Philadelphia Business Owner Wins ADL Award For Inclusivity

PHILADELPHIA — A Philadelphia business owner who is the first black woman to own a comic book store on the East Coast was recently given an award by the Anti-Defamation League for making her community more welcoming.

Amalgam Comics & Coffeehouse owner Ariell Johnson was given the Jerry Clark Making a Difference Award as part of the ADL's No Place for Hate program.

The award was created to recognize the outstanding work of an individual in making our communities more respectful, inclusive, and welcoming.

ADL Education Director for No Place for Hate Lisa Friedlander said that Johnson was selected for this year's award because of her shop's unique role in the community.

"Everything she does - from the materials she offers showcasing women, people of color, and the LGBTQ community to the types of events she holds, to the clientele she attracts - embodies the Making a Difference Award by celebrating diversity and creating a welcoming and inclusive space."

The award was renamed this year in memoriam of James "Jerry" Clark, a beloved educator and ADL anti-bias facilitator who died in 2018.

"Jerry was one of our most gifted facilitators," Randi Boyette, Senior Associate Regional Director, Education, ADL Philadelphia. "For more than 20 years, he conducted or participated in countless ADL programs not only in the Philadelphia region, but throughout the United States and overseas. His commitment to making our communities more inclusive through education, inspired us all."