ATLANTA — Police, pastors and community leaders have all spoken out, when it comes to keeping young people from a life of crime.
“It’s painful to hear and read in my generation knowing that kids younger than my brother and my sister are dying, like they’re not coming back,” said Eleanor Jones.
“Gun violence is nothing new, especially here in Atlanta. We just decided that if not us then who and the time is now,” said Zion Byrd.
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That’s why seniors Eleanor Jones and Zion Byrd with the Atlanta Public Schools Student Advisory Council will be hosting a ‘Stand Against Violence’ Rally on Thursday night at Atlanta City Hall.
The idea started as a way to honor both 12-year-old Zyion Charles and 15-year-old Cameron Jackson, who were shot and killed near Atlantic Station, but now there’s an even bigger picture.
“It’s about gun violence in Atlanta and how it proportionately affects the Black community,” said Jones.
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They said we need to get to the root of the problem of gangs reaching kids.
“When you grow up in neighborhoods and all you see is gun violence. That’s all you know, it’s hard to break away from that,” Jones said.
“I think it’s the culture honestly. There are a lot of influences – not just influences in the home, but media influences, you know, it’s in our music,” Byrd said.
Jones and Byrd said the rally is a start but they want to see change in our government.
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“This rally is not performative, it’s not for cameras. This is real life, these are real children, these are real people,” said Byrd.
“How many more young Black men have to die before we doing something about it? How many more mothers have to bury their children before laws are made around gun reform?” said Jones.
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