Civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday this Friday coincides with a week’s worth of activities and workshops in New York designed to “keep the peace.”
The sixth annual Peace Week starts on King’s birthday (Jan. 15) and runs until Jan. 22. The goal of the week is to engage in workshops and activities—mostly with the city’s young people—to promote non-violence and other means of solving problems.
Co-founded by LIFE Camp’s Erica Ford, the week seeks to do such things as develop teens into peer leaders, teach young people critical thinking skills and self-empowerment, create models for reducing violence and building partnerships between private and public entities to collaborate on ways to reduce violence among young New Yorkers.
Some individuals who have lent their support to Peace Week include New York Assemblyman Michael Blake, Brooklyn City Councilman Jumaane Williams and Deepak Chopra.
Another organization participating in Peace Week is Man Up!, founded by Andre Mitchell (who co-founded Peace Week). Mitchell spoke with the AmNews about what his organization is doing and what the week means to him.
“Our organization decided that it would be ideal to have seven days for Peace Week instead of five so they we can really push the concept of peace,” Mitchell told the AmNews. “Whether it be at home or in communities that are crime-ridden, a lot of work needs to be done to create a feeling of peace.”
Mitchell mentioned a workshop targeted towards young boys and men taking place at Junior High School 166 in East New York, Brooklyn, Saturday from noon to 4 p.m.
“We’re gonna have a number of different guests educators and community leaders that are going to lead conversations,” said Mitchell. He said they’ll discuss subjects such as how to make sure young people are safe and how to get businesses in the community involved in their efforts. He also said that the recent news of an alleged gang rape in Brownsville makes it more important for him to engage in these activities.
“In certain neighborhoods, people don’t feel safe, and we want to create that feeling for people,” said Mitchell. “Through concepts like Peace Week, we can move towards that goal.”
Peace Week officially begins Friday at 10 a.m. with a news conference at City Hall.