On Thursday June 23rd I had the pleasure of photographing the first Southwest Youth Peace March & Celebration, which started at the Wilson Foundation Academy and ended up at the Flint Street Community Recreation Center.  To pull this off the youth and adult staff of Teen Empowerment worked with many other SW groups to organize the event.  These groups included SWAN, the City of Rochester and Flint Street Community Center, Youth for Change (Good Fellas & Determined Divas), Southwest YMCA, Boys and Girls Clubs of Rochester, Pathways to Peace, the Wilson Foundation Academy, the New Life Fellowship and Mt. Olivet Churches, the 19th Ward Community Association, Southwest Community Roundtable, Sector 4 Common Council, SW NSC, Sector 4 CDC (Joan for the face-painting!) and Genesee Corridor Business Association.

During the march the signs and chants of the marchers, and later the speeches and performances, called for Peace, Change, Justice, Love and Unity.  The pictures below and many more in the Kodak Gallery Album 110623 Southwest Youth Peace March & Celebration will give you a sense of this event.

Sign-up for the march was on the front lawn of the Wilson Foundation Academy.

Teen Empowerment gave out 250 t-shirts to the marchers and signs were ready and waiting.

While waiting for all the marchers to arrive and sign up the young marchers practices their chants and called for passing cars to honk.

A few directions from the organizers and the Peace March is on its way down Genesee Street.

As the March reached Genesee and Arnett, where the Teen Empowerment office is now located, it turned east on Arnett.  Teen Empowerment organizers shouted words of encouragement from the second floor balcony which was perfect for this event.  Great choice of location guys!  What a wonderful use for this unique building.

The march then proceeded east on Arnett to Epworth Street where it headed north to Bartlett Street and turned east again.

At Jefferson Avenue the marchers turned south until they reached Flint Street and the Rec Center. The march proceeded to the stage which had been set up for speeches, rap performances and music from a DJ and our wonderful SWAN Band.

A brief rain sent everyone running for the shelter of the Rec Center just as the performers were turning the program over to the DJ.

The Inside of the Flint Street Community Center is a beautiful basketball court.There are also two outdoor courts and a swimming pool.  The pool was empty at this time. With the sun back out, it was not long before the food was ready and a lines of hungry marchers and friends formed.

After the cookout the SWAN band started playing and the kids were treated to a variety of activities.