What's in the darkness for you?

Since my father’s passing in December 2020, the Winter Solstice has become my most treasured holiday season experience. Last night on the Winter Solstice, I had my final public appearance as the Executive Director of the Mayor’s Office of Public Engagement, a role that I will cherish for the rest of my life. I could not have asked for a better way to close our 2023 and my tenure. My four years in the Kenney administration taught me so many things about who I am, what I care about, and how I want to move throughout this world to be a source of light and love wherever I go.?

Listening to and advocating for all of our residents, particularly those who have been systemically excluded, unseen, unheard, has been my heart. My mind has been working overtime to strategically ensure that we can create stronger systems in place within our government structures to ensure that true transparency, engaged citizenry and equitable urban policies can be developed.?

During my time in city government, I’ve grown as a leader, supporting teams of up to 30 and 50 people at times, depending on my assignment, and it has meant showing up with courage, humility, empathy and accessibility. Colleagues will say I led with grace and empathy, even in the midst of some incredibly challenging circumstances. Even when I didn’t think I was going to make it through, I persisted and trusted my intuition and inner wisdom on how to navigate, and that included building the best support system possible amongst colleagues and at home.

Last night’s program, entitled The Longest Night PHL 2023, was a perfect way to conclude this year and my tenure with the administration. I’m grateful to the Mayor’s Commission on Faith-Based and Interfaith Affairs, co-chairs Quaiser Abdullah and Lucy Duncan , and my former colleague Rev. Naomi Washington-Leapheart for building such a beautiful community that I could just walk into and continue the good work that had already been started. Together, we built and curated this program with devotion to healing, justice and compassion. We attended to the multiple layers of grief that Philadelphians are experiencing, whether it is personal, community-wide or global, speci

fically creating opportunities to hear from residents and faith leaders affected by the conflict in Israel and Gaza. We sang, we drummed, we lamented, we grieved, we lit candles, we gave way to the silence and were encouraged to be comfortable with not having the answers.?

Here are some of my remarks: “Throughout the years as I have been more exposed to what winter solstice is, I kept wanting to understand how and why would you want to celebrate the darkness? It's a question that I posed to myself and to all of you. What’s in the darkness for us?

In my research, I discovered the following of how different countries and traditions mark the Longest Night:

• In Scandinavia - St. Lucia Day (St. Lucy’s Day) is a procession of young women in white robes, red sashes and wreaths of candles on their heads that lights the way through the darkness of winter.
• In China, Dongzhi or Winter Festival is when families come together for a big meal to mark the end of the harvest season. The holiday also has roots in the Chinese concept of yin and yang: after the solstice, the abundance of darkness in winter will begin to be balanced with the light of the sun.
• In Iran and other Iranian-influenced regions including Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, and Turkiye mark tonight with Yalda - or Shab-e Yalda: celebrating the end of shorter days and the victory of light over darkness. Meaning “birth,” Yalda is marked by family gatherings, candles (originally fires lit all night), poetry readings and a feast to get through the longest night of the year . Nuts and fruits, including watermelon and pomegranates, are traditionally eaten—legend has it that eating the fruits of summer will protect you from illness in winter.
• The Hopi indigenous people of Northern Arizona observe Soyal. During the Soyal solstice ceremony, which is led by a tribal chief, the sun is welcomed back to its summer path with ritual dances. Gift-giving to children, prayers for the coming year , singing and storytelling are also part of the festivities.

??

So what does this mean for us here in Philadelphia?

Why celebrate or stand in the darkness for as long as we can?

When does relief come?

What does relief from our personal pain, community struggles and global grief look like?

Knowing that we aren’t alone, and that others right here in our city, right here in this room, have gathered because we don’t want to be alone in the darkness. We can be of comfort to one another, whatever level of grief or darkness has been building up for you this year - whether it’s a loss of a loved one, the pain of injustice in our communities, the pain of conflict here or abroad.?

Whatever you are carrying tonight, you are welcome here.

And together, as observed for thousands of years across the globe, the power of coming together as a community has been one way to find hope and acknowledge that the light is just around the corner. Because tomorrow, it is a fact, that the days will start getting longer, and the nights and darkness will get shorter.”

Being a public servant during the Kenney administration has connected me with some of the most beautiful souls I have ever met. I’m grateful to Rev. Naomi Washington-Leapheart who first introduced the Longest Night programming to me, in a moment of my greatest need. And to Saptarshi Dutt, Lucy Duncan and Quaiser Abdullah for being the best collaborators and co-curators. To our speakers and performers: Rabbi Shawn Zevit , Hafez Kotain Al-Bustan Seeds of Culture , my dear friend G. Lamar Stewart, Ragad Ahmad, Jared Jackson , Shaykh Imam Basheer Bilal, Aziz Nathoo, Gweny Love and Ashley Murray National Alliance on Mental Illness - Philadelphia (NAMI Philly) – thank you for you sharing your heart with all of us. And to every person who came with an open heart, a curious mind and a willing spirit, I thank you for being part of our community and lighting my heart with your presence

.