Title
Commemorating the life and legacy of community activist Shawn W. Wilson, whose tireless advocacy against gun violence and racial injustice advanced community safety and expanded a powerful model of neighborhood engagement for former first responders and veterans in the City of Philadelphia.
Body
WHEREAS, Sergeant Shawn W. Wilson, Sr. grew up in the Nicetown-Tioga neighborhood of North Philadelphia, and was a husband, father, son, uncle, friend and a widely-beloved community leader who mobilized young people against violence in Nicetown. Shawn was also a gospel singer, first responder, Army veteran, and former police and corrections officer; and
WHEREAS, Upon his retirement from the Philadelphia Police Department, Shawn advocated to support veterans and victims of gun violence, noting the similarities of those "carrying the scars of PTSD" from being in a war zone and from gun violence in low-income Black and brown neighborhoods; and
WHEREAS, In 2017, Shawn's advocacy led to the establishment of the veterans-focused non-profit organization "Vets in the Hood Inc." to battle the wounds inflicted upon the psyche of young people and veterans exposed to violence; and
WHEREAS, Vets in the Hood organizers began using word of mouth to connect veterans at a block-by-block level to hot meals, housing, workforce development, expanded access to mental health tools, and classes on financial literacy and repairing poor credit; and
WHEREAS, In July 2018, Vets in the Hood partnered with Stop the Frisk, LLC to organize the "Push for Peace and Healing" rally at Nicetown Park. The event brought together Black men and women from the Nicetown-Tioga community to discuss community safety and perform spiritual cleansing rituals "to clear out the destructive energy" that has percolated in neighborhoods plagued by gun violence; and
WHEREAS, Shawn was also the owner of Love on Purpose, LLC, an organization advocating for holistic healing through the "worship & wellness movement...
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