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Celebrating and recognizing Alvina Brown for her steadfast commitment to community and to her neighbors, and for her advocacy to improve the lives of people across the City of Philadelphia, on the occasion of Black History Month.
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WHEREAS, Alvina Brown was born and raised in Philadelphia. She moved from lower North Philadelphia to Nicetown in 1967 and has been in Nicetown since it is where her heart is. Her mother, Millie Brown, raised Alvina and her sister Sheila as single moms. She grew up as part of the community and stayed involved in it first when she became a mother to a son and two stepsons, then a grandmother to four grandchildren, and a great-grandmother to one great-granddaughter; and
WHEREAS, As a Block Captain, 13th Ward committee member and community ambassador, she has found that she works to try her best and yet is not always received well. Community brought about her involvement in her community. She cares about relationships. When she left from knocking on neighborhood doors, she used to feel badly at the lack of neighborly communication, so she worked to build those relationships. She worked to provide mentorship and examples to her children of what to do, and what not to do; and
WHEREAS, When she came to her community, there was significant prejudice and she did not feel welcomed because of the color of her skin. But her neighbors were still neighborly enough to tell Alvina’s mom if something was happening. That sense of family and community is paramount to Alvina, who considers her neighbors to be her family. She strongly believes that as neighbors come together to consider themselves one, it will address the problems we face. If people chose to do good regardless of background or circumstance, the circumstances we face would be significantly improved, there is no limit to what we could accomplish, to the change we could bring; and
WHEREAS, She has witnessed her community suffer through heartbreaking changes. She has seen mentalities shift and looks forward to a time when people are more invested in their properties and environment when there is core pride to her community. She has seen fewer and fewer Black-owned businesses in her community and envisions a day when there could be a little coffee shop and bakery to share fellowship in the community. She laments the developments that prioritize extraordinarily expensive housing and gentrification, while sacrificing the community infrastructure that provide resources to her community. She worries her community is part of the forgotten zone. She sees the urgent need for a community center that provides a space for seniors, youth, and people seeking professional development, and works to prioritize those outcomes over more luxury development; and
WHEREAS, In 2019, Alvina joined The Dinah Memorial Project at Stenton, working on community outreach and planning. From May 2021 through 2025, Alvina has experienced significant personal loss, from her mother to her best friends. She would like newcomers to Nicetown to know that they are entering a beautiful community, that there are resources available to them, and that there is a tradition of involvement that everyone contributes to the community. She maintains a special relationship with the Stenton Mansion and History Hunters Museum, which is one of the historical prides of Nicetown, and operates a range of community programs to support children in Nicetown, Logan and Germantown, serving thousands of children over the years, and which has constantly welcomed Alvina with open arms; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, THAT THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, Hereby celebrates and recognizes Alvina Brown for her steadfast commitment to community and to her neighbors, and for her advocacy to improve the lives of people across the City of Philadelphia, on the occasion of Black History Month.
FURTHER RESOLVED, That an Engrossed copy of this resolution be presented to Alvina Brown, as an expression of the gratitude and admiration of the Council of the City of Philadelphia.
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