WURD and Painted Bride Art Center holding ‘live in’ Saturday morning

As protesters continue to stage die-ins in reaction to deaths of African-Americans at the hands of police officers, a group in Philadelphia is proposing an alternative: the live-in.A live-in is a demonstration involving poetry, spiritual preaching, meditation, and yoga in reaction to violence.

Local radio station WURD-AM, which caters to a mostly African-American audience, hatched the idea of a live-in, partnering with the Painted Bride, a performance venue in Philadelphia’s Old City. It is meant to compliment die-ins, where protestors imitate corpses in public spaces.

“We are not in any way trying to discount the work done with the die-ins. They have raised incredible awareness,” said WURD program director Stephanie Renee. “We are just looking for another way to speak to this situation that is in keeping with the way we interact with audiences on a regular basis.”

The live-in, from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, will include youth poets, local faith leaders, and yoga masters who will lead breathing meditations, a reference to the protest slogan “I can’t breathe.”