Midnight in the City — and the Veil Feels Thin

There’s a peculiar energy in Philadelphia right now. The leaves are turning, the nights are longer, the spirit of Halloween and Día de los Muertos whispers its way through corners of the city: where orange and purple lights flicker, where masked travelers drift through old streets, where the dead are honored and the unseen is felt.

And yet beneath the seasonal pageantry lies something heavier: a federal government shutdown, a mounting crisis of missing Black women and girls, and for many of us walking these streets, a sense that the veil between the physical and the spiritual is thinner. That sense of orbiting something deeper, something painful, something urgent.

This is the backdrop we turn to today — not to scare you, but to ground you. To hold space for the fear, the outrage, the weariness. To invite reflection, action, healing.

The Shutdown: What’s Happening & What It Means Here

On October 1, 2025, the U.S. federal government entered a shutdown after Congress failed to pass appropriations legislation (laws passed by Congress that authorize government spending for specific purposes and agencies) for the new fiscal year.
Here in Pennsylvania, including in Philadelphia, the impact is quickly cascading:

  • Many federal functions are paused; non-essential employees are furloughed and essential workers continue without pay. (FOX 29 Philadelphia)

  • Iconic historic sites in Philadelphia — Liberty Bell Center, Independence Hall, and other National Park Service-managed locations — are shuttered until funding resumes. (6abc Philadelphia)

  • Critically, benefits that many residents depend on are at risk of being delayed or paused entirely.

    • More than 475,000 Philadelphians receive the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) monthly. (PhillyVoice)

    • The state warns that November SNAP payments will not be made if the shutdown continues. (FOX 29 Philadelphia)

    • The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) for this winter has been delayed by a month. (NBC10 Philadelphia)

Because of this, many households are already preparing for food insecurity, inability to pay for heat or electricity, and cascading stress.

For Black and poor communities in Philadelphia, the disruption hits especially hard. Many of us live paycheck to paycheck, rely on programs like SNAP and LIHEAP, and have fewer buffers. When benefits vanish or are delayed, the consequences are immediate: less food on the table, colder homes in winter, an increased mental load. Food banks warn of "massive strain" because they know the deficit of federal aid cannot easily be filled. (PhillyVoice)

The shutdown has brought disruption across our daily lives — yet history reminds us that this city has weathered far worse. From uprisings to recessions, from redlining to renewal, Philadelphia has always been a place where people come together when systems fail.

Yes, this pause in government funding affects our food, our homes, and our sense of security — but it also calls us back to what’s real: each other. Neighbors sharing meals, community gardens feeding families, local businesses stepping up, and circles of care forming wherever there is need.

The truth is, we’ve always been our best resource. And by pooling our energy, our compassion, and our creativity, we can rise above any shutdown, any storm, and any season of uncertainty. Together, we are the system that sustains us.

The Epidemic of Missing Black Women & Girls — and the Case of Kada Scott

In the midst of the political-economic stress, another crisis persists: thousands of Black women and girls vanish or are killed, often under-reported, under-resourced, and under-remembered. The energy in the city around this feels like grief, vigilance, and un-settled spirits all at once.

One case makes this heartbreak tangible: Kada Scott, 23 years old, from Philadelphia. 

  • She was last seen after leaving her overnight shift at an assisted living facility in Northwest Philadelphia on October 4th. (6abc Philadelphia)

  • Reports say she had received harassing phone calls in the days leading up to her disappearance. (People.com)

  • Her car remained parked at the workplace, and she vanished without trace until human remains were recently identified as hers. (ABC News)

  • Authorities have charged a suspect (Keon King, 21) with kidnapping, arson, tampering, murder, and more. (6abc Philadelphia)

For me, this is particularly close: I would visit her job site monthly for art therapy with the elderly. I don't know if we've ever crossed paths before, but— she is now gone, and her family is left with an excruciating void.

We cannot ignore the disproportionate casualty rate here: Black women and girls often vanish into systems that cannot or will not track them like others. And in the shadows of a shutdown, when budgets are tight and social safety nets are fraying, the risk multiplies.

As we continue to uplift awareness around missing Black women and girls, I also want to share community efforts dedicated to action and advocacy.

PA musical artist Bigga Dre (@officialbiggadre) will be sharing the petition for the Ebony Alert Law at an upcoming Community Prayer Circle coordinated by community organizer, Sacred Woman Xola Tumaini (@CrystalJawn) on 11/1/25. (Learn More)

The Ebony Alert Law is a new statewide alert system specifically designed to help locate missing Black children and young Black women between the ages of 12 and 25, signed into effect by California Governor Gavin Newsom in October 2023. It’s the first law of its kind in the nation and serves as a crucial step toward addressing the ongoing crisis of our missing sisters and children.

