BALTIMORE — As we prepare for Mother’s Day weekend, community organizers are promoting their annual Ceasefire weekend.
It’s a weekend where people ask everyone to refrain from gun fire and promote peace.
Ceasefire, now called the Baltimore Peace Movement, was co-founded by Erricka Bridgeford and it happens four times a year in Baltimore City.
This year partners like Angelique McKoy from House of Ruth teamed up to help host events for cease fire that promote peace.
“To us it means peace. It means that people should be able to live violence free," McKoy said.
“Asking people hey, let’s be peaceful, let’s celebrate life but with an intentional focus,” Bridgeford said.
Bridgeford said it’s only from a past experience filled with chaotic days that she has the passion and energy to promote peace continuously.
“Ever since I was 12-years-old, I’ve been seeing my friends die, my brother was killed, my cousins have been killed, my stepson has been killed,” Bridgeford said.
She said through that pain it allowed her to shift the negative energy and turn it into a positive energy by creating an intentional weekend filled with various events. The weekend that aligns with Mother's Day weekend especially is for people who are also grieving.
“It is to honor parents who have lost their children to gun violence not just moms, but also fathers,” Bridgeford said.
Bridgeford also said this mission is aimed to uplift, encourage self-love, and intentionally promote peace.
“I’m passionate about the healing part. I’m passionate about the people having safe spaces to resolve their conflict. I’m passionate about people learning conflict management skills because conflict is inevitable, but violence is not necessarily inevitable. We don’t have to be violent just because we have conflict,” Bridgeford said.
