Benzii Diaz is a wellness coach, anti-trafficking advocate, and former athlete. A survivor, she empowers women through fitness, safety, and storytelling, highlighting underrepresented voices in sports and community life.
From those scrappy beginnings, the Phantomz have grown into a force not just on the field but in the community, creating a lasting platform for women athletes in a sport that often overlooks them.
At a time when media consolidation and shrinking local newsrooms threaten diverse storytelling, these publications stand tall, carrying forward a tradition that is as urgent today as it was a century ago.
“My vision is bigger than me. I want to show people what happens when you take a chance on yourself, even when it feels impossible."
It didn’t take long for me to find what I came for: the Black-owned businesses that give this historic market its flavor, its rhythm, and its soul.
While football has always been tradition, excitement, and culture woven together under stadium lights, for too long, many women, especially Black women, have been left on the sidelines of the fan conversation. That’s what Black Girls Love Football (BGLF) hopes to change.
The game represents something larger: an opportunity to reckon with history, deepen connections, and open doors for the city’s next generation. That sense of reflection and responsibility anchored the latest “Dialogue on the Diamond” panel, hosted at Temple University.
"You come for the music, you leave with a health checkup or information about a program that could change your life."
The Ebony Canal wasn’t just a film, and this wasn’t just a screening. It was proof of what happens when vision meets a community ready to rise to it.
For most cities, a new franchise means business deals, ticket sales, branding strategies. For Philly, it means a shift in identity.