This kind of policy — and the community advocacy behind it — reminds us that collective care, awareness, and persistence can spark real change.

RSVP for the community circle and join the cause.

Sign the petition to bring the Ebony Alert Law to PA.

The Thin Veil Between Worlds — Fear, Spirit & Collective Care

With Halloween and Día de los Muertos around the corner, one can feel the metaphor of the “thin veil” between worlds more strongly: between life & death, seen & un-seen, this world and the next. In Philadelphia’s old brick alleys, the quiet of early mornings, the glow of vigil candles — the spiritual leaks into the physical.

Enter now mindfulness, ritual, community healing:

  • Prayer: both individual and communal. When the city’s weight becomes heavy, prayer can anchor us. Individually, a brief pause, a breath, words spoken quietly. Communally, circles of support, shared intention, linking our hearts to one another. We are stronger together.

  • Meditation / Self-Grounding: Ground yourself in your body and in breath. When fear or overwhelm shows up — about benefits being cut, about loved ones missing, about injustice mounting — don’t let it hijack you. Sit with it. Feel the ground under your feet. Breathe deeply. Let the rising panic be witnessed, acknowledged, and released.

  • Release, Recharge, & Reconnect with Nature: When life feels heavy, nature reminds us that everything moves in cycles — even you. Step outside and let the Earth hold you. Breathe deeply. Let your worries move through your body and dissolve into the wind. Take time to ground yourself: feel your feet on the soil, stretch under the sun, or listen to flowing water. These simple acts can help release built-up tension, reset your energy, and bring you back to center. And when the day softens into night, sit under the moon like you’re resting at your grandmother’s feet. Let her gentle light guide and console you — a reminder that no matter how dark things may seem, you are always held, always guided, and always capable of renewal. Use these moments as a reminder that you are nature — always growing, shedding, and blooming again.

  • Community Ritual: Host or join a vigil, a prayer circle, a moment where missing persons are named. Where we call the names of lost Black women and girls. Where we affirm our shared humanity. Where we meditate together, release together, stand together.

What You Can Do — Action & Resources

Because ceremony without action can feel weak, and action without ritual can feel hollow. Let’s meet both.

Resources you can tap into / share:

  • For food resources in Philadelphia: if SNAP payments pause and food insecurity grows, local food banks and pantries will matter more than ever. You can search via Feeding Pennsylvania (FeedingPA.com) or call 2-1-1 for local referrals. I've also compiled a list of community fridges and free food markets in Philadelphia.

  • For mental & spiritual communal support: form or join a healing circle or support group in your neighborhood. Because isolation is a stress multiplier. Upcoming community prayer circle.

  • Explore ongoing holistic wellness offerings at Violets in Bloom — from yoga and Qigong classes to crystals, herbs, and spiritual tools. You can also connect with mental health specialists and holistic wellness practitioners who are here to support your healing journey.

  • Sign the petition to bring the Ebony Alert Law to PA to stop the epidemic of missing Black women and children ages 12 to 25.

  • For the case of Kada Scott: community members have been supporting her family by dropping off donations to City Councilmember Anthony Phillips' office at 1514 Wadsworth Avenue. (cbsnews.com) The final drop-off date is Saturday, October 25, 2025, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Accepted items include, but are not limited to, self-care items, non-perishable foods, and gift cards for meal delivery or general stores. 
    Donate to the Justice & Memorial Fund for Kada Scott

A Closing Whisper

In this city — where government halls go dark, where missing women’s names echo in quiet corners, where autumn winds sweep leaves across sidewalks — let us not be swept away by fear, but rather anchored by hope.

Picture this: you sit beneath the moon. It rises. The air is cool. A tree stands beside you. Its roots dig deep into the earth. You breathe in. You breathe out. You feel your feet on the ground. You feel the pulse of the city. You feel your community beside you, unseen yet present. You whisper the name of Kada Scott. You whisper the names of the countless Black women and girls whose faces we may not know but whose lives matter. You breathe in resilience. You breathe out grief.

It’s a thin veil tonight between what’s visible and what’s invisible. Use this time, this season, to see what’s unseen. To hear what’s unsaid. To hold what’s breaking—and to help rebuild what’s worn. And let the city, our city, rise with you.