Toll the Bell: Observing National Gun Violence Awareness Day

In the Philadelphia area, we hear near-constant news about gun violence. Our fellow citizens are injured or dying with all-too-frequent regularity in shootings near a public school, in a workplace, or when gathering to celebrate the Memorial Day holiday, a recent tragedy that left two dead and nine wounded. Though our home ranks in the top twenty cities nationally with the highest gun homicide rates, gun violence isn’t exclusive to Philadelphia; within the United States, nearly 47 thousand people died of gun related injuries in 2023. Though these are troubling statistics, things are slowly improving. Since 2024, the city has reported its lowest homicide rate in ten years and overall gun deaths are down by 37%. Despite these improvements, we still live within a society that has grown accustomed to regular gun violence. It’s in the headlines so frequently that often we don’t even register how devastating the problem really is or to consider who the victims – our fellow citizens and neighbors – are. It is easy to become desensitized to this reality. There is still so much work to do, but how can we help? For me, the answer was through my work at Penn Live Arts and last year’s inaugural Toll the Bell, a city-wide sound installation on National Gun Violence Awareness Day that strives, as my friend and Penn colleague, the Reverend Charles (Chaz) Howard said – to call us back into caring about this issue.

Sound has been used for centuries to alert communities of danger and to call neighbors together to share moments of reflection, worship, or celebration. Truly, no American city is more connected to the imagery, history, and symbolism of the bell than Philadelphia. Through collective sound making, Toll the Bell provides a sonic disruption that serves as a call to action, a warning, and an invitation to Philadelphians to stop and reflect on our fellow citizens who have tragically lost their lives, and to get involved to catalyze change.

On Friday, June 6 at 1 PM, Penn Live Arts convenes its second Toll the Bell, so if you’re in Center City or north, south, and west Philadelphia, you’ll hear church bells tolling and other sound making from nearly 50 sites across the region. From the Founders Bell on Broad Street, to the Cranaleith Spiritual Center in Somerton, or down to Aston with the Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia, our partners will be collectively calling us back into caring about this urgent issue. The sound installation is paired with an interfaith vigil service and a community walk of reflection, and newly this year, features performances of commissioned works by Philadelphia-based sacred jazz vocalist/composer Ruth Naomi Floyd and the West Philly community jam band, Omar’s Hat.

A project of this type requires tremendous coordination and persistence, and partnership has been at the heart of our effort. We have worked diligently with partners to create a moment for our city that inspires, challenges, and leverages the unique and important work that communities of faith and neighborhood organizations have undertaken to help mitigate this tragedy. To date, this is the Philadelphia region’s largest community-wide event supporting National Gun Violence Awareness Day. Through organizations like Eddie's House and Heeding God's Call to End Gun Violence, your fellow Philadelphians are working hard to connect with victims’ families, provide alternatives for our youth, and create opportunities to process tragedy. These efforts, combined with increased support from the city, have made progress, but it is only the beginning.

Now, we ask you to take ten minutes on Friday, June 6 to listen, visit a partner site to reflect, pray, or honor victims in whatever way is meaningful to you. Make a sound along with us or learn about ways to get involved. On that day, my hope is that you will be outside with us, hearing the call to action and the intrinsic wish for change.

related event

• Toll the Bell