EAST CLEVELAND, Ohio — This past Saturday at 11:00 a.m., the Together We Rise Walk Project hosted its second event, The East Cleveland Walk for Peace, Hope and Healing.
Together We Rise is comprised of Cleveland activist organizations and members of the community dedicated to ending gun violence in the greater Cleveland area. Organizations involved include Voices of My People, Black on Black Crime, Inc., Black Women's Army and M-PAC Cleveland, amongst others.
Not only were there pleas to the community to stop the violence, but there were also tributes to loved ones who have lost their lives due to crime.
The walk began with a vigil that allowed survivors to share their stories along with encouraging words of peace and healing from local activists and leaders.
Neighbors, family and friends took to the streets of East Cleveland chanting "Whose street? Our street!" in hopes of not sitting idly by as the senseless violence continues, but getting out and "doing something".
"We walk because we believe that together we can rise against this pandemic, this crisis of crime. We have to get out and do something," said a woman attending the walk.
In a press release, Together We Rise states their mission is to "restore and rebuild community camaraderie and trust" while "addressing the crisis of crime and advocating for an end to gun violence."
"A part is missing, a part is gone. You can't replace it, you can't bring it back. That kindred spirit amongst other moms that have lost a child to gun violence it unites us," said Michelle Bell, who lost her son Andre Brown to gun violence.
Find more information on Together We Rise and the many organizations involved in this cause here.
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