News from Pittsburgh, PA

CeaseFirePA–working with Pittsburgh Interfaith Impact Network (PIIN) and the Black Political Empowerment Project (B-PEP)–was able to get approximately 30 very committed people with personal gun violence stories together at Wesley Center A.M.E. Zion Church in Pittsburgh’s Hill District. This was actually solid turnout for a vigil that wound up being scheduled squarely in the middle of the first and, as it turned out, last Pittsburgh Steelers playoff game of the season. For those of you unfamiliar with how Pittsburgh feels about football, let me assure you the entire town shuts down when the Steelers are playing. Rev. Glenn Grayson led the prayer portions of the evening, provided the venue and shared his own personal story. Just over one year ago, he lost his 19-year-old son to random gun violence. Other speakers included Betty Lane and Shirley Gaines of the East Liberty Concerned Citizens Corporation, Monique Flowers, and Reginald Roberts of the B-PEP Coalition Against Violence.