Beyond Expectations
Philadelphia males of color are speaking their truth—and we’re listening.
The City of Philadelphia Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual disAbility Services’ (DBHIDS) Engaging Males of Color (EMOC) initiative is designed to improve the mental health and wellness of males of color in Philadelphia. First Person Arts (FPA), Philly’s premier storytelling organization, is partnering with DBHIDS to amplify, share, and archive the stories of males of color in Philadelphia that shatter mis-perceptions and highlight the brilliance and resilience of males of color.
"Trigger"
Following in the footsteps of internationally recognized We Breathe, We Live: Brotherly Love Protest Stories, the new film TRIGGER is both a call to understanding and a call to action about the roles each of us has to play in combatting the gun violence epidemic in Philadelphia and beyond. Featuring storytellers from Philadelphia sharing their lived experiences with gun violence and their shared search for hope with a vengeance.
A father who lost his son, a trauma nurse at a city hospital, a high school principal, community activists, doctors, scholars, shooters, victims, and their families all share their stories revealing layers of hurt that extend beyond the individual, family, and first responders to entire communities in need of healing. And yet they each search for hope with a vengeance. These storytellers are committed to using their horrific experiences to help others. For some, resilience and hope are key elements of survival. TRIGGER is both a call to understanding and a call to action. Each of us has a role to play in combatting this gun violence epidemic.
To schedule your Trigger community screening, contact our team.
Directed by: Glenn Holsten. Produced by: FreshFly Films
Presented by the City of Philadelphia Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual disAbility Services, the DBHIDS Division of Planning Innovation, and the DBHIDS Engaging Males of Color Initiative.
What happens at an EMOC BEyond Expectations Event?
An EMOC BEyond Expectations event includes the following activities:
- Screenings of films and videos, podcast listening parties, or live storytelling events
- Post-screening audience talkback
- Audience storytelling
- Connecting and relationship building
- All EMOC BEyond Expectations Events are FREE.
Become A Community Champion Today!
We call our storytellers Community Champions because they share their lived experiences so that others can triumph over trauma. Former Community Champions include well known celebrities such as: Black Thought (The Roots), Fantin Danzler (Kindred & the Family), Grammy Award-winner Bilal, Hip Hop artists Freeway & Peedi Crakk, Comedian Ali Siddiq, Yazz from Fox’s smash hit “Empire”, Super Bowl champion Raheem Brock, and Actor Keith David. Learn about other ways to bring storytelling to your community.