(edited)
C.B. Kimmins
Interview by Alyssa Burrell Cowan, Stacy Werber and Allie Wittig
February 23, 2000
C.B. Kimmins is the founder and director of Mantua Against Drugs, a community based
anti-drug coalition and presence in Mantua. The word “presence” deserves strong emphasis due
to the non-violent tactics of Kimmins and his supporters. Kimmins takes to the streets of Mantua
and the neighboring parts of Philadelphia with merely a bullhorn in hand. He and his supporters
use non-violent screaming and yelling on street corners to kick the drugs, dealers, and users out
of their neighborhoods.
We had an opportunity to sit down with Kimmins for an interview and conversation as to
his work and the relationship that exists between Drexel University, the University of
Pennsylvania, and the surrounding communities. The following are excerpts from our recorded
conversation with Kimmins.
C.B. Kimmins met with Herman Rice and it all began. C.B. had been involved in gang
war action previously. Philadelphia has the toughest, worst drug amounts in America. “If you
are gonna follow me I can’t give a damn thing (money). I can give you some of my passion and
some of my beliefs that this country can do better for its minorities,” said Kimmins.
“The lure of the street is so powerful. Everybody is available for a price. There is no
price for us. We are not violent. No hands, no guns, no bulletproof guns. The cash is so good.
We go out there and put ourselves between them (the users and the sellers). We come and stand
on the corner. The ultimate goal is to get all the neighbors out on the corner. I bring the
bullhorn. Let them know we are there. Philadelphia has become a source for drugs now.
Citizens could be more detrimental to the cause. Before the police get involved the people know
what is going on.
We have a task force set up to watch 40th and Market. Eighteen police are there and we
sit out on the street. Drug dealers don’t know how to deal with us. They (dealers) become
friendly with us. We come onto the parking lots now. We like doing this because the sellers
won’t come in there now.
They are too worried about what we might have, cameras, etc. The dealers themselves have seen
us on TV.”
How have you seen the areas of Penn and Drexel change over the last 20 years in terms of
drugs?
The campus is trying to insulate itself from the crime around it. All the kids that come to Penn
come from rural areas and suburbs. There is more drug use in rural areas. All this comes to
Penn. Drugs have no racial problems. Kids think Penn is just saying it’s unsafe. There is more
crime and the warning signs have increased. The look of crime has changed. It is a balancing
act. The University (Penn) is in denial. Drexel students and Penn students are buying drugs. As
well as people living in the community.
How do the neighbors feel?
The neighbors are ambivalent. They (the Universities) are always an intrusion. There would be
less if the Universities said we’re gonna do this, but want to make you partner in it. Penn doesn’t
care about us. Play on getting Penn to bend to demands and play race card. This is a duality.
You (Universities) are taking land, you are displacing folks. Every University has this problem.
Life sometimes has to be about giving back and making a difference, not what money you can
make. The University started as small parts in cities and now it has taken over all over the
country. If we were sitting in Cambridge we would be saying the same thing. If it wasn’t for the
sit-ins, a lot more expansion would have happened. There was leadership in the communities.