Where Are They Now: Movita Johnson Harrell
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Photo courtesy of Movita Johnson Harrell
Remember Movita Johnson Harrell?
Then: A long-time social justice activist who lost two sons to gun violence, Johnson Harrell was a supervisor in District Attorney Larry Krasner's victim and witness services unit, and then became the first female Muslim member in the Pennsylvania Legislature.
Her downfall: In early 2020, less than a year after winning her House seat, Johnson Harrell pleaded guilty to theft and perjury after being accused of taking more than $500,000 from a nonprofit she founded to help people in need and spending it on luxe vacations and clothing.
- She served two months in prison before being released on house arrest during the pandemic.
Now: On probation until November, Johnson Harrell has been busy.
- She tells Axios that she started a new group focused on restorative justice and anti-gun violence initiatives that has brought her across the city and the globe, including recent trips to Nigeria and Paris.
She also wrote a memoir — "Phoenix Ascending: My Rise From The Ashes" — about her difficult upbringing.
- A second part is expected to be out in April 2024, with a third installment in the works too.
Meanwhile, Johnson Harrell still wields a massive megaphone on social media. She's got more than 172,000 Instagram followers.
What she's saying: Asked what she's learned from going to prison, she tells Axios: "I never changed; the attacks against me have."
What to watch: PBS released a documentary about her life — "Murders That Matter" — this week.
This story is part of our series about what happened to big characters of Philadelphia yesteryears who then fell out of sight.