Justice rally to be Nov. 11
By Joey Pitchford
Published in News on November 2, 2017 5:50 AM
Family and friends of Desconte Bryant, the 18-year-old Goldsboro High School student who was shot and killed in late May, will come together with community activists Nov. 11 for a justice rally in honor of the teen's memory.
Rodney Robinson, a classmate of Bryant, is helping organize the event. Robinson said that, while investigators are doing their best to solve the case, the community needs to be reminded that Bryant's killer has not been brought to justice.
"No one deserves to have their life taken but especially not Desconte," Robinson said. "He was one of a kind, a straight-A student."
The rally, which will include songs, prayer and a candlelight vigil, is intended to bring Bryant's May 28 murder back into public awareness.
Robinson said that people in the community have largely stopped talking about Bryant's death, and Bryant's family have been left waiting in silence while investigators search for those responsible.
By renewing focus on the case, Robinson hopes to inspire anyone in the community with information to come forward.
"Sometimes people don't want to come forward without seeing others come forward first," he said. "And maybe the person who did this says '[Bryant] had a lot ahead of him, and I didn't mean to do this,' and turns themselves in."
Robinson has a personal stake in the event, having grown close to Bryant before his death. The two met at Goldsboro High, where Robinson would tie Bryant's tie for him every Thursday before Bryant went to his ROTC course. From there, the two became good friends.
"I would go to his house to play video games, and we would just chill and hang out," he said. "He impacted me a lot. He took the time to help me out, he always kept me up in school. If I ever missed a day, he would help me and say 'Here's what you missed, here's your notes.' We were both ready to graduate. We were going to walk across that stage, but he just didn't make it."
The event will take place near Bryant's home on the 400 block of Hollowell Street, beginning at 6:30 p.m. Representatives from IMPACT Teens Goldsboro, Operation Unite Goldsboro and Goldsboro High will attend. City Councilman Bevin Foster is also expected to attend.
For Robinson, the vigil is ultimately about honoring Bryant's memory and bringing his family some measure of comfort.
"I just want this family to have justice and peace, they deserve it," he said. "If we don't have that justice, it's hard for us to lay our heads down at night and go to sleep."