Concerned citizens and community leaders have been walking the streets of Oakland with a message of peace almost every Friday for ten years. A celebration walk and program will take place at 6 p.m. this coming Friday, September 16, at St. Elizabeth’s Catholic Church, 1500 34th Avenue, Oakland. All are welcome.
In 2012, local clergy and community members decided to start walking the violence-afflicted East Oakland neighborhoods with a message of peace. Their strategy was simple: to counteract the prevalent gun violence with a presence of peace.
The movement took off with programs that address root causes of violence and crime, and the cycle of mass incarceration that disproportionately affects the lives of young people of color. The Ceasefire strategy includes regular call-ins and follow-up services with individuals caught in cycles of violence as well as justice trainings with Oakland Police Department (OPD) to build police-community relations.
Ceasefire became the number one violence reduction model being employed by the City of Oakland. By 2019, ongoing organizing and leadership to support Oakland’s Ceasefire Initiative reduced gun violence in the city by 52 percent. Gun violence in Oakland spiked during the pandemic and concerned citizens responded by resuming the Night Walks. Call-ins continue with a partnership between Faith in Action East Bay, local clergy, and OPD.
On Tuesday, March 22, OPD held a press conference in which they renewed their commitment to the Ceasefire strategy. Chief LeRonne Armstrong affirmed the commitment. “Ceasefire continues to be our primary strategy for addressing gun violence in the City of Oakland. I want to be clear when I say that the Ceasefire strategy has been truly effective. The fact that we have had a reduction in homicides is a result of the Ceasefire strategy. The fact that we’ve seen a reduction in gang violence is a result of the Ceasefire strategy. The fact that we’ve had so many people called into meetings and accept services is a result of the Ceasefire strategy.”
“Ceasefire is back stronger than ever in the year 2022 in Oakland. We have staffed up our Ceasefire unit,” said Oakland Mayor Schaaf. “I want to end by acknowledging Faith in Action East Bay. This beautiful coalition of our faith-based community is the organization that demanded Oakland adopt the Ceasefire strategy years ago.”
The September 16 celebration will include many founding leaders including Rev. Dr. George Cummings, Rev. Michael McBride, Rev. Ben McBride, Barbara Lafitte-Oluwole, and Rev. Damita Davis-Howard as well as other local clergy and current leaders such as Patty Hall and John Brockett. The event will acknowledge the visionary impact of Terri McWilliams, who led hundreds of walks over the years until her death from cancer on June 29, 2022. City and OPD officials will be in attendance.