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PROVIDENCE, R.I. — “I’m here because I lost my son in 2007, four days before Christmas,” said Nancy Davis-Wilson, as she stood before a crowd gathered in Kennedy Plaza, “it has devastated my life.”
Over 500 people walked the second annual No More Murder March of Providence on Sunday June 28, beginning at Billy Taylor Park on the East Side.
Participatory organizations included Urban Men Against Murder, Curse Breakers Outreach Program, and the Institute for the Study and Practice of Non-violence. Many people unaffiliated with organizations participated in the march as well.
“This march is not intended to lift up any certain organization,” said Ryan James Gaumond, “but rather to bring organizations, religions and community together and heal the separation of the city.”
“We try to be that example of correction, forgiveness and unity,” said Dewayne “Boo” Hackney, “we’re trying to unify the city, memorialize the brothers and sisters that we have lost and endorse and support the brothers and sisters who are trying to do the right thing.”
Black shirts saying, “We Are Family” on the front and listing all sections and races of Providence on the back filled the crowd, as well as home-made shirts with photos of family or friends remembered — people lost to violence. Seven men pushed a casket to symbolize the severity of street violence. Many signs and banners waved throughout the march. A steady drumbeat and chant kept the march in unison:
“No more murder! No more separation!”
“No more murder! No more separation!”
After an hour of walking and cheering, the march made its first stop at the Rhode Island School of Design. A presentation by Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard W. Rose, began with a “roll call” listing the names of 159 murder victims in Providence from 1994-to-present, ages ranging from 12-to-29 years old.
Rose spoke of Fratricide, making a point that the murders committed, were made by people of Providence on people of Providence. “We’re not under attack from the outside,” said Rose, “we’re under attack from within.”
He concluded his talk with encouragement and a challenge: “Let’s start raising our children instead of burying them. Let’s teach them that though the odds are long, the struggle difficult, and the challenges many, they too can rise above their circumstances, and live a life of love, tolerance and achievement.”
After the presentation, the march continued to its final destination, Kennedy Plaza. Numerous speakers, live music, free food and fellowship followed.
“I think today shows that it is important for you to have unity, it is important to have community,” said Pastor Julia Jones of Victory Outreach Center. “It’s not about black, it’s not about white, it’s not about Hispanic—it’s about all. Unity is not just East Side coming together or South Side coming together, it means all sides coming together. Eventually we want to have every side of Providence walk down and meet in such a place as Kennedy Plaza and just fellowship and build unity and strength through one another.”
Reginald Morris was ecstatic about the day’s events. “Today was an eye-opener,” said Morris, “to see the amount of violence and the crime that takes place, especially how the majority of people know one another, grew up with one another, and some of them are even family members. It’s good to see that people are becoming more aware of what’s going on, and they want to take action against the violence.”
“We need to stand up for who we are and respect people’s lives,” said Davis-Wilson during her speech about how the death of her son has affected her life, her children’s lives and her community. “Life has value. Those who are taking people’s lives, they don’t value life; they may not even value their own lives. But you have to value life. We need to stop spilling blood.”
“We want to put a stop to the violence that’s going on in our community,” said Pastor D. Sherrod Jones, “our goal is to increase the peace in Providence.”
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