Philadelphia’s Listening Post: Can You Hear Me Now?
Temple University, WHYY, Internews and Resolve Philly came together to create a Listening Post for residents of Germantown, Philadelphia to share their opinion on their relationship with money and Philadelphia’s economy. Temple University students of the Globalization and Development Communications Master’s Program facilitated the community engagement and outreach to the residents of Germantown next to the newly beloved and staple of Germantown, Uncle Bobbie’s Coffee & Book Store. The Listening Post was located in the community center owned by Marc Lamont Hill. The objective was to gain residents of Germantown and patrons of Uncle Bobbie’s Coffee & Book Store to engage and share their perspectives on poverty and their relationship with money.
The Listening Post concept was founded by Jesse Hardman when the first project was launched in 2013 in New Orleans to assess the needs of the neighborhoods who were not a part of the city’s re-development following Katrina. It was set up in libraries, community centers, local businesses, and nonprofit organizations where there was co-hosting of events around the Listening Post Questions.
Philadelphia’s Listening Post is just the beginning of creating a space for conversation. Religion, politics, and money are three topics where you often find people clam up about their opinions unless it is on social media. Poverty and the relationship with money is the focus of Philadelphia’s Listening Post.
Uncle Bobbie’s is a warm bustling coffee and book store full of energy where people bring their families, dates, business meetings, study sessions- you name it. It has an energy of innovation, relaxation and laughter. Engaging with patrons, the Listening Post questions about their relationship with money often moved people to inquire why we were asking these specific questions? And why do would we want to know the negative aspect of the relationship with money verse the positive?
A few opened up about the sacrifices made for their family and children, and the challenges they faced trying to make ends meet. The transparency and vulnerability of patrons and residents was empowering and enlightening. The staffs’ hospitality to the Listening Post was like we were a part of team.
I see so much potential in the future of Philadelphia’s Listening Post; partnerships with community organizers and their events to be able to tap into an engaged group verse cold calling to ignite the conversation around the topic of community challenges. The creation of Philadelphia’s Listening Post has laid the foundation to now expand and explore new ways to engage the residents of Philadelphia. Keep an eye out, the best is yet to come from Philadelphia’s Listening Post.
