Location: Mayme Moore Park, 867 Mt. Vernon Ave., Columbus, Ohio 43203.

Sidebar:  In order to shorten this article, I posted the interviews with James Wynn of Building Responsibility, Equality, and Dignity (B.R.E.A.D.). and State Representative Latyna Humphrey previously. Click on their names to go to those articles.  

Tell me about the event.

This is our first event. There has been a rise in violence. We want to do our best to mediate that and address it through faith. We have praise and worship teams, activists, B.R.E.A.D. and some other politicians to bring awareness. We want to be in action about what is happening.

Is there anything that I didn’t ask you that you think I should have asked you? If so, go ahead and answer that question.

Faith is an action. We don’t sit in churches. We come out in the community. We meet people. I am going door to door in the Bronzeville Community meeting and praying with people. Hopefully, we can spread some hope.

Tell me about what you just did and the purpose behind it.

In Africa, drums are very important. They are a communication system. In the village, we use drums to communicate. All that I play is something that I am saying. I played the bell first. I am welcoming everyone in the village. “Something is happening, come around”. Before performing, you saw me go up to my mother and bow to show her respect and get her permission to perform. African music tells us a lot about life. In times of enjoyment and bereavement, we use the drums. We want to use this opportunity to talk to our children about gun violence.

Sidebar: I love it! Learning the why behind what I thought was “just” a performance.

This is a collaboration between the Bronzeville Neighborhood Association and Bethany Presbyterian Church to bring awareness to people working together for peace. With all the violence that is occurring, we have to do something and move to the next level. This is the beginning of that. For the neighborhood to take charge of its destiny for peace.

Is there anything that I didn’t ask you that you think I should have asked you? If so, go ahead and answer that question.

We have to wake people up to say, you can create peace. The other thing is to come together and say if we have to go down to city council to say that we want certain things to change that. We need to add infrastructure for the neighborhood. Change the environment so we can do this.

What is the name of the group?

They are not my group. I asked some of my closest friends to help me sing. We got together yesterday for one rehearsal.

Sidebar: What? One rehearsal? They “sang”….

Why volunteer?

This community is more than just a self-thing. We have to help each other out. We have seen so much violence and destruction in our city. You have to be willing to give of yourself. Your gifts, your talents, whatever it is that you do. You have to come out and be a community. One day you will need support. You have to come out and help somebody else.

Tell me why you volunteer.

We are with New Salem Baptist Church (all of us that have the keep the faith shirts). We were asked to open up with our praise and worship team. I love to sing. I love God. Any time I can spread a message of positivity, I am all for it.

My Take: The Bronzeville Push for Peace

I love the community coming together for a positive cause. Marvin Miller Jr. already said it. I’ll just say ditto to what he said.