Written by Tanya Terry
The 2nd annual the Silence the Violence Walk is set to take place in Flint Memorial Day weekend.
Minister Cepeda Chatman, senior minister of True Believers United, pointed out the local walk falls under the umbrella of the Detroit Chapter, Church of the Messiah, where the Pastor is Barry Randolph. Church of the Messiah has been doing the Silence the Violence Walk for 18 years.
“The reason being is what they’ve accomplished due to this walk,” Chatman said. “They do have the mind to take the community back, and they are doing just that. They went out into the streets. They’ve reached hundreds and hundreds of people, even thousands of them! They’ve gotten drug dealers to throw their bags in. They’ve got them to throw their guns down, the users to put their needles down, prostitutes to wear longer dresses. Now some of them have their own seasonings in grocery stores. They’ve built over 205 affordable housing units from the ground up. They did it-from their own people they got from the streets. Now they’re doing a $20 million project right now. So, they’re doing just amazing! They’ve got their own energy. They’re taking people off the street. They reached into them, made them drop all their nonsense, and gave them a mirror. They made them look into it, and they said: ‘That’s not who you are; this is who you are. Look in there. Look in there good and find that creativity.’ That’s always what they do. Pastor Randolph always encourages us.”
Randolph will be coming from Detroit to be at Flint’s walk, which departs at 1:30 from the Sylvester Broome Empowerment Village May 24.
“He says you can do the same thing in Flint,” said Chatman of Randolph. “If you could see their neighborhood now, you would say ‘Oh my God!’ So, it’s more than just the walk. It’s not just some parade, and then at the end of the day we just have a little turkey sandwich and that’s it! No! We’re trying to reach people – because when people improve your neighborhood can improve! When they’re mindset improves, now you can think pass the trigger. Rather than going that route, you can say: ‘Hey, let’s go build something. Let’s go increase, let’s go enhance our community.’ But, you’ve got to put that mindset in them.”
Chatman pointed out violence does not just refer to guns.
“You’ve got political violence. You’ve got social violence. You’ve got different levels of gray.”
According to Chatman, the Silence the Violence Walk takes place in nearly 100 cities, throughout multiple states nationwide. He said it was Claude High, a local businessman, who established the relationship with Randolph before helping to launch the Silence the Violence Walk in Flint.
“It’s really catching on like wildfire! We’re just enjoying being a part of it!”
The Silence the Violence Walk in Flint will both start and end at the Sylvester Broome Empowerment Village.
“We’re going to leave out of the Sylvester Broome, go down Saginaw to Pasadena, make that right, go down to ML King where Bethlehem Temple is, then make that right. Then, we’re going to come to Damon and Mooore-and make that right, and come right back to the Sylvester Broome.”
There, community groups will offer information about services and resources.
Hill Harper is lined up as the keynote speaker.
A Detroit-based marching band and a local marching band are also expected to take part.
True Believers United aims to minister beyond the church walls and for true believers come together from all walks of life to try to make a positive impact upon the world as a whole.
Chatman is asking local organizations, leaders and individuals to “not just sit behind a title or a form of power.” But, to come and participate in the walk.
