Philadelphians Find Nature On The Pathway To Healing From Gun Violence

The way survivors and co-survivors of gun violence are taught to heal from gun violence can be formulaic: talk to your loved ones, seek therapy, and take anti-anxiety medications. But the path to healing isn’t the same for everyone, and these solutions aren’t a fix-all. For many folks seeking a remedy to the emotional pain they have experienced, the key has been access to nature and green spaces.

Our Unbreakable Best: Healing Beyond the System

“I want my story to show others that healing is possible, no matter where you start.”

A profound statement, rooted in love and a deep belief in all things good, from educator and activist Victoria Best.

Now forty-five, Best was thrust into the Philadelphia foster care system after being separated from her biological mother at age 2. On a journey where resilience and survival became necessities, she quickly learned the difference between shelter and belonging after she and her brother were taken in by her uncle’s family.

Nation Free

“Nation Free” is a poem written by Black Queer multi-disciplinary artist, cultural producer, educator and Philadelphia’s inaugural poet, Kai Davis.

A Home For Colored Girls 

Vashti Dubois keeps this house because she wants Black women to visit and know
that someone is expecting them and has prepared a space for them to be comfortable. She said that in naming the museum, “the concept of ‘colored’ came from [the] ways in which the world just colors on Black women and girls; just takes out its crayon and colors us whatever the hell it wants… TCGM is my love letter to ordinary colored girls.”

Organizers Speak on the Importance of Solidarity and People Power Behind Saving Chinatown

In December, Philadelphia City Council voted 12-4 to approve 76 Place after arresting dozens of protesters. But as Debbie predicted, arena opponents vowed to continue the fight despite legislative approval. The very next day, a two-story banner proclaiming “76 Place Will Never Be Built: Stop Land Grabs, from Philly to Palestine” was deployed off of a downtown parking garage. Just over three weeks later, that declaration—and Debbie—would be proven true.