College President Dr. Donald Guy Generals says the proposal’s expansion of access to community college uplifts Philadelphia’s most vulnerable residents 

Community College of Philadelphia President Dr. Donald Guy Generals released the following statement in support of President Joe Biden’s proposed American Families Plan that would direct billions of dollars in funding to support community colleges and low-income students: 

“Community College of Philadelphia fully supports President Biden’s American Families Plan, which would direct $109 billion to boost the efforts of community colleges in providing a high-quality education to every American regardless of their ability to pay.  

“Due to the economic hardships brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, tens of thousands of community college students across the country have been forced to delay school or drop out simply because they cannot afford the tuition and other fees. Community colleges like ours often enroll and support large shares of Black, Hispanic and Latin-X students — many who are low-income and require additional support to ensure that they succeed. 

“Even more troubling, Georgetown University’s Center on Education and the Workforce is expected to issue a report in the near future saying that by 2027, 70 percent of all jobs will require some education beyond high school. It is crucial that we prepare residents to be able to compete in this rapidly changing economy.  

“Community College of Philadelphia has remained committed to expanding access to community college through the Octavius Catto Scholarship, in partnership with Mayor Jim Kenney and the City of Philadelphia, in addition to the 50th Anniversary PROMISE Scholarship and the Joseph and Marie Field Foundation Opportunity Scholarship.   

“Any plan to make community college more accessible must include funding dedicated to overall student success, such as funding to cover the cost of books, and access to resources like housing assistance and child care, as well as funding to provide enhanced academic success and career coaching. 

“Community College of Philadelphia is committed to the eradication of poverty and the creation of a more inclusive economy through equitable access to higher education. We look forward to working with the Biden administration to make this vision a reality.” 

The College celebrated Women’s History Month this year with virtual events and initiatives to inspire and inform our College community. In light of the endlessly faceted nature of womanhood, the events centered around women of all different backgrounds who shared their stories and experiences, creating dialogue that felt relevant to the diverse population of women and femmes at the College.   

Women’s History Month brought women who are leaders in their respective fields into our College community to share their knowledge on topics such as career advancement, workplace diversity, physical and mental health, and more.  

The first event, Challenging the Process, which took place on March 1, was hosted by Judge Maria McLaughlin, who highlighted the tenants of exemplary leadership and spoke to her audience about techniques women can use to enable themselves and their teammates to perform to the height of their ability.  

Next, Leslie Chapman, a distinguished engineer at Comcast, hosted Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion & Your Career on March 5. Demonstrating that diversity in the workplace isn’t just important, but necessary, Chapman shared her experience working as a technical lead for the X1 entertainment platform at Comcast. Due to the need to market this product worldwide, the design process had to be informed by perspectives of people from many different ethnicities and cultural backgrounds. Chapman proved that companies will need a diverse workforce to compete in the global marketplace, and that women are the leading the charge in diversifying the workplace.  

Helping women to adopt a mindset that will allow them to push through the inevitable difficulties of life while standing tall with “grace, confidence and resilience,” author Kimberly S. Reed discussed her book “Optimists Always Win!” at a virtual event on March 16. Reed is an award-winning speaker, author, corporate trainer, and diversity, equality and inclusion executive. 

On March 18, Class of 2020 commencement speaker Kendall Stephans hosted a panel discussion that illuminated the nuance, joy and difficulties that inform the experience of transgender womanhood with local activists and educators Alonda Talley, Miayanna Brooks, Paris Ryan (aka Lamia) and Sa’mantha Sayten. The group shared the stories of how they came into their womanhood (for lack of a better term, as one panelist, Sayten, identifies as non-binary femme), and discussed the fact that womanhood comes in many shapes and sizes; all that matters is that one must be a woman or femme in heart and mind. They celebrated the joy and resilience that each of them has embodied by honoring their authentic selves and owning their transgender identities and shared some of the barriers that they and other transgender people face due to lack acceptance in society at large.  

