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Gun Violence

Gun Violence has been plaguing our cities and our commonwealth for far too long. This summer, gun violence was at an all time high and children and women (including pregnant women) fell victim to violence in our streets. What are we as a Black community going to do to protect our most vulnerable populations and what are we going to demand of our next President in order to end gun violence and ensure our streets and our neighborhoods are safe?

Host

Councilman Kenyatta Johnson

A man with a mission to serve, Philadelphia City Councilmember Kenyatta Johnson represents the Second Councilmanic District, which represents more than 150,000 residents in the neighborhoods covering parts of Center City, South and Southwest Philadelphia and also includes the Sports stadium area, Philadelphia International Airport, and the Navy Yard.

GUN VIOLENCE

Speakers

Dr. Dorothy Johnson-Speight

Mothers in Charge, Inc.

Stanley Crawford

Executive Director

John A. Rich

MD MPH

Tiffany Garner

Community Violence Initiative State Manager

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Speaker Bios

Dr. Dorothy Johnson-Speight, MHS, LPC
Founder and National Executive Director of Mothers In Charge, Inc.
Dr. Dorothy Johnson Speight was born to be the mother of Khaaliq Jabbar Johnson but at the young age of 24 his life was taken from him, not by illness or accident, but by an act of violence over a parking space. Grief-stricken and enraged by this senseless act, Dorothy channeled that energy into the founding of Mothers In Charge, a grass-root organization dedicated to violence prevention, education and intervention. Working with a small group of mothers dealing with similar circumstances, Dorothy envisioned an organization that would provide support to grieving families as well as awareness and education to the public in an effort to prevent others from enduring the pain of losing a loved one to an act of violence.

Mothers In Charge (MIC) has grown from a small group of passionate women who were not content to wait on someone else to take up their cause to an organization that has been fighting and advocating against violence for eleven years. Under Dorothy's leadership the organization has exhibited astounding growth. It is not only widely known and recognized for its achievements in the Philadelphia area but it's outreach has generated six chapters across the country in Wilmington, DE, San Francisco and Los Angeles, CA, Nashville TN, Atlantic City, NJ, and Brooklyn, NY, Kansas City, MO. Dorothy' s goal is to take the organization to a national and international level by spearheading a rally in Washington.

Through her work with Mothers In Charge, Dorothy began to realize that violent acts are often committed by angry teenagers and young adults who are unable to cope with their own pain and anger so they lash out in their communities. She began to work with juveniles, some who are incarcerated for murder. Realizing one day these young men and women will be released back into society, she began to work with this population with a cognitive skills curriculum, "Thinking For A Change".

Through her work with Mothers In Charge, Dorothy began to realize that violent acts are often committed by angry teenagers and young adults who are unable to cope with their own pain and anger so they lash out in their communities. She began to work with juveniles, some who are incarcerated for murder. Realizing one day these young men and women will be released back into society, she began to work with this population with a cognitive skills curriculum, "Thinking For A Change". The program addresses the development of pro-social and proper decision making skills, violence prevention and preparation for re-entry into society. As a result of the program's success, Mothers In Charge has begun to implement this program in several correctional institutions and as the foundation curriculum for after school programs.

Other initiatives at Mothers In Charge include community engagement with local faith-based organizations and networking with other community groups. MIC is involved in collaborations with the City of Philadelphia agencies, homicide survivor outreach, individual and group grief support, and youth development/mentoring.

Dorothy has numerous degrees and certifications. She received her Doctorate degree in Education from Fielding University. She received her Master's Degree in Human Services from Lincoln University. She completed the School Psychologist Certification Program at Immaculate University. As a life-long learner, Dorothy continues her educational training to remain an effective and empowering agent for change.

Dr. Dorothy Johnson-Speight and " her mothers" will not allow their children, their loved ones, to be forgotten. MIC provides on-going support by not only fighting for their cause in public and political arenas, but by calling grieving mothers on a regular basis, by remembering the anniversary of a loved ones passing, and by keeping their names and stories alive with pictures and activities that bring the mothers together.

Through her work, Dorothy has become a highly regarded leader, speaker, guest television commentator, and a voice raised to end senseless acts of violent crime. Dorothy talks about her work with fierce passion and conviction. She says, "I will never stop. I will do this work until I die."
Dr. Dorothy Johnson -Speight was born to be the mother of Khaaliq Jabbar Johnson and because of his life Mothers In Charge was birthed.

Stanley Crawford graduated from Simon Gratz High School in 1969, under the Cedar Program he attained a certification in Auto Mechanics. He earned an Associate’s Degree in Electronic Technology from Berean Institute in 1985. Stanley spent four years in the U.S. Army from 1976 to 1980 as a Quality Control Inspector before being honorably discharged. He also spent four years in the U.S. Army Reserves. Stanley retired from the city of Philadelphia after 28 ½ years as a Commercial and Industrial Fire Inspector II. Stanley was also an entrepreneur, owning and operating a boutique for 21 years; and, he also owned and operated a non-alcohol restaurant in the West Oak Lane section of Philadelphia for four years. Stanley traveled the world teaching African and African American culture as a member of the Arthur Hall African American Dance Ensemble. He help build and create the first African American Museum in the state of Pennsylvania. Stanley has also worked in the Recovery Community for over 33 years, assisting people with drug addictions find recovery. Stanley is Co-founder of the Nicetown Community Development Corporation, where he has been on the Board for 18 years and is presently Chairman of the Board. As a Founding Member under his leadership as a Board Member the Nicetown CDC has facilitated over 50 million dollars in projects in the Nicetown section of the City of Philadelphia.

