View from the Pew August 2020: From Fear to Power: Protest Reflection

One of the protests that I participated in was at the Philadelphia Housing Authority (PHA) in North Philadelphia. The group of people was protesting the over-policing and police brutality in the neighborhood. Prior to marching, we listened to stories from people in the neighborhood, speaking to their experiences with homelessness and police violence in North Philly. Then we marched through the streets of North Philly to Temple. At first, I felt fear and apprehension. I didn’t know anyone else there and we were surrounded by police. As we marched, the fear turned into empowerment. As we went through the residential streets, we heard the voices of the community. Residents came out of their houses, stood in their yards, and ran down to sidewalks to cheer and chant with us. People held their fists up out of windows in their houses and cars. I was overcome by feelings of passion and power. I saw how important this message was to the neighborhood. I could feel how strong the comradery was between strangers who were fighting for the same thing. I felt guilty for not being there sooner, but I was more so encouraged to do more to spread this feeling of empowerment.