The life-threatening stress of being Black and male in Philadelphia

Anytime Edwin Desamour meets up with old friends, it’s a trip down memory lane. But, says the father of four and dean at John B. Stetson Charter, it’s almost bittersweet — because they look at each other in wonder that they all are still around to meet.

“On top of health and everything else, look at the violence. It’s something that’s real and I think that no one is looking at themselves as living that long,” Desamour said.

Desamour was born and raised in what he calls the “Goodlands.” Part of the Kensington-Fairhill section of the city that is commonly referred to as the “Badlands”, Desamour is not a fan of the nickname. There are good people still residing there, he said.

When Desamour was 16 years old, he was convicted of third degree murder, and spent more than eight years in prison. For the past 20 years, Desamour has been trying to be the person that he never had growing up — someone that old and young can identify with. He spends his time working on various projects and with nonprofits, such as Congreso and the Youth Sentencing and Reentry Project.

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Dominique “Peak” Johnson is a North Philadelphia journalist. He is one of the founding editors of the North Philly Metropolis. Currently he freelances for WHYY, Billy Penn and Citywide Stories. Click here to learn more about Peak.