City Hall art exhibit displays stories of “co-victims” of Philadelphia gun violence
PHILADELPHIA - A powerful new art exhibit in City Hall highlights the survivors of gun violence by telling the stories of those left to carry the trauma after a loved one’s murder.
Dozens are now on display, some positioned directly across from the offices of the mayor and Councilmembers.
"When you transition to being a co-victim and life as you know it is over, so this should be the first thing that people see," says Zarinah Lomax, who organized the "Apologues Exhibit," "We Are Here," as a co-victim herself.
"I simply want them to listen to these stories, hear their hearts and reach out to them and ask them what do they need, because they’ll tell you."
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Among a temporary display of murder victims’ portraits, by Lost Dreams on Canvas Lomax, brought the families’ together for a press conference Thursday as an opportunity to show them they are not alone and to channel their grief into action.
Cherisse Pearson spoke with her five-year-old twins by her side about the murder of her 17-year-old, Theodore "Trae" Crawford, earlier this year.
"I don’t want them having false expectations and false hopes that their brother is coming home one day," she says. "It’s everyone’s problem, you don’t want to wait until the last minute when you’re the one on this end."
Lomax is already in talks of where the display can move to next and wants to connect with additional families impacted by violence in the city. For more information, email strengthinnumbersglobal@gmail.com.