Black Women for change Organization hosts Non-Violent Conference

Rabbi Batya Steinlauf, Imam Talib Shareef and Dr. Stephanie Myers, co-founder of Black Women for Positive Change, address a press conference on the issue of gun violence in Washington, D.C., after a child was murdered at a local playground. Rabbi Steinlauf and Imam Shareef represent the multicultural religious communities for BW4PC.
Rabbi Batya Steinlauf, Imam Talib Shareef and Dr. Stephanie Myers, co-founder of Black Women for Positive Change, address a press conference on the issue of gun violence in Washington, D.C., after a child was murdered at a local playground. Rabbi Steinlauf and Imam Shareef represent the multicultural religious communities for BW4PC.

Black Women for change Organization hosts Non-Violent Conference

By Safiyyah P. Muhammad

With the spread of gun violence across America, Black Women for Positive

Change (BW4PC), a national civic organization of African-American women in Washington, D.C., have joined with political leaders in America and overseas to host their 4th Annual 2016 Week of Non-Violence, Justice and Opportunities, October 15-23rd, according to a BW4PC press release.

Karen Carrington, co-chair of events and media for Black Women for Positive Change said gun violence has escalated in Black communities across the country due to several factors. “We believe there are a number of issues that are causing gun violence among youth. Number one, young people have access to guns on the streets. There is also a breakdown in the family structure, where

you have the grandmother and great aunt trying to do their best to feed and clothe these kids, while the child’s parent is incarcerated. These kids are not listening.”

Chicago saw an increase in shootings in 2016, according to a USA Today report. In the month of August alone, the Chicago Tribune reported that more

than 400 people were shot on Chicago’s South and West side.

Carrington said that the problem of anger management is a critical issue for the church and community organizations to come to grips with. She said the community must understand how anger is attributed to gun violence. “It is extremely important that programs are implemented in our community to de-escalate anger, (so it won’t lead to gun violence). We need to teach our children how to defuse a situation and walk away. Conflict resolution programs are badly needed in our communities.

Carrington expressed concerns about the need for anger management issues to be resolved and how mental health programs can be used to bring about healing. “The issue of anger management and mental health in the black community must be addressed. Mental health problems are looked upon as a stigma in the black community. So much has happened to us as a people. The fact remains that adults and children in our community needs someone to talk to.”

Sandra Lewis, Director of Community Affairs for Cook County’s State’s Attorney Office said that the Chicago Black Women for Positive Change chapter here has reached out to church organizations, local pastors, and schools to improve community relations between youth and law enforcement.

“We are working with the Chicago police, Pastor James T. Meeks of Salem Baptist Church and Pastor Michael Eddy of the People Church of the Harvest. We

have also partnered with Dunbar High School, where we will show a short 20-minute conflict-resolution film made by the FBI entitled, “Crosses and Crossroads.”

According to Carrington, the film serves as a great example for young people, letting them know what happens when anger has grown out of control.

National partners who support BW4PC efforts include the National Black Nurses Association, the National Bar Association, the National Black Organization of Black Law Enforcement (NOBLE), and Church of God in Christ (COGIC). High-ranking political appointees including Congressman Elijah Cummings, MD, Congressman John Lewis of Georgia, Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton, Washington, DC, Councilwoman Natalia Rudiak, Pittsburgh and former Mayor William Euille of Alexandria, Virginia have pledged their support to BW4PC.

Carrington said she hopes that participants in the conference will encourage schools, families, churches, synagogues and mosques to deal with anger management. “Sit down with the kids and talk to them about life. Please encourage members of your community to reach out to one another as opposed to settling their differences in a violent way. We are better than that. Anger and violence should not be the sum total of how we deal with one another. This is a wonderful year to partner with Black organizations to address these issues,” she said.

To become a member of BW4PC or get a listing of the cities associated with Black Women for Positive Change go to: www.blackwomenforpositivechange.org

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