Local group wants to change negative stereotypes of inner city youths

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At 17, Andre Simms was sentenced to 14 years behind bars for attempted murder. He spent eight of those years incarcerated at several Pennsylvania Correctional facilities.

Simms is on a mission to save young people in this city from what he calls an oppressive judicial system.

In 2021, he started DayOneNotDayTwo to change how young people are often portrayed in the media.

“We are more than suspects and we’re damn sure more than victims.” Simms said.

It’s part of a movement to heal the community through creative expression while allowing young people to speak their truth.

He told WHYY that many are seen as criminals and suspects who cause destruction and chaos.

But that’s not the case.

“Many young people are making strides and defying the odds everyday,” Simms said.

He said DayOneNotDayTwo is building a youth led intergenerational movement to heal through creative expression and build narrative power.

The group has three main programs:

Community AF! (Apprentice Fellowship) works with North Philly residents to tell solutions centered stories. Ascension Music Program is an initiative that pays youth artists to create high vibrational music and poetry as a way to combat harmful narratives promoted through mainstream media.

The Delco Youth Hub is a participatory Defense Hub in Delaware County that works to achieve the best outcome for young people and families facing charges.

And last spring, the organization joined forces with Zealous and the Public Defender’s Office to create Spark sessions.

It’s a series of events to bring young people, journalists and community leaders together to keep an open dialogue and build meaningful relationships.

“By highlighting underlying factors that contribute to harm and crime, we’re actually empowering communities to make a change,” Simms said.

He said the spark session is also needed because a lot of times the journalists covering communities aren’t from the areas that they report on.

So, it’s an opportunity for journalists to build meaningful relationships with the communities they’re covering while working together to challenge harmful paradigms, according to Simms.

He’s connecting journalists with young people who have been directly impacted by these oppressive systems, individuals who are working to create change in their neighborhoods and grassroots organizers.

“These are the perspectives that are usually left out of crime coverage.” Simms said. “When you are truly connected to the community that you cover, accountability looks a lot different.”

Simms is inviting Journalists to attend their next Spark session on September 25th at the Sculpture Courtyard at 1714 N. Mascher St. in Philadelphia. The event takes place from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.