On Saturday, approximately 75 people marched through Grand Rapids calling for and end to street killings as part of a community march organized by the group M.A.S.K. (Mothers Against Street Killings). M.A.S.K. was formed in 2005 largely at the behest of Darnella Powell whose son was shot to death on the streets of Grand Rapids during the summer of 2005. Powell has committed to using the tragic death of her son as vehicle for preventing further deaths.
As the march wound its way through Grand Rapids, moving from Garfield Park to Joe Taylor Park near the intersection of Diamond and Baxter, it garnered supportive reactions from the neighborhoods that it went through. Drivers honked in support, people came out on their porches, and people joined the march as it progressed. The march went on Burton to Eastern and then onto Baxter, taking it through many neighborhoods that have seen street killings over the past several years. The march was led by a banner reading M.A.S.K. while organizers kept the crowd together and moderated the pace to ensure that the march remained cohesive. For much of the march, Kent County Commissioner Paul Mayhue led chants on a megaphone and kept the energy of the crowd up. The chants included "We're Fired Up, Don't Want No Dope" and "The People United Will Never Be Defeated." Many participants in the march also wore shirts with the faces of friends and family members that had been killed on the streets.
Before and after the march, a variety of speakers with M.A.S.K. and other community groups, as well as various community leaders, talked briefly about the problem of street killings and violence in Grand Rapids and called on the community to prevent black youth from becoming "another statistic." One of the most powerful moments of the event was at the concluding rally, when organizers had the mothers and family members in the crowd come forward if they had lost children and relatives to street violence. Unlike much of the corporate media reporting that sensationalizes the violence and blames the problem on "out of control" youth, the speakers placed the blame for the problem on the entire city of Grand Rapids, arguing that the education system, the police system, the religious system, and the political system were all responsible in some way for the ongoing violence. While identifying institutional failings that contribute to the violence, the speakers asserted that the community can and should take responsibility for the problem, with one speaker reminding the crowd of the importance of talking to the youth that gather on street corners as a means of getting to them before the police do. The speakers emphasized the need to be proactive in addressing the problem, arguing that it is important to take actions such as this march to raise awareness, highlight the problem, and undertake preventative measures before more deaths occur. The speakers and organizers emphasized that this was only one part of an ongoing organizing effort around this issue.
As a follow-up event, members of the local chapter of ACORN and organizers with M.A.S.K. promoted an April 17 "Save Our Youth" Town Hall Forum that will take place at 6:30pm at the Eastern Avenue Christian Reformed Church located at 514 Eastern Ave. SE. According to the flyer, a variety of city leaders including Mayor George Heartwell, City Commissioner Elias Lumpkins Jr., City Commissioner James White Sr., City Manager Kurt Kimball, Grand Rapids Parks and Recreation Director Jay Steffen, and Chief of Police Harry Dolan have been invited to hear residents talk about more Southside youth programs as a potential solution to violence.
