By Ryan Ngala
[Harlem, New York] – With
the overall students and staff members in this community based program at the
Harlem Children’s Zone, they were ready to prepare themselves in this movement
event that can stop the end of violence not only in the streets of New York but
also in our homes, but at this event could end the violence of many loved ones
whose lives have been lost forever and hopefully that it’s send a message to
many New Yorkers that violence must be stop once and for all.
It was a gorgeous
sunny day, as me and the CSO (College Success Office) group had left the
building at 3:45, to wait for further instructions as we headed out and off we
went to go to 134th Street the CSO group was walking their way there
throughout park avenue, Madison avenue, and 5th Avenue at 135th
street as soon as they got to their destination on 134th Street and
7th Avenue between the site building of HCZ’s Truancy Prevention and
Project Class and Learn to Earn program site.
We was the last group
on the line behind Learn to Earn, ETC (Employment and Technology Center) and
many other HCZ site group who were above us, when the peace march rally had
started to begin some young teens were on the sidewalk so I thought that this
was not what the CSO group had in mind, they were supposed to be marching in
the street, but not on the sidewalk so they wanted to start all over as they
have them to do it all over again, so when the march rally was about to start,
we started to walk.
“Let’s go, CSO” said
Kim, I was from behind many students so that I know where I was going and I
won’t get lost, as we walk to the scene as we turn on 134th Street
and 7th Avenue at Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Boulevard and as they walk
to 136th Street they begin to chant with their big high voice as
they possible could as they started to said “Were gonna shout it out, Peace is
what it’s all about”, “We are the future, Don’t you agree?, Stop the violence
on kids like me!!!”, “Money for Schools, not for jails.”, and “Marching through
the zone to save our own!”.
They started to chant
all the way as they were headed to the Harlem Armory as banners, and posters
were being held up high and once they were waiting to be letting students inside
of the armory, they must have their peace march t-shirt on or otherwise they
can’t come in without having it to come off, so as they went inside the armory
and up the steps they go as they climb through the stairs from the first floor
waiting for many HCZ students and staff to get pass by until they were able to
find a seat, as I spotted my site group from CSO and also Tina who put water
bottles in a pack of ice so that it can stay cool, the ceremony was about to
begin in 5 minutes and as everyone were about to sit down, the ceremony was
about to begin.
In the auditorium,
when people saw their program logos coming up on a big projector screen, they
shouted out the name of their own site group among the different HCZ programs
such as ETC (Employment & Technology Center), CSO (College Success Office),
Countee Cullen Community Center, Truce Media, Truce Fitness, Learn To Earn, and
many more. The shouting continued as audience members started to shout out the
names of different HCZ programs represented by individuals who were starting to
perform on the big stage. Booker T.
Washington reps were doing the salsa on stage and many flags were being waived
by the staff members of Booker T., After their performance, the audience gave
them a big round of applause. Some HCZ participants were busy taking great pictures
including Will Weeks and me. The event was a great show with some great
performers representing Learn to Earn, Truce Media, ETC (Employment &
Technology Center) and many others.
But what really did struck
me was a performance by the group from Countee Cullen: they performed a cover
song to Eminem's "I'm Not Afraid." Their message was about decreasing
violence and promoting world peace in this community; they mourned the victims
who have lost their lives because of gun violence. Another impressive performance
was by the group from the Learn to Earn site program; they did a cover up to a
song of Meek Mill's "Amen", adding their own version of the lyrics that
told of the violence that is going today. They also mentioned of the HCZ
programs in their lyrics.
When the performances
were completed, the winners among the students of each HCZ programs were
announced. These were students who had participated in a 3 day event of the HCZ
summer games. The winners were Promise Academy 1 and 2, Peacemakers North and
South, Countee Cullen Community Center, A Cut Above and Booker T. Washington. Next
it was the time for a moment of silence for the fallen victims who have lost
their lives in the violence era; they are gone but not forgotten. Finally, HCZ
President and CEO Geoffrey Canada spoke on behalf of the fallen victims
including young ones like Scotty Scott and many others. HCZ staff members held up
their candles high up in their hands for the victims who have been lost to
violence. They are sorely missed; Many students at the rally wrote on a piece
of paper the names of the fallen victims they missed the most. When the HCZ peace march event was all over,
every HCZ site group saw the names of each two fallen victims projected on the
big screen.
