Photo essay: Philly anti-violence activist leads march to Washington, D.C.

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Jamal Johnson left Philadelphia on Friday afternoon for his seventh walk to Wasington, D.C., hoping for change. The anti-violence activist has made headlines before, with a hunger strike in front of City Hall and six separate trips to Washington, D.C. on foot to raise awareness of both community and police violence.

“We keep hitting the same thing because we’re not seeing any change in what we want,” he said. “The George Floyd Bill still hasn’t been passed and still hasn’t been the strategy delivered from the Black Caucus about the gun violence issue going on in the nation and our community. So it’s the same persistent demands… I’m hoping this will be our lucky seven.”

Johnson will be walking every day for the next 21 days.

When he arrives in the nation’s capital, he’ll be meeting with the Congressional Black Caucus to discuss gun violence in Philly and beyond.