From L to R: Lenny T. Tanzymore, Jr., Chief of Staff, Office of the Mayor,
Yeadon Borough, Minister, Dr. Carolina Harris, Philadelphia Police Clergy,
Mayor Rohan K. Hepkins, Yeadon Borough, Lenard Travis,
Official
Spokesperson, Office of the Mayor, Yeadon Borough.
Photos by Nathaniel Lee
Nearly a week after a fire consumed several houses on the
6500 block of Gesner Street in Southwest Philadelphia, with a large population
of African immigrants, community leaders met at the 12th police
district which included officials, local activists and concerned residents to
discuss next steps and to help begin the healing process.
Four children are believed dead as a result of the blaze and
several others remain hospitalized.
After the fire outraged residents held protests complaining
that fire fighters arrived in an untimely manner.
Since the fire, residents and concerned citizens, both
inside and outside the Southwest Philadelphia
community, have joined in relief efforts and activities to help a grieving
community find closure and to resolve hostilities.
Among those attending the meeting was the Hon. Mayor Rohan
K. Hepkins, Yeadon Borough and Lenny T. Tanzymore, Jr., Chief of Staff, Office
of the Mayor, Yeadon Borough. Lenard Travis,
Official Spokesperson, Office of the Mayor, Yeadon Borough, attended also.
Mayor Hepkins not only represents Yeadon but is also a
member of the African –Caribbean community
himself, being a naturalized citizen with Jamaican origins and whose wife hail
from South Africa.
Hepkins said that he hoped to help the dialogue between the
Liberian community and city officials and to help the community grieve while
seeking ways to prevent a repeat of such tragedies.
“I’m here to support the Liberian community being that we
are neighbors of Southwest where this happened,” said Hepkins.
“This is the beginning of a healing process, says Travis who
said he couldn’t speak on the particular details of the horrific fire itself
until investigations were finalized.
“Here, this evening, I would just like to have the citizens
and city come together and we are going to discuss the issues,” he said.
This discussion of the issues, said Spokesman Travis, was critical.
“I believe that when we discuss the issue we’ll be in a
better position to make some decisions on what direction we need to take in
this,” said Travis.
Although representing the mayor of Yeadon, Travis says that
he is also a resident of Philadelphia
who believes everyone should come together during times of crisis.
“I think we just need to come together to help the community
heal, to help the healing process,” the spokesman said.
“Back in the day we used to call Yeadon the suburbs of
Philadelphia, and actually we borderline Southwest Philadelphia and so we are
neighbors; neighbors help neighbors,” Travis said.
“We are really one community and we want to get together to
help the community to grieve and sooth frayed nerves,” Mayor Hepkins said.
Those nerves had to do with the outpouring of discontent
from members of the Liberian community who expressed outrage at the response of
the local firefighters. Although details of the event are still being
investigated, Hepkins says that details are still unfolding.
Records show that the fire was initially mislabeled by
dispatchers as a minor trash fire but was later reclassified as a house fire.
Despite the error call records seem to show that firefighters responded within
minutes of the call.
