BALTIMORE — On Monday night different people with different organizations and the same end goal — to end the violence in Baltimore and build up our communities — came together.
One of the locations for the city wide peace vigil was at the nee Healing Gardens in Harlem Park. They asked everybody across Baltimore to hold a candle and pour some positive light over our city.
In the pews of the St. Martin Church of a Christ in Northwest Baltimore the men of We Our Us.
As they walk out the door they hold opportunity in their hands.
Connecting community members with jobs, counseling opportunities, and anything else they may need.
“We know that the murders are not stopping,” said Pastor Antoine Burton. “We can’t stop, and even when the murders do stop we won’t stop. Until than we have to help to continue to change the narrative and the culture of this city.”
On this night they still committed to their walk and joined in a city wide call for peace.
Lisa Molock and Let’s Thrive Baltimore were out in force.
This organization focuses on giving teens and young people opportunities.
“It takes a village,” Molock said. “One person can’t do it alone. It’s going to take everyone to come together to let the folks, the small number of folks that’s in our city whose doing these killings to let them know we are sick and tired of it.”
On this same day three years ago young innocent Taylor Hayes was shot and killed.
Her mother was embraced by the people trying to prevent her and so many others from feeling that pain.
At 8 o’clock all the groups lit a candle and called on everyone across the city to spread love.
Erricka Bridgeford and some her team members at Baltimore Ceasefire brought the sage and never ending supply of positive energy.
“Doing something positive at the same time, we know that when people do the same thing at the same time it literally raises the vibrations of a place,” Bridgeford said. “That’s scientific facts and so that’s what we’re doing tonight.”
The pain of loss is a trait so many of our great leaders face in Baltimore, but their strength to create hope is a bond that is even stronger.
