MY STUDIO AND SOCIAL JUSTICE 

I HAVE SUPPORTED THE WORK OF THE FOLLOWING ORGANIZATIONS:

Black Lives Matter — Black Lives Matter is a decentralized political and social movement advocating for non-violent civil disobedience in protest against incidents of police brutality and all racially motivated violence against black people.

BunnyhopPHL ... Philadelphia chefs Jena Harris & Katie Briggs launched Bunny Hop on April 4, 2020 the weekend before the Easter holiday, hence the name. What began as a response to community requests for mutual aid as Philadelphia began to confirm cases of Covid-19 in the spring of 2020 has grown to an organization feeding over 350 families a week.

Christian Peacemaker Teams — CPT carries a Christian name but works across all faiths to place teams at the invitation of local peacemaking communities that are confronting situations of lethal conflict. These teams support and amplify the voices of local peacemakers who risk injury and death by waging nonviolent direct action to confront systems of violence and oppression.

Dox Thrash House Restoration initiative — Dox Thrash was a Philadelphia printmaker active in the first half of the 20th century. His work honored everyday moments in African American life. His work is in the collections of well-known collections such as the Philadelphia Museum of Art and the African American Museum. His former home/studio is among many vacant storefronts along the commercial corridor of a historically black Philadelphia neighborhood and is in jeopardy of being demolished.

Equal Justice Initiative — EJI works to end mass incarceration, excessive punishment and racial inequality.

Franny Lou's Porch ... Franny Lou's Porch is a cafe and community space run by black and queer people engaging in community activism, cultural awareness, relational business practices, a vehicle for advocacy, and most importantly, a place of rest. The building that houses the cafe has been put up for sale and organizers have the opportunity to buy it and secure Franny Lou's future in the neighborhood.

Carmela Apolonio Hernandez ... Ms. Hernandez fled Mexico in 2015 after drug criminals killed members of her family there. She was denied asylum in the US. She and her three teenage children have been living in sanctuary for nearly three years in a Philadelphia church. They have all recently experienced COVID-19 infections.

HIAS Pennsylvania — HIAS Pennsylvania provides legal, resettlement, citizenship, and supportive services to immigrants, refugees, and asylum seekers from all backgrounds in order to ensure their fair treatment and full integration into American society. HIAS Pennsylvania advocates for just and inclusive practices.

Honeysuckle Community Center ... Honeysuckle Community Center is the project of the chef, artist, writer and activist Omar Tate, who grew up in the neighborhood where my studio is located. Mr. Tate is active in food justice and is currently fundraising to acquire a building in West Philly to turn into a community space where food is the anchor.

It Takes A Healer: Funding Futures for Black Grief Works is an initiative to support the dream of a world in which emotional care, healing and spiritual accompaniment for Black communities and movement leaders in our city is supported, fully resourced, and recognized for the essential labor that it is.

Morris Home in memory of Dominique “Rem’mie” Fells — Morris Home, the only residential recovery program in the country to offer comprehensive services specifically for the transgender community, provides a safe, recovery-oriented environment in which people are treated with respect and dignity.

New Africa Center / ICPIC — Based in the Mill Creek neighborhood of Philadelphia where my studio is also located, the New Africa Center works to preserve the neighborhood’s rich cultural heritage and legacy to pass on to future generations. It also creates programs and events that foster intergroup awareness, respect, tolerance and multicultural understanding. The New Africa Center also distributes free food to community members in need.

New Sanctuary Movement — New Sanctuary Movement works to end injustices against immigrants regardless of immigration status, express radical welcome for all and ensure that values of dignity, justice and hospitality are lived out in practice and upheld in policy

People's Emergency Center ...The People’s Emergency Center is headquartered a few blocks from my studio. Their mission is to nurture families, strengthen neighborhoods and drive change in West Philadelphia. As part of their services PEC is currently coordinating food distribution in the neighborhood.

PMA Workers Union fund. The Philadelphia Museum of Art has had a checkered reputation as a workplace for some years. Earlier this year, PMA's workers voted to unionize and became affiliated with the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees District Council 47 (AFSCME DC 47), becoming one of the largest unionized museum workforces in the country. PMA has cut over 100 staff since the beginning of the pandemic, with more furloughs just announced in the last two weeks.

Southern Poverty Law Center — SLPC monitors hate groups and other extremists throughout the US and exposes their activities to the public, media and law enforcement.

Village Arts ...Village Arts (formerly Village of Arts and Humanities) began years ago as a grassroots art/culture project in a vacant lot and grew into a community garden and arts space. Village Arts is currently providing free food as part of its broader efforts to sustain its community

University City Arts League — The University City Arts League is a non-profit community art center located in West Philadelphia. They support the arts community of philadelphia through the on-site gallery, after school art programs for youth, classes for all ages, and programs in neighborhood public schools (that barely have any access to any art programs).
Sales from this auction will be used for scholarships, and to improve their facilities to better serve the community.

GoFundMe to support the family of Walter Wallace, Jr., shot and killed by the Philadelphia police, October 2020.

Go fund me in support of Rickia Young ... During the unrest after Walter Wallace's shooting, Ms. Young was trying to pick up a family member and take them home to safety when she turned onto a street where police were clashing with protesters. As she attempted to turn around the police surrounded her car, smashed the windows, pulled Ms. Young from the vehicle, beat her and separated her from her family members including her child in the back seat. The police department later released a photo of an officer holding Ms. Young's child on its social media, suggesting they had rescued him from abandonment.

Plus…various other grassroots fundraisers supporting Black-owned business and initiatives in Philadelphia.