October 16, 2007 – The grassroots community organization known as the Peaceoholics finished up its Atonement Week with a march and rally starting at the intersection of Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X avenues.
Atonement Week coincided with and commemorated the twelve-year anniversary of the Million Man March, an event orchestrated by Nation of Islam’s Louis Farrakhan in 1995 that brought together a million African American men (women and children) on the National Mall in solidarity and peace.
Through that event, the inspiration and vision for the Peaceoholics was formed.
For five days, beginning on October 12th, community, organization leaders, and clergy held events around the city in
an effort to bring awareness to and ask the community to come together for a common cause - to stop violence in the city,
particularly violence against youth.
For much of the summer the city has been plaqued by numerous incidents of youth gun violence. Fourteen year-old Terry
Cuthin, an honor roll student, and rising youth boxing champion was gunned down at 14th and Girard Streets. The brother of
actor, Anwan Clover was also killed by gun violence. In September, the cousin of Peaceoholics co-founder, Ron Moten was killed. The list of youth and families affected by gun violence in the District
of Columbia seemingly grows longer.
Yet the Peaceoholics are committed to continuing its message to the community that violence is not the way, and
that there are other viable alternatives to problem solving.
Several teens from the community participated the Walk for Life march.
“We all have to work together. It’s not a one-man problem. It takes the community to solve the issue –
including the police, the government, and the mayor", said one teen.
"Everyone has to put an effort in. We can’t just put it all on the young people because it starts with the grown
ups first. It starts at home with the parents”, said teen attendee, Shanay.
“If we want violence off the street, we need to open up more after-school programs”, says James T., a young
man who lost his seventeen year old friend to gun violence.
The week long atonement events began with a Gospel Fest at Union Temple Baptist Church and continued with events that
included a Peace on the Runway fashion show, a mock murder trial, and a forum on “Stop Snitchin', the campaign (with its roots in the Italian Mafia) to convince criminal informants not to provide necessary information
to law enforcement to help solve crimes. The Stop Snitchin' forum held by the Peaceoholics emphasized the opposite
and encourages community to assist law enforcement to help solve crimes.
”We’re here to organize our community and fight together, no matter what color you are,” said Peaceoholics
co-founder and COO, Ron Moten.
For several youth gathered at the rally the efforts of the Peaceoholics prove to be successful.
“They’re a good organization. They help us get ourselves together. They push us to go to class and push
the kids to graduate. A lot of kids just come to school just to hang out. A lot of kids don’t have goals and they (the
Peaceoholics) help us with our goals.”
The organization offers job training and job placement, provides after school activities, and even offers family intervention.
Says Gregory Baldwin, an adult who has experienced his own share of gun violence, who is now spearheading a gun buy-back
program, “I wouldn’t care if they took all the guns off the street, to be honest. We need to get the guns off
the street.”
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