One of the most popular events held through the month was Dr. General’s Fireside Chat. The event focused on domestic violence that has targeted women in Asian and Pacific Islander communities both in the U.S. and abroad, discussing the violence specific to the COVID-19 pandemic especially. Dr. Michelle Myers, associate professor of English, performed her spoken word poem, "It's Nothing".  Dedicated to the mother and sister of a young Hmong youth named Fong Lee who was murdered by a Minneapolis police officer in 2006, Myers’ poem speaks to the insurmountable pain inflicted on victims and families of police violence and white supremacy.  

“Just once/ I wish I could help you feel safe, to be happy/ and just simply live again/ I wish I could do more than just / Cry on stage for you, fight for you, be angry for you/ With these never-lasting words/ But this, this is the best that I can do and this is nothing/ Because it is what I must do to demand something/ Something more for you /For us / For Fong.”  

Another widely attended event was Enough Is Enough: Health Care Disparities in Women of Color, featuring Dr. Chidinma Nwakanma and hosted by assistant professor of Nursing, Petrina McFarlane.  “Health care disparities exist because there have been historically and systematically experiencing greater obstacles to health. And that can be based on your ethic group or your racial group, that can be based on your socioeconomic status, mental health, even where you live in this country,” Dr. Nwakanma explained.  

She explored a number of topics, including conscious and unconscious bias, and medical myths that persist in the field of medicine today. Sharing helpful tips, like the fact that patients have a right to request a medical interpreter If English is not their first language, or the importance of getting a second opinion, Dr. Nwakanma empowered women of color in our College community to advocate for themselves when seeking medical treatment. 

“If you feel like your doctor is not listening to you or if you feel like they’re speaking over you or trying to finish your sentences, or if you feel like your complaints are not being addressed or they’re being casually dismissed, or you feel judged or disrespected...these are cues that there might be some implicit or explicit bias at play,” said Dr. Nwakanma. 

Adding to the month’s initiative of women-focused community building and knowledge, a Virtual Reading Room, book giveaway and lists of local women-owned businesses were shared with the College community. 

With dozens of College students, faculty and staff in attendance, Dr. Generals, Community College of Philadelphia’s president, held his annual Black History Month fireside chat on February 17. The event began as a rigorous examination of race and social stratification in the United States and eventually lead to a lively and multifaceted group conversation.   

Dr. Generals based the conversation around the book Caste: The Origins of our Discontent by Isabel Wilkerson, the first Black woman to win a Pulitzer Prize in journalism.   

Given the long legacy of white supremacy in the United States, "Wilkerson makes the case for the idea that Americans really live in a caste society, not a class society,” Dr. Generals began. What a caste society means is that “if you're in certain a caste, in the eyes of [white supremacist society] you never move out of that caste, you're always who you are.” In other words, even though Black Americans can move through different economic classes, they will still be subject to societal forces that (often violently) codify their place in a subjugated social group. According to Wilkinson, other caste societies in history have included India and Nazi Germany.  

Dr. Generals discussed each of the “eight pillars” that characterize the caste society according to Wilkinson. The pillars are: Divine will, heritability, endogamy, purity and pollution, occupational hierarchy, dehumanization and stigma, terror and cruelty, and inherent superiority and inferiority of castes. The first two of these have to do with the use of religious text to justify castes and the inevitable inheritance of caste at birth, respectively.   

The third pillar, endogamy, is a feature in caste societies that prohibits interracial marriage, described Dr. Generals. “There were laws right up to the year 2000, Alabama was the last state to [nullify] those laws. Those laws were prevalent throughout the south, through the 19th century, and in the 20th century, where Blacks and whites could not marry one another.” The rationale for endogamy in caste societies can be explained through the fourth pillar, purity and pollution, which implies that lower castes “pollute the purity” of higher castes. Social segregation is another example of the pervasive nature of this logic in American society.   

“The fifth pillar, economic hierarchy...that's the idea that in societies that have a caste, culture and system, the group that holds up the basic economics of the society... basically, the service industry, those jobs are typically held by what you might refer to the lower caste of people,” Dr. Generals told the audience. Evidence of this in our society can be found in the wealth gap in America, where the wealth of the average white family is statistically almost ten times greater than that of the average Black family.  

