On Sunday morning, the Cheryl Ward Ministries hosted an anti-violence block party at the Black Cultural Zone located in East Oakland.

Anti-violence Block Party

In a video from CBS Local, with Oakland reaching its 100th case on violence-related crimes, many speculate that the lack of positive activities for young people could be the key to changing the current situation.

The post also mentioned that the Cheryl Ward Ministries was the one that organized the event to offer an alternative activity for young people and to remind them that positive behavior always has a reward.

In the same post, the event is dubbed as an anti-violence block party in the Black Cultural Zone in East Oakland. Additionally, in planning and organizing the block party, the Cheryl Ward Ministries said they first needed to know the young people.

The post described that the event was filled with fun games, a basketball shooting contest, and a pop-up roller skating rink. The event also shows that the concept of throwing a party can be a key to preventing violence.

The post also mentioned that according to Reverend Cheryl Ward, the recent crimes that plagued Oakland were sadly committed by young people. She said that the community’s responsibility is to cater to these kids to get them involved in more constructive and positive activities.

In addition, as per the same post, Reverend Ward established a team of young people that will serve as positive influencers to other kids around the area. One of the positive influencers, Steven Harvey, reaches out to the youngest age group to offer a different perspective regarding the constant hate seen in social media.

Moreover, as per the post, Steven thinks he is a better messenger than a city council or a police officer. The whole initiative believes that instead of punishing the wrongdoing, offering a reward for doing the right thing may be the secret to curbing the surge of violence.

Homicide Cases in Oakland

It can be recalled that according to reports from The Guardian, the 100th homicide case of 2021 was recently recorded in Oakland, California. A circumstance regarded as a tragic, tumultuous time, as gun violence has risen in cities across the United States since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The post also mentioned that killings have increased in Oakland since the pandemic outbreak, as they have in many other cities across the United States. So far, the year 2021 has surpassed the year 2020. Last year, there were 66 killings in the city and 52 in 2019.

As per the same post, Jasmine Hardison, program manager of Youth Alive!, described the number of homicides in one year as "outrageous." It's overwhelming, and she's saddened by it because she's been through it before. Hearing such experiences, she added, is distressing.

The post revealed that the reasons for the increase in gun violence remain a mystery. Various explanations have been suggested by residents, conflict interrupters, and police forces. These include pandemic-induced anxiety, financial distress, anti-police sentiment, and the absence of social structures for those most at risk of being attacked or shooting someone else. 

However, the same post revealed that it is evident that homicides continue to disproportionately affect the city's lower-income Black and Latino areas, with inhabitants in those areas seeing a disproportionate amount of gun violence.

 

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