Philadelphia-Area Businesses Honor Cultural Heritage During Black History Month

During Black History Month, several businesses and organizations across the Delaware Valley are being recognized for their contributions to the cultural diversity of their communities.

Noah Fedler's dessert truck began during the COVID-19 pandemic. It has now grown to become a sought-after spot for gourmet desserts on Germantown Avenue Fridays through Sundays.

Address: 5001 Germantown Ave., Philadelphia

Former Jenkintown teacher Kimberly McGlonn launched NOOR by Grant Blvd. to provide a new sustainable luxury loungewear collection. The pieces in the collection are created by women in Kensington who perform all the patterning and sewing.

Dominique Calhoun's design firm Remix Living is a first-generation entrepreneur dedicated to making interior design accessible while mentoring African Americans in the design field. Calhoun's past design clients have included former Eagles player Malcolm Jenkins and comedian Kevin Hart.

Address: 4500 Worth St., L101 and L102, Philadelphia

Culinary Director Chef Angie Brown is infusing her Southern roots into the restaurant that honors the legacy of the Royal Theater, established in 1919. The theater was a beacon in the Black community for cinema and live performances.

Address: 1524 South St., Philadelphia

Housed in the Plymouth Meeting Mall, this facility offers skating lessons for novices and experienced skaters. Co-owned by two friends, DJ McFadden and DJ Preston, the facility offers teens a safe place to find support for life's challenges and a place to skate.

Address: 500 W. Germantown Pike, Plymouth Meeting

This staple of the Philadelphia community for more than a century offers classic breakfast and lunch dishes, such as shrimp and grits, chicken and waffles, and pancakes. Tindley Temple, which operates the cafe, is raising funds to reopen a soup kitchen that would serve close to 1,000 people in its fellowship hall. Daily dinner service is slated to start in 2025.

Address: 762 S. Broad St., Philadelphia

What in the world is "junk journaling"?

You may have seen this term floating around on social media. It sounds a bit ambiguous and maybe even crazy. So, I am here to tell you all about junk journaling. What it is, how to do it, and some ideas of what to include.

This is something I've recently picked up and I've found it's really been a great creative outlet. It is a no-pressure way to fill up a journal and express yourself. There is no writing required, although you can write a bit if you'd like. It's focused more on visuals, recycling, and a challenge to make something out of nothing.

It's an edgier way to scrapbook, essentially. Junk journals are messy on purpose, filled with things that inspire you personally. Or things you come across in day-to-day life.

It is fun to express yourself or your thoughts using bits and pieces from your life, AKA "junk", and a journal. Blank page intimidation no more! These journals are easy to fill with all kinds of things. Make it pretty or not. Just let your freak flag fly.

Junk journaling is the practice of using daily items or "junk" to fill a notebook or journal. You use recycled items such as paper or clippings from magazines, brochures, music sheets, envelopes, packaging, brown paper bags, maps, greeting cards, and postcards, to name a few. The book covers can be made from cereal boxes, old book covers, or any hard cardboard.

It's quite simple, actually. Get a notebook of your choosing, an adhesive of your choosing (such as glue or tape), and some scraps. To help a blank page not feel so overwhelming, use a big piece as a background. For example, if you look at the image above, I started a page using a large piece of a restaurant paper bag. I will then add over top of it with other small pieces of my day.

Here you can see a photo of my own personal junk journal. As you can see, it looks messy. That is on purpose! I used a candy wrapper, a note from a friend, and one of those plastic bags dentists give you with toothpaste and a toothbrush in them on this page. As you can see, nothing goes together, but it looks fun.

Think of junk journaling as collage-making or scrapbooking. Except, it doesn't have to look a certain way. It's a way to memorialize the day you lived without having to write about it. I can look back on this page and remember that on February 5, I got a note, ate some candy, and went to the dentist. See what I mean?