Dr. Palmer
Walter Palmer was born in 1934 in Atlantic City, and moved to Philadelphia in 1939. Walt grew up in the Black Bottom, raising his siblings when his father died at 12 and helping to provide for his family by doing odd jobs and performing music and dance on the streets.
Walt Palmer was arrested for the first time at age 12, he was shot and stabbed before high school, involved in local gangs, and went on to graduate from West Philadelphia High School, graduated from University of Pennsylvania’s School of Respiratory and became director of Cardio-Pulmonary Care at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, studied business and communications at Temple University, went to Cheyney University for his teacher’s degree in history, social studies, and communications, then went to Howard Law for his Juris Doctorate.
Additionally, Walt has worked for many organizations doing community organizing, he’s helped to buy and sell many major businesses, was a chief negotiator between MOVE and the city, worked in education, and is a Professor at the University of Pennsylvania. He was inducted into the Philadelphia College of Physicians in 2005.
Gerald Bolling
Gerald Bolling is a long time community activist and the founder of Bridges for Change, an organization whose mission is to advocate for ex-offenders and incarcerated men and women.