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| Vigil remembers murder victims |
By Deborah M. Todd |
Published
04/26/2007
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Metro
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Vigil remembers murder victims
“Mary Harrison, Samuel Wright, James Derry, Michael Martin...”
Will Thompkins of One Vision, One Life started the roll call of 1993 homicide victims during a candlelight vigil at The Pittsburgh Project on the North Side April 21. After the first 21 victims’ names were read, program director El Gray continued with 10 more who were murdered in 1994.
 | ROLL CALL REMEMBRANCE—Vigil participants light candles as the names of deceased violence victims are recited aloud.
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By the time they were finished, they had called the names of 148 people murdered over the course of 14 years. And that was from the North Side alone.
Approximately 50 residents, community leaders and surviving friends and family members attended the candlelight vigil ceremony to remember those lost to violence. Organizers meant for the ceremony to honor the victims’ memories, but also hoped it would drive home the impact violence has had in a single neighborhood.
“In one way, it’s good to be here. In another way, I wish we didn’t have to. I wish there was no cause for this,” said Saleem Ghubril, executive director of The Pittsburgh Project.
The event provided a release for left behind, many of whom have yet to receive any form of closure through an arrest or conviction of their loved one’s murderer.
“It’s been five years now—I hear that a lot from people, ‘It’s been five years now, you should be doing much better.’ To be honest, when your child is murdered, sometimes it’s like it just happened 10 minutes ago,” said Valerie Dixon of Divine Intervention Ministries, an organization that uses a billboard campaign to help close unsolved murder cases. Dixon’s son Rob was one of the victims recognized during the vigil.
“There’s a purpose for what we do every day, and it’s to increase the value of life. If we allow things around us in our community to develop where there’s shooting and killing and no one’s saying anything, we’re allowing that. We’re part of the problem too.”
The idea of community intervention was reiterated as speakers addressed, and at times pleaded with, the crowd to become actively involved with young people in their neighborhoods.
“We need to start protecting our investments,” said Rev. Shirley Jarrett of Parents Against Violence. “As bad as some of them may seem, as bad as some of them may act, they still belong to us. I know that people have a tendency to say, ‘It’s not my child’—yes it is. Any child that’s in a community that you live in, and they die in that community, you should feel sad not only for the parent, but you should feel sad that another child has lost their life.”
While the vigil focused on murders that took place on the North Side, or those that involved North Side residents, guests were also reminded to look beyond the borders of their own communities.
“If we have a problem, it’s everyone’s problem,” said Pittsburgh Police Chief Nate Harper. “It’s not Manchester’s problem—up on this side of North Charles Street, we’re all worried about what’s going on down in Manchester. We all worry about what’s going on over in the Hill, we’re all worried about what’s going on in Homewood. It’s all of our problem.”
While solutions ranging from tougher gun laws to more cooperation with police were offered, the event stayed true to its purpose as a memorial service. Although only three candles were lit to honor those 148 victims, each candle represented the past, the present and, hopefully a brighter future.
“This vigil’s not about politics (or) personalities,” said Thompkins. “It’s about those otherwise healthy young people who were robbed of their most productive years. It’s about those who lost their lives to senseless acts of violence and the loved ones they left behind. It’s about you and me,” said Thompkins.
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Comments
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Comment #1
(Posted by G.Booker)
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Let’s be honest. Pittsburgh will never change. From its old good-boy politics to the violence in the streets. It will never change. My best advice to anyone who is young and Black and doesn't have any family obligations or responsibilities (children, sick parents or siblings to care for) especially the males under the age of 25. Pick up and leave town. Atlanta, Charlotte, Florida, Los Angeles, Texas, The South etc, etc. This is one (I'm set in my ways not open to change cities) from the demeanor of all races everyone is set in there way. Sometimes u have to go to grow... My opinion is get out of here before someone u love it not yourself ends up six feet under. Peace.
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Comment #2
(Posted by Anonymous)
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This is why the city is like it is now. We always run. There is racism and homicides in all those places. These places are segregated also. Even if you have money...most live in "Black suburbs" People live here and love it here...we can't keep passing the buck. People have to realize the more we walk away and do nothing we are actually doing more self-harm then we know. The parents blame the school, the school blames the environment, the kids blame society and society lives in fear and misinformation. So doing nothing causes us to do the same as the people who are committing these crimes: Keep running.
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Comment #3
(Posted by Get Back)
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I don't think it has as much to do with running away. Speaking from a perspective of an individual who has lived in New York City and has lived in Los Angeles and lived in the Philadelphia area yes first-hand violence is prevalent in those cities also. Without a doubt. Especially in Philadelphia where the homicide rate is atrocious. However, the opportunity does not exist here in this small politically connected city for young African- American Men. I mean we’re elected the most livable city in the nation but for whom. I don't think it is livable for us in all aspects. As soon as we do create an art-form such as hip-hop we get blasted by people who have the attitude that we all act alike, we are thugs and drug-dealers and we are intimidating figures to society. As far as the work-force here, look around. How many decent job opportunities exist for young men here. For example look at the Port Authority situation. All those people who are at the bottom of list some of whom just started and now being laid off. Just in my opinion in those places more opportunities exist for professional development, without having to worry about the everyday occurrences on how the media twists the stories about the harsh realities of African-American men. It seems like that there are so many people who are stuck on Pittsburgh they need to travel. People become trapped here. I’m not necessarily saying runaway I’m saying travel or leave to grow. That’s all I’m saying. "Some time you have to go to grow." And yes grass is not always greener on the other side but like I said if u don't take those aforementioned steps then u will never know ur potential. Traveling across town to the next neighborhood its not traveling out of ur city. Gives ur kids exposure to different places outside of the state. Not just Atlanta to whom everybody from Pittsburgh seems to have relatives in but places like Rochester NY, Flint Michigan, Minnesota, South Carolina, Maryland, D.C. Florida, N.C. etc, etc. Gives ur kids Exposure.
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