Black History Month is upon us. And there’s no shortage of it in a historically Black neighborhood that keeps adding to its legacy daily.

This year, the Germantown Info Hub has honored the month of observance by uplifting 24 Black neighbors who heighten our imaginations and help create change across four themes: mentorship, arts & culture, organizers, and entrepreneurs. 

Every Monday this month, we’ve dropped six names per theme.

“Neighbors,” to us, are defined as folks with a direct connection to the neighborhood. Think natives who may no longer reside here, business owners, workers and laborers, longtime transplants, former residents who were transplants, and more.

This week, we uplift our artists throughout Germantown, who paint the town with excellence with their different styles and mediums.

Kristen S. Clark

• Title: Founder and Director

• Affiliation: Germantown Arts District

• Why we chose her: Clark isn’t new to this, but she’s true to it. This cultural curator committed to the arts has been a staple in Germantown for years with her KDD Theatre, now also a Black Box Theater, after moving spaces a few years back. Last year, Kristen launched Germantown Arts District to bridge our neighborhood’s art scene with the broader Philadelphia community. Since then, she’s used connections formed to launch events like the Block Party and the first-ever Germantown Arts Festival.

• On the horizon: More work with fellow organizers of the Germantown 250 Coalition; 2025 Germantown Arts District Festival

Nzadi Keita

• Title: Author and poet

• Book: “Migration Letters”

• Why we chose her: Nzadi Keita is a Germantown gal through and through, and she’ll tell you. But, through her latest work, “Migration Letters,” you understand that her upbringing is much more diverse than imagined. Through this collection, Keita uses poetry and stories to highlight the unique experience of being raised in a northern city with roots in the South. Aside from that, Keita can often be found at events around the neighborhood, connecting with neighbors in meaningful ways.

NOMAD

• Title: Street Artist

• Why we chose him: For almost a decade, the spray-painted NOMAD face has infiltrated the Germantown streets, sparking fierce debates and conversations. And while perceptions can be attached to where the message is, what feels most meaningful is what the message is. As a Black Germantown native, NOMAD continues to spark thoughts about race and class within Germantown’s boundaries and beyond. More recently, NOMAD was one of four artists illuminating the streets of Germantown with Afromation Avenue. 

• On the horizon: Planning with other Germantown 250 organizers

Tieshka K. Smith

• Title: Author and photographer

• Affiliation: “Compositions of Black Joy”

• Why we chose her: While a former transplant to the neighborhood, Smith has loved Germantown as fiercely as a native would. Smith first chronicled the neighborhood in her “The Other Germantown” series over a decade ago. Now, in 2025, she has released her newest work, “Compositions of Black Joy.” It compiles seven years’ worth of documentation to highlight the Black Joy the yearly Juneteenth Festival in Germantown embodies and pinnacles. 

• On the horizon: “Compositions of Black Joy” being released as a paperback; signature community events that expand the reach of COBJ; 10th year of shooting the Philadelphia Juneteenth Festival in Germantown this June

Eboni Zamani

• Title: Filmmaker

• Affiliation: Sift Media 215 and Pearl Girl Productions

• Why we chose her: She’s Nicetown-born but Germantown-bred, as she grew up between the two neighborhoods that share boundaries. And her love for Germantown, where she now lives, has extended into her adulthood. Zamani uses her filmmaking abilities to amplify Blackness through her medium of choice, bridging historical and contemporary narratives to capture a complete picture of how robust the Black experience can be. Zamani also contributed one of GIH’s more acclaimed op-eds talking about the modern cooptation of the word “jawn.”

• On the horizon: “A Song For Nia”

Germantown Art & Sound

• Members: Vanessa Chandler, Courtney Childs, and Julian Moore-Griffin

• Why we chose them: For five years, Germantown Art & Sound has been elevating Germantown’s cultural currency by running the neighborhood’s most consistent quarterly event, which uplifts local artists while giving neighbors a vibe they’ll never want to forget. Last year, ‘The Dream Team’ launched the Germantown Sound Sessions, which made room for the musically inclined in their yearly planning. Overall, this trio continuously cultivates a space of culture, love, and connection–putting Germantown first in their mission.

• On the horizon: Germantown Art & Sound (Friday, March 28, 2025, from 7-10 p.m.) and Germantown Sound Sessions (Friday, April 25, 2025). Both will be held at Our House Culture Center.