The last two weekends, I entertained a Philly, State of Mind. I journeyed to Philly last week to spend time with my Mom for Mother’s Day. This week, I motored southeast, the drive nearly coming to a crawl on the Schuylkill Expressway because of the many events people were traveling to in and around Center City. I accompanied my husband to the Barristers Association of Philadelphia 2014 Scholarship Gala.
I haven’t lived in Philadelphia for over 30 years, so I do enjoy rediscovering what I thought I knew about Philly as well as exploring the new. The Hyatt Hotel that we stayed was located in Penn’s Landing, a waterfront area of Center City along the Delaware River section of Philadelphia. I don’t recall this area being this busy or developed when I did reside in Philly.
I love when I can attend events as an observer and not a participant. The dinner was a black-tie event. I find it interesting to see the interpretation of what people think black-tie means. Just as a reminder, black-tie is a dress code for evening events and social functions derived from British and American costume conventions of the 18th century, worn only after 6 p.m., black tie is less formal than white tie but more formal than informal or business dress. Women can wear a short cocktail dress or long gown, men can wear black tuxedo or black suit.
Attorney Benjamin Crump was the Master of Ceremonies and Special Guest for the Barristers’ Annual Awards Gala. You may recall Crump as the attorney that represented the parents of the shooting victim Trayvon Martin, who in February 26, 2012 was killed by George Zimmerman. Crump serves on the National Bar Association as Vice President. The dais included a list of who’s who of Philadelphia Attorney’s. By the way, barrister is an English term for lawyer entitled to practice as a advocate particularly in the higher courts.