A Stop the Violence Parade kicked off the annual Chicago Area Project/Career Development, Training & Employment Services (CDTES) Community Day on Friday, August 24. The parade stepped off from 3800 West Madison Street and ended at Harrison & Albany, site of the annual Community Day Festival, with activities ranging from a job fair and health screenings to free back-to-school haircuts and a puppet show. Theme of this year’s event was Local People Taking Local Action for Local Solutions.
Parade participants included CAP Career Services clients and staff, West Garfield Park Neighborhood Recovery Initiative, Exodus Drum & Bugle Corps, Grand Boulevard Neighborhood Recovery Initiative, Major Adams Community Center, Youth As Resources, Struggling Youth Equals Successful Adults, Fathers Who Care, and I Count Too. Local residents were encouraged to join in along the parade route. Participants carried signs and banners proclaiming anti-violence messages.
CDTES Program Manager Geneva Peterson-Castleberry believes that Community Day is a perfect opportunity to strengthen the community and send a strong message to youth and their parents about the importance of taking action to ensure that peace replaces violence in the community. She says the Stop the Violence Parade was so successful that it will be an annual event.
