Poetry Communities

Poem: Art of Protest

Neighborhoods in many cities resist stadium development proposals. This poem reflects on a recent case in Philadelphia. 

Photo courtesy of LindoYes

The cover of a graphic book. Against an ombre background, yellow to blue-purple, the title Pawnshop is rendered in bright purple stylized print. Several characters appear to float above a row of two-story urban buildings.
LindoYes’s graphic novel “Pawnshop,” a sci-fi/fantasy on mental health, set in Philly, will be published by 100 Block Futures in July 2025.

For more than two years, residents of Philadelphia’s Chinatown and surrounding neighborhoods protested a plan to build a new arena for the Philadelphia 76ers on top of a local transit stop.

Despite widespread opposition, the proposal appeared to be moving forward with the city’s blessing. But it fell apart in early 2025, when the team’s owners decided to build new in their current location in South Philadelphia.

Watch local poet Lindo Jones, known as LindoYes, reflect on the art of protest in moments like these. The video is accompanied by clips from local activists and news coverage.

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