Three Events to Honor the Life and Legacy of Walter Wallace Jr.

This Sunday will mark 5 years since the Philadelphia police shot and killed Walter Wallace Jr. while he was suffering from a mental health crisis. He was murdered in front of his West Philadelphia home while his mother begged police officers not to shoot him.

The murder of Walter Wallace Jr. has shaped our work in profound ways over the last 5 years. He was the inspiration for the campaign we started with Philadelphia Treatment Not Trauma to get police out of mental health crisis response. Almost five years later, Philadelphians suffering from a mental health crisis can call 988 or (215) 685-6440 and a team of mental health professionals will be dispatched to care for them in their crisis. We also produced The Care Team, a short documentary that follows two mobile crisis workers, DeShante and Ben, as they respond to people experiencing mental health emergencies across the city. The program has room to grow to make it more accessible, reduce wait times, and pay workers what they deserve, but we are grateful this resource exists now. 

As we approach the five year anniversary of Walter Wallace Jr.'s death, we invite you to join us at three upcoming events: 

Community members will gather this evening to honor his life and legacy at 6:00 PM at Cobbs Creek Park (Thomas Avenue & Cobbs Creek Parkway).

Then tomorrow, the Citizens Police Oversight Committee (CPOC) will host an event on the state of mobile crisis in Philadelphia from 2:00 - 5:00 PM. We will be screening The Care Team, Amistad’s short documentary that follows mobile crisis workers in Philadelphia, and our Co-Ed Nikki Grant will be speaking on the panel. The event will be at Temple Law School (Klein Hall – Room K2A — 1719 North Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA 19122.)

On Saturday, we're hosting a Healing Justice Fair at the Tiffany Fletcher Recreation Center from 12:00 - 4:00 PM. We're bringing together restorative justice organizers and wellness practitioners from across Philadelphia for an afternoon of healing, education, and connection. The event will feature multiple healing zones that speak to the diverse needs of our communities, and we will have a memorial space to honor Walter Wallace Jr. We will be joined by Reclaim Philadelphia, Healing Communities PA, Blackwell Cultural Alliance, Black Bird Rising, Dynamic Justice Collective, Office of CM O’Rourke, Office of CM Gauthier, Office of Rick Krawjeski, The Brigade, Our Revolution, Collective Climb, Philly Black Workers Project, and Prevention Point Philly, among others. Free food will be available from Food Not Bombs West Philly. 

Walter Wallace Jr. should still be alive. We honor him as we co-create spaces of collective care and work to ensure no one else is killed by police while suffering from a mental health crisis.