As Election Day draws near, morality is at the top of mind for many young Arab and Muslim Philadelphians who are eligible to vote for the first time this election. Candidates’ proposed policies on Palestine and Israel — including their commitment to continued U.S. military aid to Israel in the midst of an ongoing genocide — are being used as a litmus test.

Over 30 demonstrators interrupted the Philadelphia School District’s monthly board meeting at district headquarters this past Thursday, October 24th, calling on the district to reinstate suspended Northeast High School teacher Keziah Ridgeway.

“I believe that most of us in the [Palestinian] diaspora kept our heads down for a long time and tried to fly under the radar,” Hazou said when she sat down for an exclusive interview with Al-Bustan News.

With back-to-school season in full swing in the U.S., many Palestinian liberation activists are using this time to raise awareness of the ongoing ‘scholasticide’ in Gaza.

She’s vowed to lower drug costs, forgive student loans, and restore women’s right to reproductive healthcare. But, as Harris has yet to call for an arms embargo, or make any public commitments significantly distinct from Biden’s approach to the Israeli genocide, many “Uncommitted” and Arab-American voters in Philadelphia remain hesitant to place their hope in Harris.

As violence between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) escalates, Philadelphia’s Sudanese diaspora is speaking out in support of Sudan’s liberation, increased humanitarian aid, and increased attention to the crisis. Last month, hundreds gathered for a rally and march that started at Dilworth Park, sharing stories emerging from Sudan, where famine and displacement is worsening.