Black youth in Chicago are in peril. The murder rate continues to skyrocket and Russell Simmons is doing his part to solve the problem. He has teamed up with Dennis Muhammad, the founder of the Peacekeepers Global Initiative (PGI) and longtime member of the Nation of Islam, to establish a Peacekeepers chapter in the city.
The $50,000 donation that RushCard has made to the organization will underwrite the training of volunteers in the areas of first aid, CPR, self-defense, conflict resolution, and “proper handling of people.” The classes will prepare local residents to patrol their own neighborhoods reducing the need for police intervention. Keeping true to their own motto, they are “present for peace.”
“I think it’s very important to get people involved in watching each other’s children and also keeping an eye on supporting, really supporting law enforcement,” Simmons told the Chicago Tribune.
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PGI is part of RushCard’s “Keep the Peace” initiative which is a nationwide plan to bring a stop to violence among our youth. The Chicago kickoff is scheduled for Wednesday, Sept. 6 at 2:30 p.m. at Larry’s Barber College located at 10456 S. Halsted Street.
But the barbershop talks will not stop there. Dennis Muhammad will be hosting some 15 additional events at barber and beauty shops around the city for the next few weeks. He says that historically barbers and beauticians have had a very influential role in the Black community.
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“Recognizing the great role our barbers and beautician[s] in the community. And the influence and trust they have…teacher, consoler, Minister, psychologist, father, mother, friend…this is the way of mobilizing and organizing our young people,” Muhammad wrote on his Instagram page. “Meet them where they are!! Salute to all the barbers and beautician[s] around the country!! We [are] coming to a city near you!!”
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The Peacekeepers Global Initiative has been successful in establishing some 31 chapters around the country and in the U.K. Simmons’ contribution will help establish new chapters in Chicago and Atlanta. Considering the rampant gun violence, murder, and and incidents of police brutality in every major U.S. city, instituting a neighborhood watch-style approach to saving our communities has proven to be especially effective. It sounds like this initiative is an idea whose time has come.
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