Witnessing the Impact of Anti-Violence Work in Philadelphia

Being a part of the anti-violence work being done in Philadelphia has been exceptionally meaningful, as a young, African-American male who has been impacted by community violence. I was raised in North Las Vegas, Nevada in a community that was plagued by gun violence and a lack of community support. I mention this to share that I have personally been impacted by interpersonal violence. I have also seen the impact it can have on entire communities. What I have not yet seen is a call to action like I have seen in Philadelphia, that has also been accompanied by the financial and technical support that is needed to make an impact. The City of Philadelphia’s Anti-Violence Community Expansion Grant program is an effort to support solutions, rather than to simply bring awareness to the issue of violence in Philadelphia.

I have had the pleasure of working with the City of Philadelphia’s Anti-Violence Community Expansion Grantee organizations and have seen their commitment and hard work in action. Earlier this year, I had the honor of attending the Men Who Care of Germantown’s Peace Walk. The event was hosted by Men Who Care in partnership with other community organizations and CEG grantees such as Every Murder is Real (EMIR). The walk was hosted to bring awareness to the impact of community violence while also connecting the community to resources that they can benefit from immediately. The energy at this event was something that I will never forget. We walked as a community from Roosevelt Elementary School to Martin Luther King High School while verbally acknowledging young lives that have been lost to gun violence in Philadelphia. During this event, you could hear the pain that the community feels when they lose a loved one to gun violence and you could see how the organizations were able to unify people, strengthen community, and share resources that can help reduce gun violence.

Once the walk ended at MLK High School, we were greeted by over 25 local community resource booths that shared information on food assistance, healthcare, youth sports, mentoring, religious activities, academic support, and so much more. The ability that these organizations possess to make a positive impact on the community was made evident to me in just one event. This event is in addition to the recurring mentoring sessions, mental health counseling opportunities, and other support services that the anti-violence organizations provide year around.

This is simply a snapshot of the amazing work that is being done by the grantees. Beyond the Bars creates music studios to provide alternative activities/skills training for youth and young adults. Mothers in Charge provides mental health counseling and training for their participants and teaches healthy coping strategies for high stress situations. Timoteo Sports provides athletic opportunities for youth while also providing opportunities for adults who may benefit from coaching/mentoring others. I wish I could highlight the work that each of the 31 grantees are doing, but that may require a full book.

In short, I truly believe that the work being done through this project can be a model for anti-violence work being done across the country. I have no doubt that the grantees will continue to make a positive impact on youth, their families, and the community at large.