The Philadelphia Experiment
WHYY blogger Solomon Jones is the author of eight novels, including the critically-acclaimed “Pipe Dream” (Random House), and has been featured nationally by media outlets like CNN, NPR, ABC News, TV One and HLN.
Formerly a professor of creative writing at Temple University, Solomon is an award-winning journalist whose work has appeared in numerous publications, including Essence, Newsday, and The Philadelphia Inquirer.
In 2013, Solomon along with prominent authors like Noam Chomsky, was selected as one of 50 writers representing Philadelphia’s literary legacy. He is the creator of Words on the Street, a writing and literacy program that garnered him a leadership award from the Knight Foundation.
Solomon, a lifelong Philadelphian, is morning host on WURD Radio 900 AM and 96.1 FM, and a columnist for the Philadelphia Daily News. His latest novel is “The Dead Man’s Wife.”
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Written by Solomon Jones
Recent Articles
The Philadelphia Experiment
Refugees of color wish they could get the Ukrainian treatment
Columnist Solomon Jones examines the differences in American policies for immigrants and refugees from Black and brown countries and Ukraine.
2 years ago
Confirming Ketanji Brown Jackson is confirming the value of Black womanhood
Columnist Solomon Jones sees the Black women who nurtured him in the experience of Judge Jackson’s fight for confirmation.
2 years ago
Will Smith and Chris Rock should have both known better
The sight of West Philly’s own Will Smith slapping another Black man on the international stage has deeper implications than a joke about hair.
2 years ago
The Philadelphia Experiment
Blame SEPTA, not riders, for woman’s rape on a train
SEPTA was at fault for creating the conditions that would allow something so heinous to take place, WHYY columnist Solomon Jones writes.
3 years ago
Attempts to suppress Black voters have evolved, but not ceased
The case of Hervis Rogers, a Black Texas resident facing years in prison for illegally voting, is the latest in the war for American democracy.
3 years ago
The Philadelphia Experiment
Lessons from Cosby case should serve as a cautionary tale for all of us
The court is right, but Cosby’s accusers are understandably angry.
3 years ago
The MOVE bombing was traumatic. Learning what happened to the bodies is, too.
After the MOVE bombing, the city of Philadelphia held some of the remains for 36 years. Then the answers kept changing, and things got infinitely worse.
3 years ago
The Philadelphia Experiment
After a second deadly Capitol attack, mental health must become a priority in the Black community
Structural racism, stigma, and fear keep too many from receiving the help they need.
3 years ago
The Philadelphia Experiment
Our Town bowling alley is a murder scene, and things will never be the same
My family has spent many evenings at Our Town bowling alley. Now that a murder has taken place there, I wonder if things will ever be the same.
3 years ago
The Philadelphia Experiment
What if the rioters who breached the US Capitol were Black?
Columnist Solomon Jones examines the events in Washington that left four people dead. But what if the rioters who breached the U.S. Capitol were Black?
3 years ago
The Philadelphia Tribune
To heal the country’s gaping racial wounds, Biden and Harris will need help from us all
Those who engage in that daunting mission must look like those now dancing in the streets: Black and white, young and old, gay and straight.
4 years ago
The Philadelphia Experiment
Several aspects of the Breonna Taylor ruling fail to add up
In a system designed to devalue and disregard the sanctity of Black life, Breonna Taylor’s case proves that the system isn’t broken. It’s working just fine.
4 years ago
The Philadelphia Experiment
What I learned when Kamala Harris came to my block
Columnist Solomon Jones shares his thoughts on what it will take for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris to win the 2020 election.
4 years ago
The Philadelphia Experiment
And a little child shall lead them: King Hill’s death brings call for change
A chaotic week featuring Trump, John Lewis, coronavirus and federal troops is overshadowed by the murder of a 2-year-old child.
4 years ago
The Philadelphia Experiment
This year Juneteenth is more meaningful
Juneteenth is more than a remembrance of the day in 1865 when 2000 Union troops marched into Galveston Texas, and told enslaved blacks they were free.
4 years ago