LI kicks off its first Peace Week programs honoring MLK's vision of civic engagement
From left, Aarmani Emile, 10, Chenequa Rogers, 44, and Sii-Are Rogers, 13, skate at Gr8skates in Shirley on Sunday, as part of Long Island Peace Week. Credit: John Roca
Organizers this week launched the first Peace Week on Long Island, an event that aims to honor Martin Luther King Jr. and his mission of decreasing violence through community engagement.
The occasion is modeled after New York City’s Peace Week, which is now in its 12th year, and coincides with the national holiday to celebrate the civil rights leader’s birthday.
Chenequa Rogers, 44, of Wyandanch, said that after learning about New York City’s Peace Week and seeing her community suffer from gun violence, she decided to organize something similar for Long Island.
"I felt like we didn’t have anything for the families" of violent crimes, Rogers said. "This is in celebration of [King] and keeping his vision alive of having peace in our communities."
Six events were coordinated by five local organizations: Spin the Yard and Uncaging Voices in Wyandanch, STRONG Youth Inc., in Uniondale, Reign 4 Life in Hempstead, and LIFE Camp Inc. in Queens.
"We’re trying to give kids different things to do," Rogers said. "We also want to heal them. There’s a lot of trauma going on so if we find things to do with them, it opens them up to having conversations with us to see what they need and why they’re struggling."
Long Island Peace Week kicked off Saturday with Chess for Peace in Hempstead, with adults teaching young people to play chess, and Skate for Peace at a skating rink in Shirley.
Events continue this week. On Wednesday from 7 to 8:30 p.m., there will be Healing for Peace, a virtual healing circle to commemorate those lost to violence and to COVID-19. There will be prayers, songs, poems and everyone can share a memory of a lost loved one. The Zoom meeting ID is 84090984248.
On Thursday from 6 to 9 p.m. there is Comedy for Peace featuring two comedians, both live and livestreamed, at Village Lounge in Hempstead. On Friday at 4 p.m. there is Bowling for Peace at Strike 10 Lanes in Deer Park. Organizers are asking that on Sunday worshippers say a prayer for peace at 11 a.m.
Legis. Jason Richberg (D-West Babylon) said he is considering asking the Suffolk Legislature to officially make Peace Week an annual event.
"Peace Week is an excellent opportunity to have conversations about the violence in our communities and remember Dr. King’s vision of coming together as neighbors and working together to lift one another up and curb incidents of violence," Richberg said.
Denise Bonilla has worked at Newsday since 2003 and covers the Town of Babylon, including the villages of Lindenhurst and Amityville.
Out East with Doug Geed: Wine harvests, a fish market, baked treats and poinsettias NewsdayTV's Doug Geed visits two wineries and a fish market, and then it's time for holiday cheer, with a visit to a bakery and poinsettia greenhouses.
Out East with Doug Geed: Wine harvests, a fish market, baked treats and poinsettias NewsdayTV's Doug Geed visits two wineries and a fish market, and then it's time for holiday cheer, with a visit to a bakery and poinsettia greenhouses.
