Black Clergy of Philadelphia stand with City Controller Rhynhart and Councilwoman Gauthier on agenda to address gun violence

PHILADELPHIA, PA, July 27, 2021—The Black Clergy of Philadelphia and Vicinity, applauds a plan created by City Controller Rebecca Rhynhart and City Councilwoman Jamie Gauthier, which they unveiled last Thursday, in a letter to Mayor James Kenney. Their plan was revealed during a press conference on July 22nd that urges authorities to target the hardest-hit zip code areas where gun violence has been reported.
Rev. Robert Collier, Sr., President of the Black Clergy group commented, “I’ve said it before, and I’ll repeat it again. Philadelphia is a city going through two pandemics right now. There’s the Coronavirus pandemic, and there’s the violence pandemic. Both continue to be at an emergency level. One of the suggestions Black Clergy made in our Black Clergy Violence Elimination Plan that we presented to the City in March of this year, included extending the hours of operation at pre-selected City-owned recreation centers, giving young people supervised activities after normal traditional hours. That idea tops the list of demands made by Rhynhart and Gauthier. Other action agenda items that the Controller and the Councilwoman came up with are similar to some of what we also pointed out, that we believe could make a positive difference in Philadelphia.”
Rev. Gregory Holston, Chair of the Black Clergy Criminal Justice Committee added, “Black Clergy of Philadelphia and Vicinity stands solidly with Controller Rhynhart and Councilwoman Gauthier in the demands they have put forth to Mayor Kenney. If these action steps are adopted, we believe we will start to see a change for the better in terms of gun violence statistics in Philadelphia.”
City Controller Rhynhart and Councilwoman Gauthier are demanding the Kenney Administration target anti-violence programming and resources in 14 zip codes (19144, 19141, 19120, 19124, 19140, 19134, 19133, 19132, 19121, 19131, 19104, 19139, and 19143). These zip code areas are experiencing the heaviest volume of gun violence in Philadelphia. They further suggest that there needs to be improved coordination among City departments and community leaders. The demand for action, which was communicated to the Kenney Administration via letter, details a list of steps the administration must take immediately to ensure a safe and peaceful
communities for all Philadelphia residents, as well as a request for additional information to ensure transparency with the public regarding the administration’s progress to reduce gun violence and homicides.
The Black Clergy of Philadelphia and Vicinity was founded 40 years ago and represents 11 religious denominations. Over the years, the organization has tackled a myriad of issues plaguing the African American community, from reaching more youth and getting them connected to church and worship; HIV/AIDS; homelessness; affordable housing and gentrification; education reform; racial profiling; the criminal justice system and more.