Local Knowledge Blog

Goodbye, Felix

Goodbye, Felix.  Last week Felix Torres-Colon passed away. Felix was truly one of the good ones — someone I looked up to during his time in Camden at St. Joe’s Carpenter Society, who I saw as a leader in the field of community development, and as the type of compassionate friend I often strive to … Continue reading Goodbye, Felix…

Posted by Stephen Danley in development.

Iowa, the Line, and an Opportunity for Progressives

How we construct democracy is political. It’s a lesson that’s on full national display, where an attempt to make the Iowa Caucuses more transparent — by showing vote counts along the way — has backfired. Or maybe, it’s actually worked, because it’s shown how constructed the entire process is. Caucuses have always had systematic biases … Continue reading Iowa, the Line, and an Opportunity for Progressives…

Posted by Stephen Danley in democracy, national politics.

#ANewViewCamden, Cooper’s Ferry, and Being More than One Thing

Tomorrow, Cooper’s Ferry Partnerships is holding a press conference to announce an artist in its #ANewViewCamden initiative. That is part of a Bloomberg grant to use arts to address social issues and is highlighting illegal dumping in Camden. It’s fantastic work. Which brings up an interesting challenge for our polarized times. Cooper’s Ferry Partnership is … Continue reading #ANewViewCamden, Cooper’s Ferry, and Being More than One Thing…

Posted by Stephen Danley in waterfront.

What Happens when “Leaders” Leave Camden?

This week, Dr. Keith Eric Benson wrote an important op-ed touching on the current state of the Camden School District. And he highlighted something this is worth expanding on here. When communities fight against “outsider” in control of their systems, it’s often because this type of leadership systematically undervalues long-term goals.  Benson makes the point … Continue reading What Happens when “Leaders” Leave Camden?…

Posted by Stephen Danley in education.

The Camden Coalition of Health Care Providers challenging findings

I’ve long found the Camden Coalition of Health Care Providers model to be both innovative and compassionate. So the results of the recent study (1) showing limited impact from their intervention were disappointing. But they get to how working with high utilizers can be challenging both for health care providers and their funders.  First, a … Continue reading The Camden Coalition of Health Care Providers challenging findings…

Posted by Stephen Danley in Non-Profit Package.

A few MLK Day thoughts

Last week, in New Orleans, I attended an Af-Am Hertitage tour with KnowNola (1). Malik, our tour guide, talked about the legacy of MLK as a revolutionary and radical figure. I’m by no means an MLK scholar — in fact, I’m going to take some time to follow Malik’s recommendation and read MLK’s Where Do … Continue reading A few MLK Day thoughts…

Posted by Stephen Danley in Local Knowledge.