Philadelphia ended 2022 with more than 500 homicides, marking the third consecutive year it has surpassed that grim milestone.
At the Race for Peace Committee, we believe solutions to address this unacceptable violence start with bringing a range of constituencies together. Our 501(c)3 nonprofit organization was formed in 2016 to enrich the lives of residents in all communities through programs, resources, and activities for families. We strive to establish an understanding between law enforcement and the communities they serve.
We seek to help close the divide between the police and some in our neighborhoods. The main goals are an ongoing and continuous dialogue between communities and the police, mentoring youth, and promoting excellence in police officer training. An example of our work will be organizing events where young people, seniors, and other community members can positively interact with police officers working in our city.
There is a self-destructive ideology in the youth culture. To change the destructive path that many of our youth faces, you have to understand the culture entirely. When it comes to youth violence, some people do not relate to or fully understand the culture in which violence exists. When the topic of inner-city/suburban violence is discussed, the first excuse for its existence is always pointed at low socioeconomic status.
Violence within youth culture varies from section to section, neighborhood to neighborhood, and block to block. A counterintuitive approach is needed to have a longer-lasting approach to this sometimes-deadly epidemic. In the age of social media, crimes and exploits are often shared for attention. We promise to better connect with the youth through our understanding of the culture to improve young lives and experiences.
Urban Navigation serves as a GPS for the inner city and suburban youth culture, helping them navigate life’s many obstacles by meeting them where they are and giving them a voice. We use the culture of the youth and their everyday interests to engage them. Such interests include social media, muscovado gaming education, and more.
Urban navigation consists of a team of professionals from diverse backgrounds and different fields of life, but all have experience with the youth culture and navigating life. Some backgrounds include certified life coaches, bachelor’s and master’s level mental health professionals, media and music professionals, podcasters, educators, and trade school owners.
Urban Navigation provides experience and training within the youth culture, leading to technical skills, entrepreneurial mentorship, and life skills training. Urban navigation creates a platform for creative minds through our many different programs.
All citizens, including police officers, firefighters, politicians, and business owners, in the Philadelphia Metropolitan Area region, need to continually come together to form solutions to solve this crisis that is still dramatically active. Gun buyback events and violence prevention hotlines are good strategies to reduce violence. Philadelphia’s historic nickname is the City of Brotherly Love, but in the past years, it has been feeling plus demonstrating the complete opposite. Both groups will work to deliver reachable goals and solutions that support peace.
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