SOMETIMES STORIES are too heartbreaking to understand.
Such is the case with the fire that killed four children in the heart of Southwest Philadelphia’s African immigrant community—a community filled with people who came to America seeking better lives for themselves and their children.
Instead of finding better lives, however, those families found America to be a place where safety is elusive, where answers are confusing, and where services are meted out in ways that appear to give short shrift to minorities and the poor.
Hopefully, as investigators sift through the remains of the 10 houses that were destroyed, the Liberian fire victims whose lives have been upended by grief will find solace. Meanwhile, the rest of us should find a way to cast lifelines rather than casting blame.
Click here to read the rest of this column at Newsworks.
Photo © Canstock Photo
To donate clothing or non-perishable food items to the fire victims call:
- Christ International Baptist Church, 2210 South 65th Street, Philadelphia, PA 215-729-0214
- First Baptist Church of Paschall, 7100 Woodland Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 215-724-3294
- Liberian Association of Pennsylvania, Inc., 1155 South 54th Street, Philadelphia, PA 215-651-9322
- Saving Grace Orphanage, 4918 Baltimore Ave, Philadelphia PA 215-779-5726
Solomon Jones is an Essence bestselling author and award-winning columnist. He is the creator and editor of Solomonjones.com. Click here to learn more about Solomon
