Working to Ensure Diverse Communities Are Engaged in the 250th

Featuring an interview with PHL250’s Outreach Consultant, Alanna T. Mitchell

As a young Black girl growing up in West Philadelphia, Alanna T. Mitchell remembers how she saw America, “My grandmother was an educator, and my mother worked in city government, so my world always connected civic engagement with education.” A Philadelphia native living in the Parkside/Centennial District and Temple University alumnus, Alanna will be one of PHILADELPHIA250 Outreach Consultants. Critical to helping us deliver a 250th that is inclusive and transformative, outreach consultants like Alanna will ensure that diverse communities across our city have access to submit their transformative community ideas for a Leave A Legacy project.

Leave a Legacy for 2026 is a public call for bold ideas, initiatives, or innovations promising to have a positive, transformational impact in Philadelphia neighborhoods and serve as our city’s legacy for the 250th. The project submissions — by the people and for all people — will reflect PHILADELPHIA250’s 2026 values of #SharedProsperity, #RevolutionaryActions, #PursuitOfHappiness, and #PeoplesHistories.

We interviewed Alanna to ask five questions about why this is important work for her, Philadelphia, and this moment in our history.

Why is it essential to be integrated with communities for projects like PHILADELPHIA250’s Leave A Legacy?

When I grew up, you spoke to every person when you entered a room. As I develop outreach and engagement strategies for a highly visible and impactful program like Leave A Legacy, I take that same energy with me. We are building relationships with communities that are not always the first to receive information about their city and opportunities like this if they receive it all. We must engage every community with respect, and it is essential because if we truly believe in inclusion, we must walk the walk, talk the talk, and speak when we enter the room.

Why is a project like Leave A Legacy important at this moment in our city and country’s history?

We need as many projects as possible that remind us there is more light than darkness. That is why I jumped at the chance to work on this project. After a pandemic, racial unrest, climate change, and increased violence across our city, we must remind ourselves that we have a legacy to look forward to in 2026 and beyond. Projects like Leave A Legacy do not solve all the issues, but I believe they challenge us to think deeply about how we can be critical about the problems and active in the solutions.

Why are you interested in being part of the outreach efforts of PHILADELPHIA250?

I was here during the bicentennial, and I remember how exciting it was as a child. Our country, city, and communities can be whatever we make them, and sometimes we need projects like this to remind us that we aren’t passive residents; we are active citizens. I want to make sure that as many people as possible, regardless of race, religion, language, neighborhood, gender, sexuality, and age, have access to this opportunity. I want people to be energized by Philadelphia again. That’s my mission.

What do you love about Philadelphia?

The history of our city is rich and complex. Every section of Philly tells a story, and as a city of neighborhoods, there is something new around every corner. I love it all, whether it’s food, community, history, or our unique Philly energy. I also appreciate that our city will tell you an honest story about America if you listen closely. I can see one of the nation’s oldest Black museums in South Philadelphia at Mother Bethel. Conversely, when I drive by Osage Avenue in West Philly, I remember how I felt living in West Philadelphia, blocks away from the MOVE Bombing. It is that complexity that doesn’t just tell a story about Philadelphia, but of America — the bitter and the sweet — and I can’t help but be captivated by that.

Our final and most important question is, where do you get your Cheesesteak?

This is hard, because I haven’t had one in a while, but I think Dalessandro’s is the best!

Connect with Alanna T. Mitchell on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/alannatmitchell.