PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — All these years later, Brenda Exon still remembers
Ad astra per aspera
In English, the Latin saying translates to, “To the stars through difficulties,” and appears on the official state seal of Kansas.
When Exon was young, the words became ingrained in her.
“It's from my school days,” said Exon, who grew up in Topeka, the capital of Kansas, “and we would say it, ‘Ad astra per aspera.’ I've remembered that since fourth grade. That's our state motto.”
Her memories from that time are full of civic pride and nostalgia.
“We would do all different things to show our pride of place,” Exon said.
When she moved to the Philadelphia area in the early 1980s, she had a hard time finding that same sense of pride, and she missed it.
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Then, about a decade later, while doing research on Philadelphia history, Exon discovered the city has a flag.
“When I did, the light bulb went off,” said Exon, a now Swarthmore resident. “I needed a universal connector for civic pride, and [the flag] was it. The flag was made to fly for everyone, no matter what race, what religion, how rich or poor you are, the education you have. That flag flew for everyone in Philly, and it had an incredible story.”
And Exon was determined to share it.
She gave up her full-time teaching gig in the Wallingford-Swarthmore School District to become a civic pride superhero of sorts.
Exon adopted (and trademarked) the moniker Philly Pride Lady and suited up in elaborate outfits inspired by the design and colors of the Philadelphia flag.
“I'm one who enjoys costumes, and children enjoy costumes, so I thought about conveying information I've learned on the hemline of a Philly civic pride costume,” Exon said. “I made them like an apron so that I could take them off and interchange them for what I was teaching about.”
“I'm a teacher at heart, and I try to find unique ways to impart information to children, especially information I think is significant.”
Exon began making volunteer appearances in Philadelphia public schools to spread the word about Philadelphia’s flag and its core principles: peace, hope, justice and prosperity.
Her mission was to foster feelings of pride and unity.
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The more she saw kids, teachers and administrators engaging with her curriculum, the more she became convinced of her purpose.
Exon then launched a nonprofit organization, Partners for Civic Pride, that embodied the essence of the Philadelphia flag and its symbols.
The group’s slogan, “Philadelphia Maneto,” comes from Philadelphia’s coat of arms, which appears in the middle of the city’s flag.
“We can ‘Philadelphia Maneto,’ we can ‘let brotherly love continue!’” said Exon, referencing the phrase’s meaning. “It's a flag you could really fly and live by – I truly believe that. Many folks, many citizens in Philly, both young and old, do not know about that amazing flag because they haven't had the opportunity in school or elsewhere to learn about it. It's a brilliant message.”
Over time, Partners for Civic Pride gained momentum, as did one of its biggest initiatives.
Exon’s vision was to turn March 27 into an annual Philadelphia civic flag celebration in honor of the date in 1895 when the flag was formally adopted.
“We were starting to actually get somewhere,” Exon said.
One year, the flag celebration was held at Thomas Paine Plaza. Other years, it was hosted inside City Hall.
There was a lot of pomp and circumstance featuring school children, music and awards.
“We had a few successful Philadelphia civic flag days and we were starting to get more people involved,” said Exon.
Then, one of Partners for Civic Pride’s most active board members passed away in 2016, followed by a patron donor in 2018.
Then COVID hit in 2020 and the cumulative effect of these events took a toll.
“We've kind of just been dormant,” Exon said.
These days, however, Exon says she’s got the wind in her sails again. Philly Pride Lady has work to do, especially now that the design of Philadelphia’s flag has been the subject of recent debate.
Why does the original Philadelphia flag design resonate so strongly with Exon?
What does she have to say to people calling for a new one?
And, could the city even change its flag if it wanted to?
Find out below in the third and final installment of The Jawncast’s mini-series “Philly Flags”: