Mothers Evolved

After Dorothy Johnson-Speight lost her son to gun violence nearly two decades ago, she started a movement to take her city back by eradicating gun violence.

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Dorothy Johnson-Speight visits the grave of her son, Khaaliq Jabbar Johnson, in Philadelphia on Monday, May 9, 2016. Johnson was killed in 2001 - shot seven times over a parking space dispute. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

Dorothy Johnson-Speight visits the grave of her son, Khaaliq Jabbar Johnson, in Philadelphia on Monday, May 9, 2016. Johnson was killed in 2001 - shot seven times over a parking space dispute. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

A decade and a half ago, a Philadelphia mother’s grief over the murder of her son led her to create a group for mourning mothers. But what started as a grief support network turned into a powerful movement both to curb gun crimes and to understand the roots of violence in the city. On this episode of The Why, we talk with Dorothy Johnson-Speight about her transformative journey.

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