The sixth and seventh pillars, dehumanization and stigma, have a long and cruel history in the United States. “There is a long history of dehumanizing Blacks that, you know, pretty, it's pretty self-explanatory even to this day,” said Dr. Generals. “And there is this issue of dehumanization and stigma to stigmatization terror as enforcement. The Ku Klux Klan, they were terrorists. That's the model for the types of terrorism that are occurring today.”  

The eighth and last feature of caste societies, inherent superiority and inferiority of castes, speaks for itself. Although caste cultures all have different histories and iterations of this type of social stratification, comparison through the frame of these eight pillars can be an extremely useful tool in understanding the systems that have historically held back people of color.   

By the end of Dr. Generals’ presentation, many members of the audience were eager to comment. Offering different perspectives on possible solutions to these issues, one audience member pointed out, “One thing [is] for sure, America stands on something called the U.S. Constitution... they wrote a very clear, legally binding document to benefit those that were in power. It's not meant for me, it's just not... so should we start there?”  

With Dr. Generals’ most recent Black History Month Fireside Chat, we learned that understanding the eight foundational pillars of a caste society can be an extremely useful way to dissect the mechanisms by which people are marginalized both in the United States and abroad. The critically acclaimed text Caste: The Origins of our Discontent brought new research and perspective into our community and helped Dr. Generals create a space where concerns and voices of people of color were brought to attention.   

Uniting paralegal skills, law firm experience and a desire to help others, Karla Rosario, ’15, is making a difference in the lives of refugees stranded at the United States-Mexico border.

Since February 2020, she has been the coordinator for Project Corazon, an initiative of the Lawyers for Good Government Foundation. Rosario has been living in Brownsville, Texas, helping individuals seeking asylum as they are forced to await their court hearings from Mexico.

“We find them volunteer attorneys to help with asylum paperwork, and we coordinate the translations and psychological evaluations to produce reports for their immigration applications,” she said.

With a federal policy requiring asylum seekers to stay in Mexico, Rosario works with individuals across the border from Brownsville in Matamoros, most of whom are living in a refugee camp. According to the law, asylum applications must be filled out within one year of arriving at the U.S. border. With court delays due to the lack of judges and asylum hearings on hold due to COVID-19, refugees are not sure how long they will have to wait in dangerous conditions, and they are without essential items like medicine. There’s even difficulty knowing how many individuals need assistance.

“It’s hard to say how many migrants are there,” said Rosario. “They hear rumors that the camp is closing, so some move around. Some wait in other Mexican states. Many of our clients have been kidnapped from the camps.”

Rosario has assisted individuals from Venezuela, Cuba, Nicaragua and Ecuador, but many of those waiting at the border are from El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras. Frequently, she shared, individuals from these Central American countries are fleeing gang violence and death threats.

Since its founding in August 2019, the initiative has helped around 1,500 families, a total of 2,700 individuals, with the processes necessary to apply for asylum.

Arriving in the United States at 16, Rosario took English as a Second Language classes when she first enrolled at the College. She was also working two jobs to fund her education and learning English while a full-time student. Graduating with an associate degree in Paralegal Studies in 2015, she continued her studies at Temple, attending full-time while working at a law firm, earning money for school and gaining valuable experience. She completed her bachelor’s degree in 2018, and her ultimate goal is to become an attorney.

“The Paralegal classes at the College were great. They prepared me well,” she said.

A former instructor and a colleague told Rosario about the opportunity to help with the border crisis – work that she finds fulfilling.

“I am able to connect with these individuals and understand their situation, and I can be unbiased and get the facts,” said Rosario.

Moriah Lit has a message for nontraditional students interested in pursuing an education: Trust in yourself and in the academic excellence and support services provided by the College.

Moriah trusted in herself, and has been selected as the Student Speaker at the 2021 Commencent ceremony on May 8, 2021. Moriah was selected for this honor based on her many achievements at and contributions to the College. She is graduating with highest honor with a degree in Education: Secondary Humanities/Social Studies.

