Peace march held
By Steve Herring
Published in News on July 9, 2017 1:45 AM
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News-Argus/STEVE HERRING
Erica Batts, left, and Kiri Griswold were among the people taking part in Saturday afternoon's peace walk sponsored by Impact Teens Goldsboro to call attention to violence in the community, particularly that directed against youths.
Brothers Ja'Shawn Faire, 17, and Khalil Cobb, 19, looked around at the violence, especially that directed toward people their age, and decided they needed to do something.
They, along with their friend Kheyonna Martin, 17, came up with Impact Teens Goldsboro and set off on a mission of bringing teens together to combat the violence.
Saturday afternoon under sweltering temperatures 25 people took part in their peace walk to ask residents to pledge their commitment to help reduce violence in the city.
The walk started at 6 p.m. at the Board of Elections office on South William Street and ended at Hollowell Street.
The stopping point for the walk, 410 Hollowell, was significant -- on May 28 that is where Desconte Bryant, an 18-year-old Goldsboro High student, was shot. Bryant was transported to Vidant Medical Center, but later died from his wounds a day later.
Participants were asked to pledge their commitment to work together to build a better city, Khalil Cobb said. The pledge was a special tribute to Bryant, and a song was sung at the Hollowell Street site.
The walk was also held to continue to bring awareness about gun violence in Goldsboro.
Since January, five homicides have taken place in the city, and the number is tracking closely to the number of slayings recorded between January and June 2016.
On June 7, Impact Teens Goldsboro held at prayer vigil at Cornerstone Commons, to remember several young people who lost their lives to gun violence, including Donald Girtley Jr., an 18-year-old Goldsboro resident, who was killed in Kinston on May 31.
"We got that together to support the family who was in need when their kid was killed," Ja'Shawn Faire said. "So afterward we came up with the idea to do a follow up from the citywide prayer. That is when we came up with the idea for a citywide walk."
Another event is already planned for 6 p.m. Saturday, July 15, with a kickball event at W.A. Foster Center. For more information, visit itgkickball.eventbrite.com.