2nd annual Brilliance and Excellence anti-violence march to be held on West Side this weekend
CHICAGO (WLS) -- The second annual Brilliance and Excellence march against violence hopes to bring over 1,000 boys and young men of color together this weekend on the West Side.
The group said the purpose is to promote anti-violence strategies and resources for the community. Last year, in their first march, they brought about 700 boys and men together on the South Side. This year they are broadening their reach and heading west.
ABC7 Chicago is now streaming 24/7. Click here to watch
"Right away, we want to show young men that we care, that we support them from the beginning of the summer all the way until school starts back again," said Vondale Singleton, co-founder of the Brilliance and Excellence Movement. "If we wait two or three weeks after school starts, we've already lost a generation of young people."
The group is a conglomerate of local organizations coming together to march along Madison on Saturday, June 8.
Along the route they hope to connect 1,000 boys and young men of color with opportunities.
"If you don't have a summer job, we have one for you. If you don't have a program for mentorship, we have one for you," Singleton said.
Ian Brock, 19, is attending the mile-long march and hopes other teens will join him.
"A lot of kids, they don't want to resort to violence. They don't want to commit crime. At the root of it, they just want to be able to make money and take care of their families," he said.
At the finish line will be a big resource fair with summer job recruiters, colleges, mental health resources, free food and more. The leaders of the movement feel it's their calling to lead the boys and young men to a better future.
"There are so many amazing Black boys, brown boys in the city of Chicago, and unfortunately we don't see that enough," said Jermaine Lawrence Anderson, executive director of I Am a Gentleman, Inc. "Look at us as examples and we'll take you by the hand and show you the way."
"Use this as a chance not only to support the community, but a way to find opportunities for yourself and better your life," said Brock.
The march begins at Madison and Kilpatrick at 10 a.m. Saturday. You're encouraged to register in advance. For more information on the march and opportunity fair, click here. To register for the march, click here.
