Will Latif Little’s upbringing was a story that mirrors a far-too-familiar experience for many young people in Philadelphia: a stressful childhood, often filled with trauma and little structure; a teen who feels hopeless, and finds friendship in the wrong places; getting money by whatever means possible to escape poverty. “I was the lost kid, I was a fatherless kid, I was the robber kid, the carjacking kid,” he said. His crimes progressed, and then, at 19, in a shoot-out with a rival crew, he killed another teen. Little went on to serve a decade in prison. While he was behind bars, he told himself he had to decide whether he would blame others for his struggles or find a way to change his mind-set, accept what had happened, and turn his life around. Little believes that unaddressed, widespread trauma is at the root of the city’s gun crisis, as was the case for him. Thousands of Philadelphians, especially young men, he said, are living with pent-up pain and anger that are affecting their relationships and ability to process emotions, and escalating to acts of violence. “It’s an emotional problem we’re dealing with,” Little said of the gun violence epidemic. “It’s people who don’t know how to handle their emotions or understand consequences.” Little is part of a growing chorus of anti-violence advocates and experts across the country who believe emotional intelligence and trauma-informed therapy — or cognitive behavioral therapy — is a critical component in the effort to interrupt the cycle of violence by shifting the mind-set of at-risk people. Philadelphia announced in 2020 that it would launch a version of a Chicago program that integrates cognitive therapy into outreach, but its official start date remains unclear. With gun violence reaching historic levels and each shooting bringing tremendous trauma, the need has never been greater or more urgent, Little said. So he’s tapping into his personal journey to advocate for the programs he says saved his life, and doing the work himself, whether the city is on board or not. Visit the link in our bio for more. 📝 by Ellie Rushing / Staff 📸 by Jessica Griffin / Staff