About 100 city leaders and others took part in this year’s first Stop the Violence march Sunday through parts of Youngstown’s West Side. Leading the gathering and holding the sign are Trey Kendricks, 15, left, and Will Smith, 13, both of Youngstown. Photo by Sean Barron

YOUNGSTOWN — Sometimes, all it takes are a few hundred feet marching in solidarity to sharpen the perspective of those who live in a given community that sometimes faces daunting challenges to realize and appreciate they have more commonalities than differences.

Just ask Nevaeh Johnson.

“This march teaches us that violence is always around, but there can still be peace in the city. In Youngstown. We’re a family, and this march proves we’re a family,” Johnson, 16, of Youngstown, said.

You could say the teen joined a large extended family, all of whom came together to take part in this year’s inaugural Stop the Violence peaceful march Sunday afternoon that began and ended at Grace Evangelistic Temple Church, 2214 Mahoning Ave., on the West Side.

Hosting the event that called for greater peace and unity were the Ohio State Baptist Convention, the Community Mobilization Coalition, the Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance, the Alliance for Congregational Transformation Influencing Our Neighborhoods (ACTION) and the Mahoning Valley Association of Churches.

The Rev. Kenneth L. Simon, New Bethel Baptist Church’s lead pastor, led the 1-mile march.

Johnson was among about 100 religious and community leaders, elected officials, young people and others who took part in the unified march through several West Side neighborhoods to call attention to stopping violence that many say continues to be a scourge in parts of the city, and to replace it with greater peace.

Marchers stopped several times along the way, where they said prayers for families affected by violence, those who commit violent acts, neighborhood safety, against the spirit of violence and retaliation, for safety-force members, for peace in Youngstown and for overall thanksgiving.

One stop was at Oakwood and North Maryland avenues, where Kyree Hornbuckle, 25, was fatally shot April 28 while riding his motorcycle. Kayla Dawson, 26, was arrested in Sharon, Pa., and charged in the crime.

In a world filled with violence, hate and war, it’s imperative that people realize peace is something everyone deserves to have, not something that has to be earned, Jaxon Parnell-Sherl, 17, of Youngstown, said.

A large number of young people who marched are part of The Persayus Way Project, a nonprofit organization set up to remember and honor Persayus C. Davis-May, 10, who was shot to death Aug. 18, 2021, in her Samuel Avenue home on the South Side. The entity is committed to youth work programs such as city cleanup projects and community violence reduction efforts.

It also strives to uplift neighborhoods, honor young victims of violence and help those who have suffered trauma and are grieving.

Simon stressed that Sunday’s march is a pivotal part of a summer campaign that began in 2021 and has several connective parts. Those include asking churches to place the “Stop the violence” message on their marquees from July through September, a summer prayer and fasting schedule, mediation efforts to help those who commit violence, mentoring for young people to prevent them from engaging in a lifestyle of violence while helping those who seek to change their lives, and resources, support and training for parents who need assistance in steering their children from violence, Simon noted, adding that the summer months typically see an uptick in violence.

Also, organizations such as the Community Initiative to Reduce Violence are vital, because merely increasing arrests and incarceration alone won’t solve the problem, he said, adding that the marches have contributed to a reduction in crime and have the support of law enforcement.

Sunday’s march came a few weeks after a community prayer rally June 27 at Market Street and Princeton Avenue on the South Side.

Simon also led a call-and-response chant throughout the march, saying, “What’s our message? Stop the violence. What do we want? Peace. When do we want it? Now!”

He also acknowledged several residents who came out on their front porches or were in their yards to support the effort.

Many young people recognize that a part of any significant movement has the potential to make them more aware that they can use their voices nonviolently, and that many adults care about them, the Rev. Michael H. Harrison Sr., pastor of Union Baptist Church on the North Side, said.

Harrison, who also serves as the Ohio State Baptist Convention’s president, added that events such as Sunday’s march can allow young people to change their perspective on certain aspects of their lives and receive hope.

It’s impossible to pinpoint where violence will occur, but completing Sunday’s 1-square-mile march demonstrated that people will not surrender any “territory” to violence, Mayor Derrick McDowell said in his remarks afterward. Overarching, long-term goals of the event are to better allow the city to see it can be at peace with itself, as well as a place of which to be proud, McDowell added.

“The message is simple, but the job is hard,” Youngstown police Chief Sharon Cole said about ongoing efforts to combat violence.

It’s critical everyone works collectively to stop gun and domestic violence, as well as to talk to those who are on a wrong path. In addition, the department needs the public’s help in curbing the problem, she added.

Change often is a slow process, but it requires everyone to be part of it, state Rep. Lauren McNally, D-Youngstown, said.

“When you feel that you’re not making progress, you have to keep going,” McNally added.

“If we can come together, we can stop the violence,” Johnson said. “I think — no, I know — we will be OK and will be acting instead on peace.”