Not the turnout organizers hoped for
NEWBURGH – Community activist and formal mayoral hopeful for the City of Newburgh, Omari Shakur, organized a candlelight vigil Friday evening in remembrance of his youngest son Antonio Bryant, who was shot dead by police in October 2006. Friday marked the anniversary of his passing.
Shakur asked that 1,000 candles be lit in honor of, not only his son, but all of the other people who had lost loved ones, specifically children, to violence.
Unfortunately, 1,000 candles were not lit because only a small number of community members showed up to participate. Shakur, although disappointed at the turnout, said it is crucial for the community of Newburgh to know violence isn’t the only thing happening within the community and that many people there care for the children who inhabit the community and are showing it.
“We’re just trying to help with our children and get some understanding that there’s more than death in our community, that there are some people that’s trying, there are some people who care; we all care about our children,” said Shakur. “I don’t know what’s going on but, we need to send a message that we do care for our children. I don’t know man, right now, I’m just crying for my son tonight but, I’m going to fight for everyone else’s kids tomorrow.”
Shakur was not the only person concerned with the turnout either. Muriel Jones said that without the community’s support, no progress can be made.
“Community seems to be at an all-time low,” said Jones. “We need to unite as one and once we come together as one, our voices will be heard.”
Lillie Howard, known to the community as Ms. Lillie, was Bryant’s grandmother. She agrees community support is necessary for progress and believes that, if the community doesn’t make an effort to actively raise awareness on the issue of violence, the cycle of violence is doomed to repeat itself. She had a message for the community.
“I know the pain that’s involved with that and it’s like it’s a wound that continuously gets opened from time to time because I don’t care many years go by, it’s still, the pain is still there, maybe not as intense but, it’s still there and I grieve for those who have lost their children, their loved ones, in that way and we say, ‘violence begets violence’, and until we start addressing the problems in the community, we are going to see that violence continued,” said Howard.
Shakur, Jones, Howard and the others who participated in the vigil are urging the community to get involved in combating violence before more of Newburgh’s children are lost to it.
