This school year started without 2 of its students, George, who will never have the opportunity to get his driver's license, be able to graduate with his classmates nor go on to college because his life was taken by gunfire and his perpetrator, Deshawn, will be spending a long time in jail.
The same committee who helps organize MLK day decided we needed to come together as a community for reflection and healing. "The goal is to replace the ‘Old Story’ of isolation and fear with a ‘New Story’ of coming together and compassion. "
Ground rules of were laid out for both the listeners and speakers :
*Show respect and love for those speaking out.
* Be brief: 3 minute limit for invited speakers, 2 for open mic
* Agreeing to disagree and hold private convo afterwards.
There were 3 parts to the gathering:
First, a rap performance by IMPACT.
Secondly, a meditation time to pause and grieve as we heard astounding statistics including among others the number of homeless kids in the district (100), monies being spent on incarceration's higher than on education and with an African American male population being proportionately higher than other populations.
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| Geri former Kindergarten teacher of 25+ years shared a tearful plea for us to reach out using Serena Williams theme song *Rise Up passing out hugs throughout the crowd |
Seven invited speakers were followed by an open mic...
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| open mic line grows (Lto R) UW-L student, Community resident Patty, 28 yr old and motivational speaker and more... |
Each speaker was very moving and powerful with their words and my eyes stay filled with tears most of the evening.
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| victim's HS girl friend will not forget this tragic loss |
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| Head of mentor program at Y and involved with UW-L young professionals encouraging young people to take advantage of city's resources |
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| Role models are important. |
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| Overcoming our past |
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| IMPACT- Neighbors need to correct bad behavior when they witness it. |
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| So many have lost someone to violence |
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| City's Human Rights Commission will meet for healing and building this next week |
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| Education is key. Stay in school, get your degree. |
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| Rabbi impresses really seeing people and making a connection |
The dialogue has begun. We listened to words about being are our brother's keeper and it taking a village to raise a child. We must act as good neighbors once again and take care of our neighborhoods and the children who live in them by being aware and by each of us taking a role with Love. We have to be the ones to stop the violence now before it gets worse.
As candles /phones were lit, we closed the program by holding the hand of someone next to us listening to words of hope and leaving the park after introducing ourselves to someone we didn't know. Wafting in the air was the song Lean On Me...
As Martin Luther King, Jr said "Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that."
*Andra Day's Rise Up
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