Portraits of a Pandemic

Across every aspect of daily life, from education, health care and employment to food, faith and housing, women and people of color are being disproportionately impacted by the coronavirus. Inequality is exacerbated in a crisis, a reality on full display in Philadelphia, the poorest big city in America.

To better understand the toll the coronavirus pandemic is taking on women, The 19th and The Philadelphia Inquirer profile women in Philadelphia as they grapple with how to confront—and overcome—this unprecedented challenge.

Photo credit: DAVID MAIALETTI for The Philadelphia Inquirer.

Stories

June 04, 2020 | The Philadelphia Inquirer

Portrait of a Pandemic: Lao Artist Mourns Sense of Community During Coronavirus

Errin Haines

Catzie Vilayphonh, of Laos in the House, describes how the coronavirus pandemic has impacted the sense of community and culture for many Americans including immigrants and refugees.

May 13, 2020 | The Philadelphia Inquirer

Portraits of a Pandemic: E. Kensington Cafe Owner Finds a Window to Business Survival

Errin Haines

Ask Blew Kind when she knew the pandemic had hit her cafe, Franny Lou’s Porch in East Kensington, and she doesn’t hesitate: the second week of March, when sales went from more than $500 a week to just $88.

April 30, 2020 | The Philadelphia Inquirer

Portraits of a Pandemic: This West Philly High School Teacher Struggles to Reconnect With Her Students

Errin Haines

A Philadelphia teacher worries about her students as they face extraordinary challenges during COVID-19.

April 10, 2020 | The Philadelphia Inquirer

Portraits of a Pandemic: How This Philly Pastor Is Steering Her Flock and Family Through the Uncertainty of Coronavirus

Errin Haines. Photographs by David Maialetti.

A month into the pandemic that has transformed American life, Callahan, the 130-year-old church’s first female pastor, is navigating how the crisis is transforming the worship experience for her membership.