‘We’re tired of living in a war zone’: Philly youth march against gun violence

Dozens of kids marched down Market Street to protest gun violence Sunday afternoon, carrying signs that read “Don’t shoot, I want to grow up” and “No one is target practice.” They were accompanied by drill teams, drum lines, and representatives from youth services groups. After circling City Hall, the group gathered on Thomas Paine Plaza, where young people delivered speeches and recited poems.

“I’m 17 years old. I’ve been a victim of gun violence for 17 years,” said Ryshee Shaw, a student at Samuel Fels High School who has an impressive track record of youth advocacy. “I was just 22 days, 15 hours, and 37 minutes [old] when my life changed drastically. I lost my father to gun violence. Growing up, I listened to the cries of a heartbroken mother and a traumatized wife.”

The rally closed out the second annual march by Khalif Mujahid Ali of the Beloved Care Project. The timing was poignant: It took place at the end of the week that saw Philadelphia’s homicide count surpass 100 for the year, including 15-year-old Devin Weedon, who was killed on his way to school last Tuesday. The number of shooting victims in the city reached 369 as of March 26.

Ali’s nonprofit provides a forum for young people to share their experiences. He invites guest speakers to join, including mothers who have lost children to gun violence and formerly incarcerated people who have returned home. “Then we let the children talk. They’re comfortable so they started telling their stories,” he said. “We’ll do healing circles where we talk about the pain, the anger, the trauma, dysfunction in schools, and all that stuff.”

Ali emphasized dealing with trauma first — a sentiment echoed by others attending the rally.

“It’s not just trauma, it’s untreated trauma,” said Mecca Robinson of Forget Me Not Youth Services, which offers transitional housing and programs for children, including 30 kids who attended Sunday’s event. Gun violence has been a prominent issue during the mayoral elections, she said, but many of Philly’s children face even bleaker circumstances daily. “Nobody’s talking about youth homelessness. ... There is a lot of kids in foster care, group homes, youth shelters, RTFs [residential treatment facilities]. They’re displaced from their families.”

“The trauma is leading our kids and our young people out here to commit these crimes,” Robinson said. “We got to let their voices be heard.”

Nigel Allen, a 23-year-old poet from West Philly, attended Sunday’s rally at Ali’s invitation. He has lost many friends and family to gun violence, he said. “It’s truly senseless. I think it’s a misdirection of anger. ... We need to find more positive ways to express ourselves.”

Later, Allen climbed the steps of Lipchitz’s “Government of the People” sculpture, recited one of his poems — “We consume death for breakfast, lunch, and dinner / But I’ve been skipping meals, no wonder I’ve gotten thinner” — and spoke to the crowd about what day-to-day life is like for so many Philadelphians.

“We might have higher aspirations, we might be able to actually make something of ourselves,” he said, “but living in the city sometimes it can feel like it’s impossible.”

“We’re scared for our lives. We’re scared to walk out our doors,” said 17-year-old Shaw. “As youth in this city, we’re tired of living in a war zone. This is not normal, and we’re normalizing it.”