Each day, we experience another death, another tragedy, another loss of life to violence, and we have no answers. There are many people–good people–working to help families and the community cope with the hurt and pain that comes with loss, particularly tragic loss.
As we at Scoop try to support our communities, victims and families, we have partnered with Zarinah Lomax and The Apologues to respect those we have lost by sharing portraits and brief introductions into the lives of the families that The Apologues’ has featured.
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Artist: Shari Jones “Untitled” Acrylic on canvas
Co-victim: Reverend West
Victim: Robin West
Robin West was murdered, at age of 19, by a serial killer on Aug. 31, 2016. She was loved by so many, and she was her father’s pride and joy. Her father, Reverend Leroy West, has been one of the few fathers to fight for his child alongside the many mothers. He has been a pillar in the community, starting a Parents of Murdered Children chapter here in Philadelphia. He will be the co-victim reflected in the portrait to honor the memory of his daughter.
Rev. West says: It is a great loss to many, I miss my daughter, and I hurt tremendously.
What is The Apologues?
The Apologues (under the fiscal sponsorship of the Federation of Neighborhood Centers) is a fashion and art exhibit that uses the arts to assist individuals in healing, empowering themselves, and advocating against gun violence and trauma that plague urban communities. Through the use of fashion, art, and music, The Apologues honors the emotions of untreated trauma through the realm of storytelling to trigger healing. We do this through the combination of self-portraits of victims and co-victims, wearable art, and musical experiences combined.
For more information and to support this initiative, visit our website, https://www.theapologues.org
