Rick Williams & Sharrie Williams host 6abc's Visions: Celebrating Black difference-makers in Philly

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Rick Williams and Sharrie Williams host Visions celebrating Black History Month and featuring excellence in the community.

Exclusive Interview with Mayor Cherelle Parker

Sharrie Williams sits down with Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker for an exclusive one-on-one interview.

The interview covers the Mayor's historic victory, making her the first woman to be Mayor of Philadelphia.

She is the city's 100th Mayor and has her hands full.

Hear how she plans to handle big issues such as crime and education and how she will never back down from her beliefs.

Born and raised in Mount Airy by her grandparents, the interview explores how her upbringing shaped her career and her approach to leading the city.

Jemille Duncan is a political prodigy and a rising star

Jemille Duncan has been dubbed wunderkind and whiz kid his entire young life.

He has been working in government and city politics since the age of 14, and now at the age of 20 he just started a new position in the Mayor's office.

As Manager of Legislative Affairs, he will advance the legislative agenda of Mayor Parker, and is excited to begin working on new challenges.

He is a sophomore at Swarthmore College and one of 300 recipients of the Bill and Melinda Gates Scholarship.

He has written legislation that has become law, and wants to be an attorney someday.

The Gift of Life for Phillip Davis centers around education

Phillip Davis was destined for politics, but his life changed when he became an educator.

His passion for teaching kids and being an example has led him to become an administrator at Paul Robeson Charter School in Trenton, N.J.

But his life has been interrupted by health issues that have forced him to require weekly dialysis treatments and an urgent need for a kidney transplant.

Now, as Davis fights for a healthy life he is focused on educating his community on the importance of donorship through Gift of Life.

The Gift of Life Donor Program | Facebook | Instagram

Joe Conyers, Dani Allen making history in Philadelphia arts

Joe Conyers is a lot of things, an avid weight lifter and former Mr. Natural Philly.

He is also the founder of a non-profit that teaches Philadelphia High School students life and entrepreneurial skills, the conductor of the All-City orchestra. And, since last year, principal bass player for the Philadelphia Orchestra.

It's a position that put him in the history books as the first Black musician in the ensemble's 124-year history to sit in the principal chair.

Conyers was born and raised in Savannah, Georgia, and started playing piano at age 5.

But he found it a lonely instrument.

So he took up the double bass at age 11 and after high school went to conservatory at Philadelphia's Curtis Institute.

His non-profit, Project 440, teaches young people with a love of music how to foster change in their communities. Conyers says it's a non-negotiable need to invest in the next generation, just as others invested in him.

It's an outlook shared by Dani Allen. She sits on the Project 440 Board, and she's the VP of Education and Community Outreach for Ensemble Arts Philly, the new name for the Philadelphia Orchestra & Kimmel Center.

Allen oversees programs that touch thousands of students every year-from toddlers to adults.

The kids can be dealing with homelessness.

They may be in foster care or living in homes where they're abused.

Allen says the gift of art can be life-changing for those children.

It offers them an escape and teaches them the kind of skills that employers look for-like how to work with others and how to accept failure.

Both Allen and Conners argue that every child deserves arts education to grow into the citizens of tomorrow.

Joe Conyers | Facebook | Instagram

Philadelphia Orchestra | Facebook | Instagram

Project 440 Facebook | Instagram

Ensemble Arts Philly | Facebook | Instagram

Preserving Black Haddonfield History Project and 1838 Black Metropolis hold Walking Tours to Preserve Black History in Jersey and Philadelphia

Preserving Black Haddonfield History Project is a non-profit organization founded by the Haddonfield Alumni Society from Memorial Haddonfield High School in 2022.

The organization conducts seasonal walking tours of 12 historic sites of Black Haddonfield to preserve its history.

The organization partners with the Memorial Haddonfield High School and the town's local library for events.

You can find their docu-series, a virtual map of the walking tours, and more about their anthology project on their website.

1838 Black Metropolis is an education non-profit in Philadelphia based on the 1838 Pennsylvania Abolition Society census.

Morgan Lloyd and Michiko Quinones created the project in 2022 to share the historical details in the census.

They conduct walking tours around the city in the Spring with interactive maps of each location, showcasing where free Black people arrived in Philadelphia.

You can find interactive maps, educational tools, digital archives, and more on the project's website.

Preserving Black Haddonfield History Project | Facebook | Instagram

For additional information, please call 917-497-8874

1838 Black Metropolis | Facebook | Instagram

Trailblazing McDonald's franchisee inspires while reaching new heights

When Tanya Hill-Holliday started as a part-time crew member at McDonald's working her way through college, little did she know she would become the first African American woman to own and operate a McDonald's in Philadelphia.

Now decades and accolades later, she is the proud owner of 12 McDonald's restaurants, including all three on the Main Line and one in Allentown.

Hill-Holliday graduated from Morgan State University and immediately entered the management training program at McDonald's, where she rose through the ranks on the corporate side and at locations around the country.

Her focus on operations, combined with her entrepreneurship, has kept her on the track of success that she now shares with her crew and others to whom she is an inspiration.

McDonald's | Facebook | Instagram

McDonald's Black & Positively Golden Scholarship

6abc honors 6 in community for Black History Month

6abc is Philly Proud to select and honor prominent African American community leaders here in Philadelphia and across the region to celebrate during Black History Month!

This year's theme is 'Advocacy, Elevation and Equity'.

Join Rick Williams and the Action News Team as we hear from the six honorees making an impact in our local community by pouring financial resources into Black & Brown neighborhoods, advocating for more inclusive business practices and preparing the next generation of diverse leaders.

Honorees include:

• Sulaiman Rahman - Founder/CEO - DiverseForce
• Regina Hairston - President & CEO - African American Chamber of Commerce of PA, NJ and DE
• Dr. Kenneth Scott - President & CEO - Beech Companies
• Sereena Quick - Owner/Operator - Chick-fil-A 4040 City Ave
• James Burnett - Executive Director - VestedIN
• Della Clark - President - The Enterprise Center and Partner - Innovate Capital Growth Fund, LP