The History of the Firehouse Pole

During the 19th century, firefighters in the United States had two ways to make their way from their beds to their horse and buggy: “spiral staircase—installed to keep wayward horses from wandering upstairs—or through a tube chute.” That was until the ingenious David Kenyon installed a pole at Chicago’s all-Black firefighter Company 21 firehouse. Kenyon had seen a colleague use a “wooden pole normally used …

Don’t Back Down! Art Initiative

With 100% of their proceeds directed to Inner-City Arts, The Okra Project and Equal Justice Initiative, the new artistic initiative Don’t Back Down! sells limited edition prints by emerging and beloved artists including Jamel Shabazz and Brad Elterman. Customers will find well-known images (like some of  David Corrio’s work) and those they’ve never seen before; everything is imbued with beauty, charm and value. Each artwork …

NYC’s Community Fridges

An untitled collective of individuals from across NYC are maintaining a network of “community fridges”—essentially shared food banks that provide groceries to those facing food insecurity while also reducing waste. Neighbors drop off extra groceries, pizza shops contribute unused dough, florists offer leftover buds, and some local chefs (like Harlem’s Melba Wilson, for example) are even making dishes specifically for these fridges. Founder Thadeaus Umpster …