She enrolled at the College on a whim because she wanted more. Starting with Foundational English and math courses, she was unsure if she would be successful. 

“I did well, so I decided to take more classes,” she said.

Moriah's goal is to become a counselor and maybe one day work at the College.

“I’m drawn to helping people with their educational future,” she said.

Her hard work and dedication have led to being selected as a Bucknell Scholar for June 2021. The initiative provides select community college students with attendance to a free, on-campus, six-week summer session. This prestigious program requires applicants to carry a 3.5 GPA or higher, and scholars are invited to apply for transfer to Bucknell upon earning their associate degree. If admitted, each scholar receives full tuition for two years.

On another spur of the moment decision last fall, Moriah joined other students in running for positions in the Student Government Association (SGA) , and she was elected president by her peers. She will use her leadership skills to bring together student ideas and suggestions that can further shape the college experience for themselves and others.

Another priority as SGA president is informing students about the multitude of support services at the College, which helped further her academic journey.

“The College has amazing professors. There are many underutilized resources on campus—I want to shine a light on them. I’m active in the Center for Collegiate Recovery. There are counselors, advisors and the Computer Center and Snack Rack food pantry. Single Stop is amazing. Tutors in the Learning Labs are phenomenal. CCP has all of the components for success if you choose to utilize them,” said Moriah.

Committed to serving current and prospective students, she wants to mlit1 [at] student.ccp.edu (assist anyone) who feels the College may not be for them.

“A lot of people don’t return to school because they doubt themselves. I want to tell people it’s never too late to get an education or to better yourself,” she said.

In a huge step towards creating an accessible higher education system for all Philadelphians, the first cohort of Octavius Catto Scholars has begun classes this Spring 2021 semester. The group of new, first-time students is the first to participate in this groundbreaking program, which will provide free tuition for thousands of students at Community College of Philadelphia. 

Created in partnership with the City of Philadelphia and Mayor Jim Kenney, the Octavius Catto Scholarship will become an integral part of the City’s “continued commitment to expand quality education for all,” and will ultimately benefit 4,500 students in the next five years. “As we look to recover from this unprecedented pandemic, we are equitably ensuring that all Philadelphians have the educational opportunities to secure quality jobs,” said Mayor Kenney in October. He added, “Not only will this initiative help lift more Philadelphians out of poverty, it will also drive inclusive economic growth in our city.” 

The Octavius Catto Scholarship is named after a well-known scholar and activist, who in the 1860s and early 1870s fought for the liberation and rights of Black Americans during and after the Civil War. Octavius Catto is also the subject of Philadelphia’s first public monument to feature a single Black American. 

With Catto’s legacy and a vision of equal access to education in mind, the scholarship was designed to address the needs of students living in poverty in a holistic and comprehensive way. It includes funding intended to assist scholars with secondary costs like books and living expenses, a specialized support team of academic advisors to ensure that students are receiving the support they need, and access to  City services like child care and housing support. The College will also make any accommodations necessary for eligible applicants who are living undocumented in the United States.  

“A degree brings the benefits of expanded career options, family-sustaining wages and financial security,” said Dr. Donald Guy Generals, College president, in a Catto Scholarship virtual meet-and-greet last Thursday. Continuing, he said, “Education has the power to change lives. With this event, we celebrate these students and this opportunity to effect change.” 

To learn more about who is eligible for the Octavius Catto Scholarship, visit ccp.edu/Catto.  

The health and safety of Community College of Philadelphia students, faculty, staff and alumni remain our highest priorities. As a result, we are devastated to learn of the recent assault against Kendall Stephens, a distinguished alumna and Black woman of trans experience who commits her life to advocating for marginalized communities. Though Pennsylvania law still does not extend hate crime protections to LGBTQ+ individuals, the attack against Kendall seems to have been just that – a hate crime.