As a result of the murder of his son in 2018, Stanley founded The Black Male Community Council of Philadelphia and is presently the President/CEO of BMCCP. The purpose of the organization is to decrease violence in the City of Philadelphia. He is presently on the Steering Community of the Philadelphia SMARTwise Coalition under the Black Folk’s Plan, whose primary purpose is to assist in the Truist Bank Community Benefits Agreement, which will bring billions of dollars to the Black Community of Philadelphia. Stanley believes, “The most valuable thing we have is our time and energy, use wisely it is more valuable than any material possessions.” 

John A. Rich, MD, MPH is Professor of Health Management and Policy at the Drexel Dornsife University School of Public Health. He is also the Co-Director of the Drexel Center for Nonviolence and Justice, a multidisciplinary effort to address violence and trauma to improve physical and mental health. Dr. Rich’s work has focused on issues of urban violence and trauma, health disparities, particularly as they affect the health of men of color. Dr. Rich is also an expert in qualitative research methods and narrative analysis. In 2006, Dr. Rich was awarded a MacArthur “Genius” Fellowship. In awarding this distinction, the Foundation cited his work to design “new models of health care that stretch across the boundaries of public health, education, social service, and justice systems to engage young men in caring for themselves and their peers.”

Prior to joining Drexel University, Dr. Rich served as the Medical Director of the Boston Public Health Commission where he led the city’s initiatives on Men’s Health, Cancer, Cardiovascular Health and Health Disparities. As a primary care doctor at Boston Medical Center, he created the Young Men’s Health Clinic and initiated the Boston HealthCREW, a program to train inner city young men as peer health educators. His book about urban violence titled Wrong Place, Wrong Time: Trauma and Violence in the Lives of Young Black Men (The Johns Hopkins University Press, 2009) shares stories of trauma and healing.

Dr. Rich earned his A.B. degree in English from Dartmouth College, his M.D. from Duke University School of Medicine, and his M.P.H. from the Harvard School of Public Health. He currently serves on several boards including the Philadelphia Board of Health, Trust for America’s Health, and the Philadelphia Board of Health. 

Tiffany Garner currently serves as the community violence initiatives state manager for Giffords, where she works to advocate and lobby for funding for community-based violence intervention and prevention programs throughout the states. Tiffany received her Bachelor’s Degree in Organizational Communication and Master’s Degree in Community Counseling from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and is currently completing her Master’s of Public Administration from Old Dominion University.

Tiffany is a native of North Carolina where she spent over seven years as a domestic violence therapist for children exposed to intimate partner violence as well as a program manager for youthful offenders who perpetrated aggressive and violent behaviors within their dating relationships. She has served as trainer for law enforcement officers on the Lethality Assessment Program (LAP) Maryland Model, a program that helps to identify victims of domestic violence who are at the highest risk of being seriously injured or killed by their intimate partners. In addition, Tiffany has continuously worked with law enforcement, researchers and community partners across the country on federal and state grants focused on the implementation of innovative community-based strategies for reducing and preventing violent crime within vulnerable communities.

A man with a mission to serve, Philadelphia City Councilmember Kenyatta Johnson represents the Second Councilmanic District, which represents more than 150,000 residents in the neighborhoods covering parts of Center City, South and Southwest Philadelphia and also includes the Sports stadium area, Philadelphia International Airport, and the Navy Yard.

Johnson arrived on the political scene in 1998 determined to end gun violence through Peace Not Guns, an organization he founded after the murder of his cousin – to prevent violence through education and the creation of programs that would give youth an alternative to the streets. That activism led to a successful run for the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, where he served as State Representative for the 186th Legislative District from 2009 until 2012 when he took the oath of office for City Council. He started his third term in Council in January 2020.

Councilmember Johnson chairs Council Special Committee on Gun Violence Prevention and the Committee on Rules and Transportation and Public Utilities. He also serves on the following committees: Appropriations (Vice-Chair), Public Safety (Vice-Chair), Streets and Services; Licenses and Inspections; Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs; Commerce and Economic Development, Children and Youth; and Fiscal Stability and Intergovernmental Cooperation.

A lifelong resident of the Point Breeze neighborhood in South Philadelphia, Councilmember Johnson is a product of the School District of Philadelphia. He holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree from Mansfield University and a Masters Degree in Government Administration from the Fels Institute of Government at the University of Pennsylvania. He also has completed the Governing for Non Profit Excellence Certificate Program at the Harvard School of Business. A Pennsylvania State Senate staffer for six years prior to running for the House of Representatives, Councilmember Johnson is a former volunteer for AmeriCorps, the national service organization that allows citizens to serve their communities. He was also a founding staff member of City Year, the non-profit AmeriCorps organization whose primary goal is to build advocacy through service.

Councilmember Johnson is committed to improving education, affordable housing, business development, public safety, job training and access to employment for his constituents.

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