Where's the Love, Philadelphia?

“Dealing with folks who lost loved ones to gun violence, it’s hard … Outside people say, ‘Oh, you should be over that’ … People can be insensitive because they don't understand ... You never imagine that your child or your loved one can walk out the house and get gunned down by some stupid person. You never think that."

Nadine Holliman is an advocate for victims of violence and co-victims of homicide and a community resource specialist at Cure Violence Philadelphia. As a former foster child and foster parent, she’s well-versed in navigating the systems that are often so difficult to access for Philly’s Black and low-income residents and now makes it her goal to help others do the same.

Holliman spoke to WTL about her experience helping victims navigate both the legal and human sides of trauma, what it's like living in a community where guns are so prevalent, and why community resources and organizations are key to addressing gun violence as a public health issue.

Nadine Holliman — Where's the Love, Philadelphia? Nadine Holliman is rarely without a flier or a door hanger bag full of information on community programs and resources. She spends her days sharing these resources, or in court advocating for victims of violence and co-victims of homicide. Holliman has always been passionate about helping others in....

"They’d come in your neighborhood, and they had a slogan: Get down or lay down. Get down with us, or you’re gonna be laying down."

Andre Porter came up under the reign of the Junior Black Mafia in Southwest Philly in the 80s and 90s, an era coinciding with the highest homicide rates in the city's history.

Now a street outreach worker for Cure Violence Philadelphia, Porter talked with WTL about the similarities he sees between the JBM era and North Philly's current cycle of violence driven by drug dealing and competition for street cred. He says the biggest challenge in reducing violence today is a dominant street culture focused on “image” -- clothes, shoes, cars, drugs, and violence.

He's working toward changing that culture by modeling financial stability for young people and increasing accountability among community members.

Andre Porter — Where's the Love, Philadelphia? Andre Porter’s approachable demeanor and ties to both North and Southwest Philly make him a valuable community leader, though he says he was too shy to take up that mantle initially.

Hi all, Tia here. I'm excited to announce that WTL Philly is once again live! The gun violence reporting scene has come so far since I last worked on the project in 2018. I've been glad to meet some of the people involved and am eager to see how this project can contribute.

Please check out Lamar McCrory's story -- the first of several new interviews to come with
Cure Violence Philadelphia outreach workers. They're doing outstanding work de-escalating violence and providing community resources throughout North Philly.

Lamar McCrory — Where's the Love, Philadelphia? “I can be loquacious,” Lamar McCrory warns, pausing in the middle of recalling stories from the many walks of his life. A charismatic public speaker, mentor, and artist, McCrory’s work centers around forming connections throughout his home community of North Philly, whether through his art –...

“Not only did activists fail to enact these policy ideas, the ideas, however laudable, don’t have much relevance to the vast majority of gun deaths. They can’t help motivate people after memories of the last massacre fade.“

Why the NRA Always Wins It’s not the money. It’s the culture.

Check out a new letter from the editor by co-founder Tia Yang, reflecting on the national rhetoric surrounding gun violence in the US, and how it relates to our work.

And if you haven't yet, please check out our kickstarter page to learn more about and support our upcoming photobook! www.kickstarter.com/projects/wtlphilly/wheres-the-love-philadelphia-photobook

Letter from the Editor Friends of WTL, A question I'm commonly asked when I speak to people about WTL is "what policies would you suggest?" People want to know what petition they can sign, what letters they can write to their lawmakers, what specific gun control legislation they should support. I wrote the foll

Honored to have our photographs featured on Aint-Bad! Check out the link below and don't forget to donate to our Kickstarter: https://kck.st/2L829cE

Alexander Atienza Where’s the Love, Philadelphia? is a multimedia storytelling project that seeks to raise awareness of the gun violence epidemic in Philadelphia by sharing the stories of those affected. We believe the key to understanding gun

Coming soon: a Where's the Love Philadelphia photobook!

Some of the WTL founding team has reunited to adapt narratives from our site and publish them in the form of a photobook, and we've just launched a Kickstarter campaign to help make this a reality.

We are immensely grateful to all of the interviewees and community partners who have helped make this project possible since our founding in 2014, and all of the funds raised will be used to print books to distribute to our partners and other community organizations.

Please check out our Kickstarter page to learn more, and donate or spread the word if you're able.

THANK YOU for your support!

Where's the Love Philadelphia Photobook A photobook adaptation of audio-visual stories documenting the impact of gun violence on residents and communities in Philadelphia.

"Preliminary findings yield data that demonstrate an intuitive yet striking relationship between gun homicides and economic activity at the neighborhood level..."

Is Gun Violence Stunting Business Growth? */ ,

"The most common mental health consequences for people immediately affected by large-scale acts of violence resemble post-traumatic stress disorder..."

How gun violence affects mental health — even for those who didn’t experience it firsthand The effects of violence on a population's mental health are far-reaching.

"According to a 2004 study, increased violence had the greatest impact on the growth of service-related establishments in low-crime neighborhoods."

What we know about gun violence in the United States: What are the economic impacts? Looking at gun violence from an economic perspective can also deepen our understanding of this challenge and help identify new ways to save lives.

"Scratching beneath the surface of the data on gun fatalities reveals a complex landscape affected by factors like race and ethnicity, gender, and location."

What we know about gun violence in the United States: Who’s affected? Of all gun-related fatalities in 2010, 11,000 were considered homicides. The rest—more than 19,000 deaths—were classified as suicides.

In order to have a long-term impact on this intractable problem, we must realize that gun violence touches all of us and take some responsibility in its demise.

Gun violence touches us all, and it's time to take responsibility | Commissioner Richard Ross - Philly We must break the cycle of poverty as well as disparities in schools, job opportunities and the criminal justice system.