New Orleans this week for the inaugural Cities United convening. According to the
National League of Cities, their “movement aims to reduce the tragic number of violence-related
deaths of young African American men and boys.” This session was intended to guide their effort
“to restore hope and opportunities to young men and boys directly affected by violence.”
@Michael_Nutter “Enough is enough. All lives are precious. The time is now to stop the violence.” pic.twitter.com/QYSQHXpq6a — NLC (@leagueofcities) February 26, 2014
“In Philadelphia, young African American men and boys are 80 percent of the homicide victims and 75 percent of all the arrests we make for violent crime,” said Philadelphia Mayor Michael A. Nutter.
Cities United helps mayors and city leaders focus on prevention rather than prosecution, intervention
rather than incarceration, and provides data and tools to topple systemic barriers to opportunity
facing African American men and boys, according to a press release from the NLC.
This year’s theme was entitled “Why We Can’t Wait,” according to a local news report from New Orleans.
We haven’t seen any coverage of the proceedings from the Philadelphia news media this week.
On Thursday, President Obama launched
“My Brother’s Keeper: A New White House Initiative to Empower Boys and Young Men of Color.”
A student eyes the Emancipation Proclamation as the President gave students from William R. Harper High School in Chicago a tour of the Oval Office, June 5, 2013. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)
are found in our schools, our communities, our criminal justice system, our families, and even in
the minds of our young people themselves,” according to whitehouse.gov, which adds: “The President
is committed to build a broad coalition of backers to help break down barriers, clear pathways to
opportunity, and reverse troubling trends which show too many of our boys and young men of color
slipping through the cracks in our society.”
FACT SHEET: Opportunity for all: President Obama Launches My Brother’s Keeper Initiative to
Build Ladders of Opportunity For Boys and Young Men of Color
The Cities United Mayors responded with a pledge of support, and Mayor Nutter
did the same individually.Last fall, we shared a video when New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu
and Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter discussed their campaign to cut the nation’s murder rates,
reduce gun violence and address other issues affecting the urban community, during a luncheon
at the National Press Club at a luncheon.
In the latest outbreak of gun violence, one man was killed and two more were wounded
Thursday after and evening in Philadelphia.
Medics rushed a 27-year-old man to Temple University Hospital, where he was listed
in stable condition with a leg wound after he was shot on Foulkrod Street near Frankford Avenue
shortly before 1:30 p.m. in the Frankford section of the city.
An 18-year-old man was reported in stable condition at Einstein Medical Center after
he was shot twice, just after 5 p.m. on Woodstock Street near Chelten Avenue in West Oak Lane.
Just before 6 p.m., a 24-year-old man was fatally wounded in a shooting near a playground
on Pulaski Avenue near West Logan Street in Germantown.
Police rushed him to Temple, but he was pronounced dead a short time later. CBS3, 6ABC, NBC10,
the Philadelphia Daily NewsThe Philadelphia Inquirer and had brief reports.
According to a report from Fox29, a young man who worked 12-hour days in his family’s
store is now paralyzed, following a shooting near Oxford Circle Wednesday night.
Gun violence has left three people dead and ten wounded in Philadelphia last weekend,
as we previously reported:
Mapped: Violent weekend follows break from winter weather in Philadelphia
If you want to get involved in gun violence reduction in Philadelphia, please
consider volunteering your time or making a donation to one of the organizations listed
under our Network tab at the top of this site. If you would like us to add your group to our list,
please email us at info@guncrisis.org.
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