Even the sweltering, record breaking heat of the day could not stop almost 300 women, and some men, who marched this Saturday, June 29, 2013 in the “All Women March” to End Violence in Our Community — the brainchild of Rashida Hameed, President of Epiphany Women In Focus (EWIF). Mayor Filner himself donned the official camouflage tee shirt of the march as he ceremoniously cut the ribbon to start the women on their way. Councilmember Myrtle Cole marched front and center with the women as they walked the two mile route from Euclid Avenue and Market Street to Imperial Avenue and back, with a police escort that included the Southeastern Division Police Captain Tony McElroy. The marchers were greeted with cheers and honks from passersby’s as they chanted various slogans, “Unity In The Community,” “Education Not Incarceration,” “No More Killings, No More Murders,” Honk for Peace”, “End the Silence, End the Violence”; the latter chant a condemnation of the “no snitch rule” upheld by so many in the community.
The marchers arrived back at the Center to Jammin’ Z 90 MC Raymond T playing a backdrop of event-appropriate, old school message music such as “I’m Every Woman,” and “We Are Family,” while children, and some adults, enjoyed face painting, jumper, food prepared by nationally known Chef Rick, entertainment, and of course, lots of water. Ms. Hameed introduced Councilmember Cole who said, “I’m so proud to be a woman, a woman of color, and proud of women stepping up and stepping out. It’s going to take a village. This is a village.” She assigned her special assistant, Kathleen Harmon, to take Ms. Hameed and the Stop The Violence message to all the churches. Assemblymember Shirley Weber then came to the microphone and commended EWIF for spearheading the March saying, “As the women go in the nation, so goes the nation.” She shared that one of her male students had said, “If the women held up certain standards, the men would follow them,” she commented that women play a key role in uplifting the community. Weber also talked about bringing health and educational resources to the community. Beatrice X, Executive Director of the Oscar Grant Foundation. Four and a half years ago, Oscar 22, was shot by a Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) police officer on the Fruitvale station platform. He was an African American father returning with friends from New Year’s Eve celebrations in San Francisco when a fight broke out on his train. At the Fruitvale bart station stop in Oakland, CA, authorities pulled the unarmed Grant aside, forcibly restrained him and pinned him to the ground as onlookers captured the scene with cell phones. (Oscar Grant III was shot January, 2009 by a BART Police in Oakland, CA), came down from the Bay Area to address the women at the event, since Oscar’s mother, Wanda Johnson, was unable to make the trip. Ms. X said “It is a great day in San Diego because some people do nothing, but you are doing something.” adding, “We got family business, our children are our business.” She then put Ms. Johnson on a conference call for her to speak to the women. She encouraged the organizers to continue the momentum and to do something else.
Perhaps the highlight of the event was hearing from three women, Bevelynn Bravo, Lisa Ortiz, and Dayna Herroz of “Mothers with A Message”, who had lost their children, and in one case a grandchild to violence, and who had the strength to talk about it. They all three gave sad yet encouraging words. Ms. Herroz summed it up, saying “We are in an exclusive club and we don’t want any more members.” Educational Psychologist, Dr. Vangie Akridge, reminded people that “Parent is also a verb, not just a noun. It requires action. We all have a responsibility for children.” Irene Mena, 84, known as the grandmother of the Brown Berets, gave the closing remarks before the community recognition awards ceremony took place.
Organizations participating in the march were: 100 Strong, Compassion Project, NAACP, NCNW, San Diego Gang Commission, Pray for Peace, Kids for Peace, San Diego Gang Commission, San Ysidro Health Center, Elizabeth Bustos. Ms. Hameed also added “Based on the rise of violence in our community I would attend candlelight vigils for murder victims in our community and I would look around and the majority mourners were woman. I just felt like the women are left picking up the pieces. So I felt like the woman needed to come together to make a visual statement to the city to say enough is enough and we want to end the violence in our community. “A nation of people can only rise as high as their women so it’s also time for the women to come together, if we tell them we are not accepting it, they no choice but to improve their mindset.”
For more information Contact Rashida Hameed, President Epiphany Women in Focus
Ph. 619 408-7369 email: [email protected]
Stay tuned for information on next steps to ending the violence in our community.
