en Filadelfia, 12.3% de los Latinos son elegibles para votar, pero la falta de información en español puede influenciar en el número final. Teniendo eso en cuenta, Philatinos Radio, ALA PHL y Philly Boricuas lideran iniciativas para informar a la comunidad.
BY MICHELLE MYERS ON NOVEMBER 2, 2020
As Pennsylvania turns into an election battleground, the Latinx community must teach themselves how to vote. In Philadelphia alone, 12.3% of Latinos are eligible to vote, but the lack of information in Spanish could tip the balance. Philatinos Radio, ALA PHL, and Philly Boricuas are leading initiatives to inform the community.
BY MELISSA BEATRIZ & FARRAH RAHAMAN ON SEPTEMBER 24, 2020
The Shut Down Berks Coalition held an action in response to Judge Gee’s ruling that children be released from immigrant detention centers by July 17th, 2020.
BY GABRIELA WATSON-BURKETT AND MELISSA BEATRIZ ON JULY 27, 2020
On June 13, Philadelphia-based immigrant justice groups, Juntos and New Sanctuary Movement, formed 'Marcha en Solidaridad con las Vidas Negras,' to join the protests against systemic racism. They marched in solidarity with other grassroots groups that organized 'Defund the Police: The Whole System is Guilty!,' a protest to demand that the City revise its proposed budget by investing in community-based services and defunding the police department.
BY MELISSA BEATRIZ ON JUNE 20, 2020
El 16 de junio, la Coalición de Artistas para una Filadelfia Justa, organizó la Acción de Arte de Emergencia para financiar los Futuros de Afro Descendientes en los escalones del Museo de Arte de Filadelfia. El objetivo de la acción era para "utilizar el poder de la expresión artística en forma de música, danza y artes visuales para exigir un presupuesto de la ciudad que financie los futuros Afro Descendientes, desfinancie la policía, y salvar el Fondo Cultural de Filadelfia.”
BY MELISSA BEATRIZ ON JUNE 20, 2020
On June 16, the Artist Coalition for a Just Philadelphia hosted the Emergency Art Action to Fund Black Futures! on the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art. The action’s goal was to “use the power of artistic expression in the form of music, dance and visual art to demand a city budget that funds black futures by Defunding the Police and Saving the Philadelphia Cultural Fund.”
PRODUCED BY GABRIELLA WATSON-BURKETT
PRODUCED FOR PHILLYCAM/ATRÉVETE
Interview with Dr. Sharelle Barber, director of the documentary I, Black Women Resist on Marielle Franco's legacy. The segment also features an interview with Vashti DuBois, Founder of the Colored Girls Museum. Marielle Franco was an Afro-Brazilian Activist who fought for racial and social inequality murdered in 2018.
Articles
BY NIGEL THOMPSON ON AUGUST 26, 2024
Immigrant advocates are speaking out as the 2024 election approaches, despite both major parties overlooking their calls for action. On August 21, a group assembled outside Philadelphia’s ICE field office before marching to U.S. Senator John Fetterman’s office in Philadelphia. Their renewed demands focus on closing the remaining ICE detention centers in PA and NJ.
Discover how immigrants have revitalized Pennsylvania's population, bolstered local economies, and influenced political representation in PICC's latest report. As the state faces a population decline, immigration emerges as a crucial driver of growth and stability. Learn about the substantial contributions of immigrant workers and entrepreneurs, and the urgent call for pro-immigrant legislation ahead of the 2024 elections.
BY JENNIFER HERNANDEZ ON MAY 30, 2024
Immigration is a top issue in the upcoming elections, with increased support for conservative policies, including mass deportations and ending birthright citizenship. Advocacy groups are concerned about ICE arrests of immigrants with pending criminal charges, adding to the debate.
BY BECCA HAYDU ON DECEMBER 21, 2023
On December 4. Juntos and the ICE Out of Courts Coalition hosted a critical press conference at the Juanita Kidd Stout Center for Criminal Justice in South Philadelphia.
The focus? A disturbing uptick in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrests targeting over a dozen immigrant community members with pending criminal charges.
POR CARLOS JOSE PEREZ SAMANO EL 24 DE NOVIEMBRE DEL 2023
Alto al genocidio. Cese inmediato al fuego en Palestina. Estamos siendo testigos de un genocidio histórico y tenemos que detenerlo.
BY JENNIFER HERNANDEZ ON OCTOBER 26, 2023
Democratic mayoral nominee Cherelle Parker and Republican mayoral nominee David Oh discussed their plans to address the opioid epidemic in Kensington during a private discussion with Tina Stankiewicz, a fentanyl, heroin, and tranq recovering addict with ties to the Kensington community, and Frank Rodriguez, a recovering heroin addict and addiction advocate, moderated by ¡Presente! Media multimedia producer Kianni Figuereo, a Kensington native.
BY NIGEL THOMPSON ON OCTOBER 7, 2023
This past week, all murder charges filed by District Attorney Larry Krasner against Officer Mark Dial were dropped by a judge, marking yet another stain on the history between Philly criminal justice and the Latine community. It’s a similar relationship for many Latine communities across the country.
BY SILVIA FERRER ON MAY 12, 2023
Philadelphia residents talk about the hurdles that are preventing immigrants from casting their vote, what grassroots organizations are doing to help, and what candidates owe Philadelphia’s immigrant community.
BY JULIÁN CARREÑO ON MAY 2, 2023
2Puntos Platform and ¡Presente! Media visited some of the city's Latine businesses to hear their concerns and challenges, and what they are asking of the future mayor of Philadelphia.
POR ERICKA CONANT Y FOTOS DE ASHLEY ORTEGA EL 26 DE ABRIL DEL 2023
El 16 de mayo, los votantes acudirán a las urnas para emitir su voto por uno de los 12 candidatos a la alcaldía de Filadelfia. La lista de candidatos está grande y competitiva. En este artículo tienes un panorama de los planes de los candidatos acerca de temas relacionados a la comunidad latina.
Support our work by making a tax-deductible donation
Donate by credit card or check
BY ILIANA PINEDA ON SEPTEMBER 3, 2024. Iliana Pineda reported on the Aug. 21 protest by the Pennsylvania Immigration and Citizenship Coalition (PICC), demanding the closure of four regional detention centers. "We are urging our elected officials to improve immigrant rights, starting with shutting down these centers," stated PICC Executive Director Jasmine Rivera. The protest concluded at U.S. Senator John Fetterman's office, where community members shared their harrowing experiences in detention facilities, including the death of Cameroonian immigrant Frankline Okpu.