It was definitely a peaceful day at Loma Alta Park in the beautiful foothills of Altadena, California on Saturday, November 6th, 2021. Heavenly Hughes, Victor Hodgson, and their organization, My Tribe Rise, pulls off another successful event as plenty came out to enjoy a gorgeous day of music, food, live performances, local vendors, Smushball, and most importantly, PEACE.
For those living in and around the Pasadena/Altadena area, you may already be fully aware of the recent increase in violent shootings throughout the community. With almost a dozen shootings resulting in at least two deaths in just the last two weeks within a radius of only a few miles, it was absolutely enough to cause a rise in fear, panic, and anger among residents demanding both answers and solutions.
As a response to the recent shootings and pointless community meetings held as public relations tool to make the city look like it's doing something, Heavenly, Victory, and My Tribe Rise organized a wellness & fitness festival called "Activate Peace In The Park", a family event that featured plenty of fun things to do for the children such as arts & crafts, games, birdwatching, and of course, Smushball, a fun, fast, and easier version of baseball that everyone was encouraged to play. There was music by DJ Ace High as well as live performances by the Peace Drummers, Pastor Edward Hamilton, Yukon, Queen Theresa King, and Tara. Among those that were there to speak were Tyron Hampton (City of Pasadena Councilman), Brandon Lamar (City of Pasadena District 3 Council hopeful), Esprit Jones (City of Pasadena Community Police Oversite Commissioner), Jason Hardin (Creator of MADE IN DENA), Tine Williams (Harambee) and a list of others.
Also bringing love to the park was Coach Darrell Gay (First To Third Baseball Training), Dennis Haywood (Pasadena Black Pages), Ashley Carrasco (Hood Liberation), Rhonda Shorter (CrackNPop Gourmet Popcorn), The Flintridge Center, and so many more. There was even an incredible guided meditation experience that was much-needed for the mental health of a traumatized community.
All-in-all, it was a completely gorgeous day full of enough peace to go around. Communities events and activities like this are a huge part of the solution to the senseless violence in our neighborhoods because it's a way of taking our streets, parks, and cities back from the few that want to destroy it. If neighbors are too frightened to come together, get to know each other, and grow together, then the cycle of destructive behavior is only going to continue. There may not be enough positive role models and mentors in each of our homes, but there are plenty throughout our community that we must create more opportunities to tap into. We must understand that we alone are the solution to our problems, and no one is coming to save us.
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