In this three-part series, Trace staff writer Mensah M. Dean explores the roots and realities of gun violence in Black America, sharing the stories of Philadelphians shaped by impoverished upbringings that contributed to their involvement in gun violence. The central story, “Defined and Diminished by Gun Violence,” examines the lasting impact of institutional discrimination on the Black community, tracing its origins to slavery and segregation. It asks a crucial question: Why do Black men die from gun violence at a rate 15 times higher than the national average? The “Roots and Realities” series draws parallels between contemporary Philadelphia — particularly the so-called Bullet Belt — and the Black community W.E.B. Du Bois chronicled in his landmark 1899 study, “The Philadelphia Negro.”
