Correspondent photo / Sean Barron Cynthia Wright-Palmer, an elder with Elizabeth Missionary Baptist Church in Youngstown, sings a religious song at Saturday’s Stop the Violence community prayer vigil in Youngstown.

YOUNGSTOWN — In his eulogy for three of the four girls killed in the Sept. 15, 1963, bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. ticked off a list of people and societal conditions he felt bore an indirect responsibility for the terrorist act.

The killing of Addie Mae Collins, Denise McNair and Cynthia Wesley was the work of four Ku Klux Klansmen, but King astutely pointed out that the Jim Crow society of racism and segregation in the South helped produce the murderers. In addition, he cast part of the blame on “every minister of the Gospel who remains silent behind the safe security of stained-glass windows.”

Also killed in the bombing was Carole Robertson, who was eulogized on a separate occasion.

Fast-forward nearly 62 years to the violence that continues to plague parts of Youngstown, and a key part of the dynamic of which King spoke remains unchanged, a longtime religious leader contends.

“We all have to take some responsibility and do our part to protect young people,” the Rev. Kenneth L. Simon, pastor of New Bethel Baptist Church, said.

Simon was referring to what he and many others feel is the need for a communitywide effort — including especially the church — to work toward curbing and combating violence in the city. That was a core message he delivered while serving as master of ceremonies for a “Stop the Violence: Pursue Peace” community prayer vigil Saturday afternoon across from the church, 1507 Hillman St., on the South Side.

In essence, churches have a pivotal role to play via bringing God’s message of hope and love from the sanctuary to the streets, Simon said.

Nearly 100 elected officials, community and religious leaders and others braved 92-degree heat to attend the two-hour often somber gathering, at which the eight people who lost their lives this year in the city to violence were remembered and honored.

The eight for whom candles were lit were Brandon Ogden, 27; Resean Graham Sr., 41; Deandre Stores, 30; Daniel Weaver, 39; Keondre Lewis, 19; Nestor Diaz, 37; Raymond Butler, 29; and Dailyn Ford, 18.

Among the volunteers who lit a candle was FloEtta Jordan, a New Bethel staff member who did so on behalf of Ogden. He was fatally shot Jan. 10 in the 2500 block of Ohio Avenue on the North Side, which made his killing the city’s first homicide of this year.

Jonathan S. Simmons, 29, has been charged in the crime.

Also volunteering for the sobering candle-lighting role, which was followed by a moment of silence, were several young members of the Persayus Way Project, which is dedicated to cleaning the city, spreading love and compassion and working to reduce violence. The nonprofit organization was named in memory of Persayus Davis-May, 10, who was shot to death Aug. 18, 2021, in her Samuel Avenue home.

The vigil, in its fifth year, also has partnered with a variety of entities such as the Community Initiative to Reduce Violence program, the Mahoning Valley Association of Churches, law enforcement and others. Its three-pronged approach is to train mentors to guide young people, along with mediators to work with “warring factions” and, most recently, a parenting component that offers needed resources to parents, Simon noted.

The gatherings are more than merely praying for those affected directly and indirectly by violence, however. The vigils are followed by Stop the Violence marches, which target the city’s “hot spots” for criminal activity, then have participants show up in those areas, the pastor said. Simon added that many city residents have expressed gratitude for the peaceful efforts and attention to their neighborhoods.

A Scripture reading was from 2 Chronicles 7:12-14, which talks about how God appeared to Solomon in a dream, as well as how the Lord told his people to humbly pray, turn back to him and stop sinning, and he would forgive them then make their land fertile again.

Several area pastors offered prayer for families and loved ones affected by violence, against retaliation, for children and parents in the community, the church and community, safety forces and CIRV, and God’s presence, power and peace over Youngstown.

Guy Burney, CIRV’s executive director, said a prayer for those who commit violence and persecute others. Burney also prayed for spiritual assistance in his work of continuing to reach out to and touch the lives of others who have hatred, anger and bitterness in their hearts.

Along those lines, he told the story of a 20-year-old man he met who was recently released from prison after having gotten into a fight while in jail and sent to solitary confinement. Being in such a restrictive environment, though, proved to be a blessing because the man turned to God and realized he needed to be there to start turning his life around, Burney recalled.

“Be who you need to be and let people see your light,” he said.

When the Stop the Violence efforts kicked off in 2021, the city had a rather high crime rate, but five years later, the homicide rate has dropped about 40%, police Chief Carl Davis noted.

In his remarks, Mayor Jamael Tito Brown said he has shown some young people how to fish, something he learned as a young person. The skill is merely one example of the importance of ensuring that the city’s children and teens have the tools they need to constructively occupy their time, Brown explained.

Simon announced that a Stop the Violence march is set for 2 p.m. July 27, though the location has yet to be determined.