In recent days, 7-year-old Zamar Jones was shot and later died, and a 6-year-old girl was also shot in the chest and hospitalized. More than 100 children have died in Philadelphia because of gun violence just this year. There have been more than 1,000 shootings across the city, a 30% increase over this time last year.
With law enforcement and city agencies stretched by the pandemic, what is happening on the streets? And what are some of the solutions? This week's panel includes Philadelphia Police Inspector Derrick Wood, Robert Warner, director of Cure Violence Philadelphia and Serita Lewis, youth advocate and founder of UrbanSeek.
The newsmaker of the week is the Philadelphia Housing Authority. The agency stayed out of the headlines for most of the pandemic because it was able to keep its infection rate low, but in recent days, it made the news after homeless families moved into vacant PHA housing on the site of the Sharswood revitalization project.
The group is protesting lack of affordable housing in the city. CEO Kelvyn Jeremiah says PHA will move forward with building a shopping center in the place where the squatters are camping out, and he lays out the agency’s plans.
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Finally, the Patriot Home Care Changemaker of the week is the Gift of Life Donor Program. The nonprofit has expanded Minority Donor Awareness Day into an entire month of events in light of disparities highlighted by COVID-19. CEO Howard Nathan explains what the group is doing to raise awareness in multi-ethnic groups.
Flashpoint airs every Saturday at 9:30 p.m. and Sunday at 8:30 a.m. on 1060AM. It also airs at 5 a.m. Sundays on B101FM and WPHT 1210AM, at 6 a.m. on WOGL 98.1 and TDY 96.5 and 6:30a.m. on 94.1 WIP.
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