Silence The Violence Michigan 2023
At the 2023 Silence the Violence March, Community activists, elected officials, and organizations from across the state joined Church of Messiah to march in remembrance of gun violence victims.
Hundreds of people were in attendance to meet the people who are making change happen and doing this work every single day. Many different anti-gun violence groups were also in attendance. People had the ability to sign petitions and join those groups!
Pastor Barry Randolph: I want to eventually see gun violence eradicated. Bringing all of these people together is crucial. We are the boots on the ground, and the people who are stakeholders. We can eradicate this if we continue to work together to share resources. It’s time to let people know what’s going on and what’s happening, and make sure that funding go to the right places, but give people an option where they can come in and work towards eradicating gun violence. I believe we can do this.
SILENCE THE VIOLENCE 2022
Watch the “Silence the Violence March 2022” Video
Pastor Barry Randolph: We need to uplift the groups that are doing the work. But WE also need to show up to let everybody know that we’re here to eradicate gun violence. We need to let the different groups that are here, we need to let them know, we’re behind you. And when they hold their events and when they do their events, we need to be there, right beside them, to say we’re standing up to them.
This year there is a lot to celebrate. Common sense gun bills have been recently been signed into law. Pastor Barry Randolph explained “In the past the Silence the Violence march has been a time to honor families affected by gun violence and give them support”…”This year is a celebration that things are finally moving in the right direction”.
“Dignitaries in Attendance (2022) Speak Out”
Teferi Brent, Co-Founder, Dignity 4 Detroit
We know that there are four things directly impacting criminal behavior, which means that criminal mindset and behaviors are born out of four things. One, fatherlessness. Two, substance abuse. Three, a functional illiteracy. And four, of course, mental health. Unresolved trauma. Undetermined trauma. So until we are willing to address those things institutionally and systemically and legislatively, we will continue to have an issue with crimes.
Mary Sheffield, President, Detroit City Council
We have to address the root causes of violence. We have to address the root causes of violence. To be quite honest it’s not just a law enforcement issue. It’s not a city council issue. It’s not a state issue. It’s not a federal issue. This is a we issue.
Chief James White, Detroit Police Department
We must work together to put an end to gun violence. You know, we talk about it a lot, but it’s time. It’s time to do something. We all have these really big positions and these big titles. But if we don’t do something with them, what’s the use, what’s the purpose?
Sheriff Raphael Washington, Wayne County
We’ve got to stop killing our babies. And you know why we’re killing our babies.. Because we’re leaving our guns unattended. We’re leaving our guns as a threat in harm’s way in reach of our babies. That’s gun violence you all. That’s just a different form.
Fred Durhal III, Member, Detroit City Council
Get the community involved. In order to stop these brothers from shooting each other, we got to give them something to do. We just can’t look at the problem and not come with the solutions. Everyone wants gun violence to stop. To end this violence, it’s going to take all of us and we look forward to working together. Let’s stop this violence now.
Elijah Richardson, CEO, WHOH Detroit
This type of event has a huge impact on our community. We need more events like this to happen more often so that we can stop the violence, not just the gun violence, but all violence.
Dujuan “Zoe” Kennedy, Community Organizer, Force Detroit
This is my second time out. My first time coming, I had just got released from a 15-year sentence in prison. You get to network and you get to build and be more impactful first and foremost. But it also sends a message to the community that it’s not just law enforcement that care or community that care, everybody care because everybody in this community. It’s a human thing. So it gives a good message to the people, but it also encourages people to participate in this type of behavior and these type of solution-oriented things that we’re doing out here.