Jacen Bowman: Leading with Love and Pride
Jacen Bowman knows what it means to fight for love—beginning with himself. The lessons he has learned about self-love are the foundation for how he loves others today.
This activist, leader, and advocate channels his awareness into his work on behalf of intentionally marginalized communities, particularly LGBTQIA+ individuals, to ensure their visibility, amplify their voices, and validate their experiences.
Love x Tech: Real or Cake?
Cake Life Bake Shop has crafted confections for icons like Beyoncé and Lizzo and they are beloved in Philly. But, the unreasonable expectations birthed by hyper-curated Pinterest boards and, more recently, AI-generated cake images have made it increasingly difficult to manage wedding orders and maintain the shop’s high standards.
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.
AAries Rising: Healing In Perfect Harmony
In the late 1990s and early 2000s, Philadelphia was the cradle of the Neo Soul Movement. More than a genre, a new group of homegrown musicians, sirens, and wordsmiths created a vibe and culture that was best experienced live in clubs, coffee shops, and basements. They blended the groove of Gamble & Huff with the grit of 90s Hip-Hop, the experimentation of Jazz with the spirit of a COGIC (Church of God and Christ) service, and the poetry of The Black Arts Movement with the fashion of Soul Train. In that moment, Philly birthed a n
Grammy Winner Karen Slack Brings the Love and Legacies of ‘African Queens’ to the Operatic Stage
As opera continues to navigate these transformative times, artists like Karen Slack are at the forefront.
Passing Down the Pen: 19th News Fellows Meet with Queen Mother Falaka Fattah
Like her ancestor, Frances Ellen Watkins Harper, Queen Mother Falaka Fattah has connected the two Black Press traditions of informing and advocating.
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.