Tony Juliano/Creative Commons

The reality of Kensington is far worse than what the media shows.

I’ve always wanted to give an informed, prudent opinion about what politicians should do about Kensington, Philadelphia’s infamous drug-ridden neighborhood. If you’re unfamiliar, Kensington is essentially the city’s “ground zero” for the fentanyl crisis. It is located in the Lower Northeast section of Philadelphia, just minutes from the upscale and hip Fishtown.

However, I felt as though it would be unfair to give this opinion until I’ve actually seen Kensington in the flesh, not through the media. And so, over Spring Break, I decided I’d drive through the neighborhood to get a boots on the ground perspective.

As I drew closer to Kensington, I noticed my surroundings rapidly worsening. On the right side of the road, I passed a worn down recovery building. Its sign read: “Last-Stop, Recovery and Sobriety.”

I was unnerved. It was almost as if this was the final warning before I entered. For a person struggling with addiction, this was their last opportunity to seek help before they entered into the belly of the beast.

I kept driving and turned onto Kensington Avenue. Above me was a train line that ran overhead, essentially blocking the sun from reaching the road. I had arrived. It was nothing like I’d ever seen before. Needles covered the sidewalks, and people lined the streets in zombie like states. Some were asleep standing up. Others took to the ground. I promise you, whatever you’ve seen on Twitter or through the media, is not doing it justice. The sheer amount of human suffering that was concentrated in just a few street blocks was overwhelming.

One man particularly stuck with me. He was on his knees, high, but almost in a prayer-like position. He looked like he was pleading with something unseen, as if begging for mercy from a force he no longer had the strength to fight.

This place felt like Hell on earth. Not just a drug zone. Real, actual, Hell.

When I finally left, I drove away unsettled and horrified. Yet, I was deep in thought. No longer about my now meaningless feeling “informed prudent opinion,” though.

I wanted to understand why the mainstream media fails to capture Kensington in its rawest form. What I had just witnessed felt almost invisible to the rest of the world, something the media chooses not to show. They don’t capture the hollowed-out eyes, the skeletal frames, or the bodies sprawled across sidewalks like casualties of war.

Instead, they offer sanitized reports, fleeting segments, and the occasional political sound bite—never fully exposing the unfiltered reality of what’s happening here. I realized the majority of Americans and local Philadelphians, like myself, do not understand Kensington as a result of this. Of course we all know about it, but nobody’s alarms are being raised to the level they should be, because if you had seen what I saw, you’d understand.

I don’t know why mainstream media operates this way. Maybe it’s because the real story of Kensington doesn’t fit neatly into a two-minute segment or a politically convenient narrative. Maybe it’s because acknowledging the full horror of what’s happening here is far too uncomfortable. Or maybe it’s because, deep down, no one with real power wants to claim responsibility for fixing it.

Whatever the reason is, it’s unacceptable. We, the public, need to be far more aware of what is happening in Kensington. Kensington is not just an abstract issue, or a distant tragedy, but as a humanitarian failure that demands our attention. The people suffering here are not nameless statistics. They are human beings, discarded by a society that has deemed them too far gone.

If we do not fully acknowledge the depths of this crisis, we will never have a chance at solving it. We need conversations, awareness, and most importantly, action. And it starts with those of us who have the privilege of knowledge—students, thinkers, leaders and future policymakers. Intelligent, capable individuals, like those at Villanova and other universities across the country, need to be aware of this crisis in its fullest reality. We need to witness, study and theorize potential solutions.

I won’t pretend like I have the answer. I don’t know there’s one singular policy, one sweeping reform, or a perfectly crafted initiative that can pull Kensington out of its despair. We might need hardline intensified police enforcement, or a radical expansion of social programs. I truly don’t know.

But raising awareness is the first step. Nothing changes until we, as a society, are willing to face the full horror of what’s happening on those streets. Kensington is not beyond saving. The people there are not beyond saving. But we must be willing to see them first.

Brandon Buckingham, an unfiltered YouTuber who opposes mainstream media, made a video entitled “Life In The City of Zombies – Kensington Philadelphia.” If one is interested in seeing the raw Kensington, give it a watch. Viewer discretion advised.

Proverbs 31:8-9: “Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy.”