Philly Truce (PT) was founded in 2020 by high school classmates Steven Pickens and Mazzie Casher as Philadelphia’s homicide rate climbed to nearly 500. Reflecting on the last time the city reached that number — in 1990, when they were 10th graders themselves — they felt called to act.

Rooted in lived experience and driven by urgency, Philly Truce works to break cycles of violence by investing in the same communities that shaped its founders. With a focus on prevention, mentorship, and opportunity, PT stands alongside youth navigating the very streets Steven and Mazzie once did — committed to creating safer futures, together.

Philly Truce

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