Phil Kidd is dedicated to organizing the Youngstown, Ohio community through his nonprofit,
Youngstown Nation—a shop that buys and sells Youngstown-themed products. Kidd also launched
Defend Youngstown, which supports informed citizenship, grassroots activism and community pride in relation to the advancement of Youngstown.
While Kidd is not a Youngstown native (in fact, he grew up in Burgettstown, PA), he may as well be. He fell in love with the place when he moved there to attend college, and has been a constant presence in the downtown area ever since.
“Youngstown is experiencing great changes right now,” Kidd says. “There is an important Mayoral and City Council President race in 2013, neighborhood organization and development is on the rise, and economic development with oil and natural gas is at the forefront.”
In 2013, Kidd will partner with journalism students at Youngstown State University to feature in-depth coverage of urban issues in the area. He will also be working on the first full year of operation for Youngstown Nation, and continuing his activism with Defend Youngstown.
“It's an exciting time to be in Youngstown and I'd like to be at the center of its community activism nucleus,” Kidd says.
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