Late Tireless Community Leader, Flossie Reddick, has Mural Dedicated to Her Memory

Ryan Spak, founder of the Spak Group, called Reddick “a force to be reckoned with.” The company began researching her background about four years ago, putting out Facebook pleas for descendants to come forward with stories of her life. The company learned that when Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. came to the city for a march at 40th  Street and Lancaster Avenue, he had lunch with Reddick.

Reddick, executive director of the Philadelphia Tribune Charities for 14 years, ran a thrift store to keep Rafters afloat. She also relied on funds from local churches and social groups. When money ran low, Reddick “staged bike-a-thons, luncheons, fashion shows, and dances to raise funds,” her obituary noted. “And when there was a shortage, she went out and raised money herself.”

Reddick would undoubtedly have approved of the commitment the Spak Group and Mural Arts Philadelphia have made to this part of Cedar Park. Spak’s company is building an inclusionary housing project with 12 apartments and two commercial storefronts. Three of the apartments are designed for low-income housing. The rent from the nine market-rate units will subsidize the three dedicated to affordable rates.

The new mural encourages self-sufficiency, featuring local plants that are edible and have medicinal benefits but are often dismissed as weeds. Residents can find these plants in even the most developed neighborhoods.

The Spak Group tried to locate Reddick family members for years without luck. Then a few days before the mural’s September dedication, Reddick family members had lunch near the block, and older members told stories of Flossie’s work. That prompted another family member to seek more information about Reddick, which led them to the Spak Group. Family members were there when the mural was dedicated.