Bunmi Samuel Rewrites Resilience 

Bunmi Samuel wants you to know that he is doing just fine. Ten years after a 15,000 ft skydiving fall, he is certain that this moment is his: “I am who I say I am. What I said I was going to do, I’ve done. Something tragic didn’t destroy me. I’m better than I’ve ever been.”

Getting Honest about Houselessness

It’s easy to write off houselessness as a self-induced result of “laziness” or “addiction” because it doesn’t force us to confront our biases.

Love Now Live: A Night of Healing

This night not only highlighted the magazine’s theme of ‘Healing’ but also served as a reminder of the weight of nurturing our mental and emotional wellness. As Ayana and Ayinké harmonized to the digital scene of a strikingly orange moon, we reflected and reckoned with the challenges and triumphs of this past year.

Embrace Healing at Love Now Live!

Every artist gracing the Fringe stage is featured in Love Now Magazine’s Winter 2024 issue, with the theme: HEALING. Every story in the issue is an account of transformation and wellness from some of the city’s most inspiring figures: Taj Murdock, Victoria Best, and Vashti Dubois, to name a few. You’ll receive a complimentary copy with your ticket so that you can take the inspiration home with you.

Making Love: Hacking the Holidays with Hard Conversations

What if we used this holiday season to do something truly transformative and rooted in love? What if we pushed beyond surface-level pleasantries and tackled the conversations we usually avoid? This year, I’m inviting you to “hack” the holidays by leaning into one of the hardest—and most necessary topics— money.

Kristal Bush on Freedom and #FreeMyWeedman

Bush sees herself as a disrupter and change agent. “I create movement in community for people who are voiceless,” she says, “but it all comes from the grassroots.” For Bush, the ability to shift to fill the needs of those in her community is freedom. She believes that education and the respect it brings is freedom.

The Syphax Freedom Fairytale

Together, they remind us that the best things in life come in their own time—love and success come with hard work. Tracey and Cheri Syphax do not take for granted that they get to enjoy the freedom they’ve earned along the way. Instead, like everything else, they share it.

An Uphill Climb to Prosperity: The Journey of a Returning Mother

A wise poet once wrote, “life for me ain’t been no crystal stair.” This could not be truer for a person who is justice-impacted. As a mother returning from incarceration, life is full of bumps, cracks, and splinters on stairs that bruise as they knock me down one step for every two steps that I climb. My journey from incarceration to stability has been a roller coaster ride since I returned to society nearly two decades ago.

Philly’s Motivation: A Source of Pride and Resilience in Philadelphia

Williams utilized his hardships as tools for success and grew a thriving social media platform known as Philly’s Motivation, posting 60-second videos that make people smile, whether through “a prayer or inspiring someone through grief, suicidal thoughts, or depression,” said Williams.
His messages were like little love notes to the community, spreading hope and optimism in challenging times.