As an institution, CCP will not remain silent. Too many Philadelphians live in fear simply due to the color of their skin, who they love, and who they are. That’s why CCP has dedicated time and resources, especially as of late, to educating our communities through the “Enough is Enough” teach-in sessions. The four-part series focused on issues like police reform, how to be an ally to Black and Brown communities, and violence against the trans community. Panelists, including Kendall, were invited to speak about lived experiences and how we can all effect change. This series will continue this fall, and CCP looks forward to leading more courageous conversations about social injustice and the collective work we must do to confront it.

We ask Philadelphia to stand in solidarity with us – for our students, for alumni like Kendall, and for the future of this city. Learn more at www.ccp.edu/enough. #EnoughIsEnough

Signed,

Dr. Donald Guy Generals, College president, and Jeremiah White, Jr., Board chair, on behalf of the College’s Board of Trustees

It was in college that Quadir Gamble first learned that he is the key to solving the city’s toughest challenges. If he wants a better community, then he has to work with others toward common goals.

“We are all connected,” Gamble said. “When we all get together and work together, we can make an impact on our community.” This was his key takeaway from assistant professor Jamie Gusrang’s sociology class at Community College of Philadelphia (CCP)

Gamble is a junior at Parkway Center City Middle College, where students can earn a high school diploma and a CCP associate degree in just four years. Gusrang assigned her students to participate in community service either by volunteering or tackling a community issue. Service-learning affords students a chance to use lessons learned in class to affect the world around them, she said.

Gamble and classmates Jaden Burnett and Frank Gillis-Corbitt, decided to create a basketball tournament that would bring Philadelphia police officers and youth together for a fun activity so each could see the other through different, clearer eyes.

With support from their teachers and college staff, the trio organized a basketball tournament that would include Parkway students, teachers and staff, and members of the Philadelphia Police Department. The game, held in November 2019 and widely covered by local media, sparked a conversation that went far beyond police-community relations.

Helen Ubiñas, a metro columnist for the Philadelphia Inquirer, wrote that the event was important for the spotlight it cast on the impact of gun violence and for the more than $1,800 it raised for Moms Bonded by Grief to buy Christmas gifts for the children of murder victims.

However, the young men also gave the city a reason to hope. “Things can often feel mighty bleak in our city. But as dire and divided as Philly is at times, it’s important for all of us to remember that there are good things going on in every neighborhood, and that there are people who care deeply about the city and every single day are fighting to make it better,”Ubiñas wrote.

The Philadelphia 9th District police officers who participated, ranging from age 24 to 48 years, billed themselves as the All Stars. Officer Jesse O’Shea said the department appreciated the invitation and plans to expand the concept next year by adding more basketball tournaments between high school youth and police.

“All of us have common ground,” O’Shea said. “We need to find and build upon it.”

Ultimately, the 10th graders from Parkway triumphed in the tournament, defeating the team of police officers by a score of 20-13. But this wasn’t really about a basketball game, Gillis-Corbitt said. It was about collective responsibility.

One of his key takeaways from sociology class was that society can and does change for the better, when enough people decide to do something. Said Gillis-Corbitt, “We have to take charge.”

As Roary brings new excitement and a renewed campus spirit, the Community College of Philadelphia Lions are showing the city that gritty teams that play together, win together.

This fall, the men’s and women’s basketball teams at CCP have displayed endurance, courage, athleticism and a hunger for victory.

Much is at stake right now, as the Lions are garnering both local and national recognition.

The women (10-3) face off at noon Sunday, Dec. 15, at home against Southern Maine Community College. Southern Maine is a basketball powerhouse, ranked first in the United States Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA).

The men’s team (12-1), which moved up three spots this week and is now ranked seventh among the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCCA) Division III colleges, faces off at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 17 at Manor College. Admission is free.

“We are off to a good start,” men’s basketball coach Joe Rome said. “We are pretty talented and athletic. . . The guys seem to be playing well together. They like each other.” Leading scorers include guard Tyreek Johnson, averaging 17 points per game (ppg); forward Cameron Gardner (10.8 ppg) and forward Jordan Smith (10.7 ppg).

