Each time a life is taken away by another individual there’s pain, sadness & frustration flowing through the situation struggling to understand the reasons behind the senseless actions. These emotions are especially magnified when it happens to an young person who hasn’t even had the chance to truly start their journey of life or tap into their dreams. Our hearts are still heavy after learning that 14-year-old Treyonta Burleson had her life snatched away by another teen who shot and killed her during a petty dispute that she wasn’t directly involved in that started on Facebook. Treyonta was a bright beam of light who was spotlighted as a ‘Featured Girl of the Week’ on C.O.R.E in 2013. It shakes our spirit and rattles our minds that the one aspect she wanted to change in her life was to improve her neighborhood and stop the violence.

Social media is a powerful tool that is now a staple for teens and some simply couldn’t imagine a life with out it. Even though it can bring millions of people together it can also have the same effect of tearing others down. Words are the pathway to actions if we give them permission. Violence rapidly stems from arguments starting online and eventually pokes its head out in real life after sparking the fire for so long.

Love. The one word that holds so much weight but none all at the same time. Love is the word said as commonly as ‘hello’ that people often forget that’s the one purpose why we were placed on this earth.  We first have to genuinely learn how to love ourselves  and believe in our own light & purpose.  We can only value another’s life if we truly value our own. The simple fact that so many teens of color are dying by the hands of each other shows that there’s a lack of love for ourselves so it’s difficult to appreciate anyone else’s journey.

Life is an intense quest filled with bubbling highs and dark lows. But the beauty of it is we have each other for support and encouragement. Instead, of constantly becoming enraged with each situation that you disagree with just stop. Stop to truly listen what the other person is saying. Stop to see where is it stemming from. Stop to see is this a personal insecurity you’re actually dealing with yourself. Stop to see if your abrupt actions are worth the consequences.

If another can easily anger you, it is because you are off balance with yourself.

Rest in beautiful peace, Treyonta. Thank you for shining your light so bright that others were encouraged by your life.

Sending love + light up.

Good morning Beautiful Girls,

We have to put a stop to all of this senseless violence. Each one of you has too much to offer the world to have your precious  life taken at such an young age.

After Hadiya Pendleton performed with her high school marching band during the presidential inauguration two weeks ago, the King College Prep teen became Chicago’s 42nd homicide victim of 2013. She was gunned down and killed on Chicago’s South Side becoming an unintended victim of a gang dispute.

We know that President Obama cannot solve the issue of gun violence alone. But going to Chicago and addressing Chicago’s youth violence is a priority in dealing with the future of our country.

President Obama rightly went to Newtown to comfort the families who lost children in that horrible tragedy. Now, Chicago needs his leadership & guidance. since over 500 families have loved ones to violence in the last year alone.

Please Sign the petition to get President Obama to make a speech in Chicago dealing with youth & gun violence! 

CLICK HERE TO SIGN THE PETITION!

Hi Fly Girls!

Athletes & activists came together this past weekend to promote peace in Southside Chicago.

Priest and activist Michael Pfledger and NBA legend Isiah Thomas came together to  organize a basketball tournament this  past weekend in order to bring together several rival Chicago gangs.

From the Grio:

“You walk in that gym and you see the passion, the excitement, you see the smiles on kids [faces],” Fr. Pfleger told Chicago’s WMAQ-TV. “You see kids who used to shoot each other playing ball with each other…you see Joakim [Noah] and [Derrick Rose]…you tell me anything’s wrong about this? I’m in heaven right now.”

In addition to some of the Bulls’ star players, other famous ball players in attendance included Antoine Walker, Quentin Richardson and Taj Gibson. Isiah Thomas, who grew up on the West Side of the city, said the tournament can essentially be a wake-up call for many young men.

“These kids know that they’re valued, they know that we love them,” Thomas told WMAQ. “And we’re hoping that out of this [tournament], there can be some type of peace where they stop killing each other and really understand how important they are to all of us.”

How do YOU promote peace in your neighborhood???

SPEAK OUT!