At the age of 15, a young girl from Chicago named Hadiya Pendleton had the honor of performing on behalf of her high school at the second presidential inauguration of Barack Obama. She was a talented majorette dancer and a sophomore at King College Prep. Just over a week later…

“Proving the laws of nature wrong we learned to walk without having feet. Funny it seems, but by keeping our dreams we learned to breathe fresh air.” Almost two decades later, the prophetic words of hip-hop artist Tupac Shakur still work to personify the concept of transforming tragedy into triumph…

By Cierra Hinckson, Student Organizer and Lauren Footman, Director of Outreach and Equity Following the death of George Floyd, America entered into a new moment of racial reckoning that caused public, private, and non-profit sectors alike to grapple with racial equity. This inflection point happened as the nation was already…

Now with the election behind us, newly elected members of Congress must find ways to work together to deliver results on behalf of an American electorate that turned out in record numbers to participate in our democracratic process. As the coronavirus pandemic continues to rage throughout the American landscape and…

Dear Breonna, Today you should be celebrating your 27th birthday with your loved ones. But unfortunately, your life was cut short due to a justice system that is steeped in racism. Today and every day, I will uplift your name; you made the ultimate sacrifice serving as an essential worker…

Infectious disease is currently dominating the news. The COVID-19 pandemic has affected countries across the world, with the virus spreading quickly between individuals. The disease has altered our way of life, decimating communities, burdening our healthcare systems, and forcing people to shelter in place. While COVID-19 remains a public health…

Sixty-seven people die by firearm suicide daily — more than the deadliest mass shooting in American history happening every single day. — The numbers don’t lie. Gun violence remains our national shame. This month, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released new data related to firearm deaths. The numbers were heartbreaking — nearly 40,000 Americans died by gun violence in 2018 — but unfortunately, they were not surprising. …

As we head towards the holidays and a new year, far too many families in Philadelphia will have empty seats at their dinner tables. News reports indicate that more than 110 teens and children have been hit by gunfire in Philadelphia in 2019. These children and teens have been shot…

The Coalition to Stop Gun Violence’s Impacted Community Team is excited to launch “Lives Impacted: Gun Violence Stories from Impacted Communities”, a monthly blog series highlighting this epidemic in the communities most affected, yet rarely discussed. Last Friday, Clarence Venable was fatally shot leaving a training session on how to…