Kenyatta McKinney, the head coach for the women’s team, said he has rotated six players for much of the fall, but the women are well-conditioned from workouts in the weight room. Two new promising players are coming on board and will play next semester.

Collectively the CCP women rank first nationwide in their division in terms of total points scored, collecting 997 points. Their pressure defense and athletic skills have taken them to the top of the leaderboards of Division III. CCP forward Cassandra Colon currently is the third-leading scorer, collecting 304 points this season. Teammate Cyanie Hull-Smith ranks sixth in the nation, with 232 points scored. Center Aminata Gackou ranks first in total rebounds (162) and second in blocked shots, averaging 4.2 blocked shots a game.

The talent runs deep on this team. On Nov. 21, guard Elan Wali was named the conference’s Player of the Week, after picking up 19 points, 23 rebounds, 10 assists, 6 steals and a block against rival Valley Forge. Wali also had 15 points, 11 rebounds, 8 assists and 5 steals against Lehigh Carbon in the prior week. On Dec. 11, Colon was named player of the week after foraging 52 points, 19 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 steals and one block in her last two games.

After some early losses, CCP’s women are riding a five-game winning streak and showing chemistry on the court, McKinney said. “We have a family environment,” he said. “The young ladies care for each other. We want people to come out to see us. They are entertaining and they play hard.”

Athletic director Rogers Glispy said the Lions are living up to their new name — and working hard for their pride.

“Our players are dreaming and both teams have certainly set lofty goals for themselves,” he said. ”I've had the pleasure of witnessing their work over the off season and into this semester. I would call on the entire college community to come out and see these great student-athletes perform as they work towards their goal.”

 On Monday, September 23, 2019, the New York Life Foundation announced a $100,000 grant to Community College of Philadelphia, in partnership with the Afterschool Alliance. Grants were awarded to 26 youth development organizations across the country to support middle school youth during the out-of-school time (OST) hours. The grants mark the third year of awards made under the Foundation’s Aim High education initiative, and this year’s grants bring the total awarded under the program to $3.45 million. Afterschool, summer and expanded learning programs nationwide were selected for grants through a competitive application process.

Community College of Philadelphia’s Division of Access and Community Engagement (DACE) will use the funds to establish a science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) enrichment program focused on robotics and math enrichment for middle school students called STEM College Experience (SCE). This program will serve as an expansion of the long-standing and successful Advanced College Experience (ACE) program.

”The support from the New York Life Foundation will have a profound impact on the children in our community. This support will enable us to strengthen Philly’s K-16 pipeline by expanding STEM opportunities for middle school youth,” said Donald Guy Generals, president of Community College of Philadelphia. “We’re beyond grateful and we look forward to putting this generous support to good use.”

“Community College of Philadelphia and our other 25 grantees do vital work in their communities. Middle school is a vulnerable time for students, and without these programs children and youth would be without a safe, productive and enriching place to go after school or during the summer,” said Marlyn Torres, senior program officer, New York Life Foundation

Research has shown that for disadvantaged students, additional learning time in the form of high-quality afterschool, expanded day and summer programs leads to greater academic achievement, better school attendance and more engaged students. Further, a successful transition from 8th to 9th grade – middle school to high school in most cases – is particularly critical to student success.

“We’re delighted to partner with the New York Life Foundation in this effort,” said Afterschool Alliance Executive Director Jodi Grant. “The Foundation continues to do terrific work in this area, supporting children at a vital time in their development. These grants change lives by supporting OST programs that keep kids safe, inspire learning, and give working parents peace of mind in the afternoon and during the summer.”

In 2017, the first year of the Aim High program, the New York Life Foundation awarded $750,000 to 18 recipients, with grant periods of one or two years. In 2018, the Foundation expanded the program, awarding $1.35 million to 26 additional organizations. This year’s $1.35 million in Aim High grants brings the total amount awarded to $3.45 million, given to 70 organizations, in all. Since 2013, the New York Life Foundation has invested more than $41 million in national middle school OST efforts.