Raised by her grandparents, Cherelle Parker believes in the importance of the extended family

Cherelle Parker was raised by her grandparents in West Oak Lane, and by a large circle of aunts, uncles, cousins, many of whom still live in Strawberry Mansion.

And as she grew older, her family collective grew to include a political family headed by former councilperson Marion Tasco and Congressman Dwight Evans. So when asked if there was one thing she would give every child in the city to help improve their life chances, she knew the answer.

“Connectedness,” she said.

“Every child needs to feel a connectedness to some sense of village,”she told The Inquirer. “And we can work hard to do that because a village is in essence what’s created. And a village is not simply where you are born. It is not, you know, sort of the race, class, or socioeconomic status where God choose you to enter into the world. But the village is also created by systems, right?

“I’m always thinking about the Cherelle Parkers of the world, the underdogs of the world, the people who don’t start the race of life, you know, with the advantage that so many others have.”

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