An invitation to witness, support, and restore. Ark Republic brings to life the first-ever podcast of its kind: a series diving into the lives of formerly incarcerated Philadelphia women.
Philadelphia, PA — On Wednesday, September 10, 2025, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., at the Cherry Street Pier, Ark Republic, a news media company, brings to life the first-ever podcast of its kind: a series diving into the lives of Philadelphia women navigating reentry. Free and open to the public, the press and community are encouraged to attend, listen, and exchange ideas.
Bringing together formerly incarcerated women, alongside commentary from advocates, academics, and media makers committed to restorative justice, Being Beloved: A Live Podcast on Stories of Return, offers a transformative evening of storytelling, community dialogue, and media engagement.
Hosted by the Cherry Street Pier No. 9 and curated by Sunkissed Group and 5 Shorts Project, Being Beloved: A Live Podcast on Stories of Return, is the live version of a webshow with the same name. Being Beloved, taped between 2023 and 2025, centers real-life experiences of Philadelphia women returning home after serving years in prison.
The live event will feature curated audio and video segments, a moderated panel discussion, and brief presentations from local media and justice organizations. Also, the evening plans to introduce a vital new media project, while discussing how storytelling can bring systemic change.
“Being Beloved has been one of my most humbling projects,” said Dr. Kaia Shivers, founder of Ark Republic. “It started as a production offering a chance at honest dialogue and healing spaces for women walking a difficult journey. It turned into an incredible lesson on how to hold grace and love for ourselves then for others.”
“This is more than just a podcast launch,” says Shameka Sawyer, event producer and founder of the 5 Shorts Project who assisted Ark Republic in finishing up the series. “It’s a collective space for healing, reflection, and reclaiming voice. These women are not statistics. They are storytellers, survivors, and leaders.”
Opening up the space for other local, new media press, a segment of the evening will highlight the work of newsmakers and content creators forging an innovative ecosystem in the digital age. Click here to join the event.
The event is wheelchair-accessible and trauma-informed, with a production team made up entirely of women. Light refreshments will be served. Photography and video documentation are welcomed. Press credentials are available upon request. Please email Shameka Sawyer at the following: shameka@arkrepublic.com
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ABOUT BEING BELOVED PODCAST: Funded initially by a grant through Philadelphia-based Valentine Foundation, Being Beloved intentionally shifted the lens of reentry to formerly incarcerated women—many of whom are mothers, all of whom are daughters who face unique and compounded challenges in their return home. The podcast worked to amplify the voices of women who are too often overlooked in conversations about criminal justice reform and community healing. To do so, the stories wove experiences and conversations around formerly incarcerated women, women working in reentry programs, journalists, scholars, social workers and therapists—all of whom tell the complex story of reentry. Black Farmers Index serves as the project’s fiscal sponsor and Love Now Media is a media sponsor.
ABOUT ARK REPUBLIC: An online multimedia company founded in 2017, it focuses on bringing rich and robust news coverage and feature stories with a solutions-based approach. Its signature reporting style, the Major Collaborative Project, tackles issues by fusing a collection of works from traditional and non-traditional journalists. From print stories and podcasts to photojournalism, comics and short stories, it is an award-winning small press. Launched in Newark, New Jersey, it has a satellite office in Philadelphia.
ABOUT 5 SHORTS PROJECT: A Philly-based organization committed to empowering emerging filmmakers and community members in Philadelphia to tell their stories through film, fostering creativity and amplifying diverse voices. Through hands-on training, impactful programs like Germantown Amplified and Bout Mine I Matter, and vibrant red carpet events, we combine art and advocacy to create meaningful change. Our mission is to inspire action, celebrate storytelling, and build a community where every voice matters.
ABOUT CHERRY STREET PIER NO. 9: Cherry Street Pier is a year-round, mixed-use public space on the central Delaware River waterfront. Built into the shell of a century-old municipal pier, it is a reflection of Philadelphia today—creative, diverse, historic, adaptable, and inspired.
