Brilliance and Excellence March held on West Side to stop gun violence: 'We create positive things'

CHICAGO (WLS) -- The Brilliance and Excellence March was held Saturday as part of an effort to stop gun violence.

In its second year, the event did not disappoint as it hoped to bring close to 1,000 boys and young men of color together in an effort to stop the violence.

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"I feel like a lot of me and my peers are lost, but being lost doesn't mean you don't have dreams, or talents, or goals or aspirations," march participant Jermar Johnson said. "It's more so you don't know where to put it."

Last year, the event was on Chicago's South Side and brought together hundreds of boys and men.

"I have been able to avoid violence by just keeping my head down, being concerned with what I have going on and not pretty much everyone else," march participant Anthony Heavens said.

This year's march was on the West Side. Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson was in attendance as community members came together.

"The narrative is that we are in a negative space, but we create positive things. We created this," march participant Tayveun Williams said.

Supported by over 50 local and community organizations, organizers say their purpose is to not only promote non-violence, but show support for their neighborhood before the start of summer.

"So what you hear about Chicago is gangs, guns, violence, savages," said Brilliance and Excellence Movement co-founder Vondale Singleton. "That's not true, as you can see today, all of these young men saying, "I have hope. I have faith. I have goals. I have dreams. I have desires. I have gifts, talents, skills, abilities.'"

The roughly mile-long walk started near Madison and Pulaski, ending at Garfield Park, winding through areas often plagued by gang and gun violence.

"Black and brown boys do not have the same opportunities other young men have across our city, and because of that it has created disenfranchised neighborhoods, disinvested communities and improvised families," I Am A Gentleman founder Jermaine Lawrence Anderson said.

After the march, there was a big resource fair in the park.

While some participants played a friendly pickup game, others took advantage of some of the other resources, like college recruitment, summer job recruitment as well as some mental health services. It's all in an effort to make sure everyone stays safe this summer.