Jazmine Sullivan, LL Cool J Withdraw from Philly July 4 Concert Amid Citywide Strike

Philadelphia's Fourth of July Wawa Welcome America concert has been severely impacted by the ongoing strike of the city's largest blue-collar union, District Council 33 (DC33), which includes municipal sanitation workers demanding better health insurance and livable wages. Both headliners, Jazmine Sullivan and LL Cool J, have withdrawn from performing in solidarity with the striking workers, citing moral and ethical reasons for not crossing the picket line. The strike has disrupted city services including trash collection, and tensions escalated when an alleged drunk driver hit two striking sanitation workers, seriously injuring one. The withdrawals of these major artists have created a public relations challenge for the city and festival organizers on a patriotic holiday typically celebrated with large crowds. Sullivan and LL Cool J's decisions highlight the importance of supporting labor rights and the ongoing fight for fair treatment and better working conditions for municipal workers. Both artists expressed hopes for a quick resolution and future celebrations once the strike concludes.