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.
Community Stakeholders and PA State Reps Drive Change to Ensure Safety for Black Mothers

In 2019, when Cleopatra Robinson lost her best friend, LaShana ‘Shana’ Gilmore, she never imagined that six years later, she’d lead a fast-growing non-profit foundation while preparing to open her first home for pregnant women.
3 Philly Organizers Building ‘Community Refuge’ During Trump’s Second Term

Love Now Media spoke with Christopher R. Rogers of Abolition School, Van Sam of VietUnity, and Keyssh Datts of Decolonize Philly about their ongoing work fighting for community and liberation.
It Starts with Us: Bringing Financial Literacy and Other Reentry Resources to the Community

For our city to see a change in recidivism, I believe it starts with those who have changed their ways and are using their time to pour into the community.
How to Start Making Change With Those You’d Rather Cancel

Loretta Ross shares her ideas on how to engage in “calling in,” instead of “calling out,” within social justice movements.
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.