Second
Anniversary
Celebration
(L-R) Candace Boyd and her
moth r 'njoy the celebration.
Rev. Willie Ri,ley and his
Evang II t wife, Dorothy,
perform. Brother Duncan,
WCHB 1200 AM a istant and
form r go pel promoter, Raf
Ev n ,were among the everal
hundred who attended Rev.
Willie Riley and' Family go pel
group' econd annlv r ry
c lebration t CSA
Headquarter. Gerald Ril y,
four-year-old grand on of Rev.
Riley. The Heavenly Star , 8
go P I group performed during
thi joyou celebration. (photo.
by N. Scott)
..
ion.
.C te fe ho , fe cor-
rido , nd" zon" to pro­
tect children in an$! n r hools.
rovide children and youths
with fe, positive alternati
to the t tao Summer, wee -
end, and after-school programs
to keep children safe and con­
nected to caring adults should be
an immediate priority for every
community. The Black Student
Leadership Network at CDF can
help in organizing local efforts.
(l-800-ASK-BCCC)
• Help create youth jobs and
training opportuniti to provide
young people with legitimate
routes to su . Tell decision
make that creating ajob i a lot
cheaper than building a prison
cell.
• Support or help launch a
parent education or family sup-
port program, or get involved in
efforts to help prevent teen preg­
nancy.
• Get your congregation to
rtieipa in t CD i- 1
na n tio ance of ,
Children's Sabbaths on Oct. 14-
16, 1994. Call for materials to
help your church conduct tudy
groups, prayer circles, teach-ins,
and worship services on violence
and learn about promising ways
to address the problem. (1-202-
662-3583)
.. Inform you If and others
first-hand about the violence
against our children in your com­
munity and what can be done
about it by participating in a
Child Watch, a guided tour of
hospitals, schools, family sup­
port programs, and other places
that serve children and families.
(1-202-662-3582)
moved so far away from the core • Join the Black Community
of our moral and spiritual values Crusade for Children to Leave
that we don't care that seeking to , No Child Behind and to ensure
solve problems or seeking retri- that every child has a Healthy
bution through violence often Start A Head Start A Fa ir
leav not only grieving families, Start,' and a Safe Start' in life.
but also a community where the
safety of all is at risk?
And what is left for our chil­
dren's future? With the presence
of guns, drugs, and gangs it may
well be a future they won't live to
y
Ev ry d y in the United
S , 12 BI ck child n r
killed ult of viol nt
Th I killing nd iJ\jury
of Bl ck youth becom on of
the wo t cri facing our com-
munity ince lav ry. Tod y
guns rve a jud and jury for
the mo t minor of di gr
ment . Som of our childr n
m to belie that if they
armed their problem can be
solved. All of our children re
in ingly f nul.
The Black Community Cru­
de for Children recently con­
d ucted one of the mo t
comprehensive polls ever of th
African American oommunity,
including po from chil­
dren and the adults who love
and care for them. Both adults
and children are unified in their
concern for the future of our chil­
dren.
Although adults many
rious problem facing the
younger generation, the threat of
violence ov rshadows all others.
Of the Black adults surveyed,
83% say th are "Really bad
tim "or "tough times" for Black
children and many worry that
their children will not live to
reach adulthood.
A full 64% consider violence
and 72% consider the presence of
guns to be very serious problems
in the communities where they
live. This fear of violence and
guns affects the outlook of par­
ents and youths in all education
levels, �aces, and economic
groups.
NO ONE SHOULD underes­
timate the impact of epidemic
pov rty, unemployment, and
homel n on th piraling
viol in u . . A
it will take time to turn around
these problems that trap our
children. But we can and must do
it.
We need to reinforce our chil­
dren's hope and idealism and
teach them that many of the dis­
putes that provoke violence can
be resolved without the loss of
lives. What has happened to us
when we resort to violence and
killings over mundane thin�
like traffic altercations, minor
school yard disagreements, love
triangles, and misunderstood
glances?
Have we as a community
Marian Wright EdeLman is PfY8idmt
of tM Children.' Dttfm.&� Fund, a national
ooioe for children, and a I«J,cUr of 1M
BUld Community Cnuad« for Children.
We appreciate your
letters and comments.
Please send them to:
Michigan Citizen
12541 Second
Highland Park, MI
48203
I
OBITUARY
Many parent who were
polled feel it is only a matter of
time until their children become
victims. One father from Georgia
aid, "It' , dangerous out there,
and maybe one day someone will
call and tell me my child got
hot." A mother from Illinois
'said, "1 hope my child lives to
become an adult.":
LET AVE OUR children
•
By ROBBIE CRUMP-McCOY
Even after she became disabled Mrs,
Lewi would promote her affiliated or­
ganizations by telephon , and sh was
noted for speaking to church groups.
Survivors include: her husband,JR
Le . ; two daughters, Thelma Little,
St Louis, MD and Barbara Pugh, Co­
lumbus, OH; 1 grandchildren and
many friends and relati
Swansons Fun ral directors ere in
char of th em with uria 1 t
Woodlawn Cern tery.
tJOn
(
i
