Supporters of Project Ceasefire carry banners in Martin Luther King Day parade, 2013. (Robert Morris, UptownMessenger.com)
City of New Orleans officials alongside NOLA FOR LIFE and CeaseFire partners, and other community organizations and institutions will host the third annual CeaseFire Peace Festival in Central City on Saturday, August 20. Hosted by DJ Wild Wayne, the festival will be a celebration of the communities and organizations that are working collaboratively to create peace and safety in New Orleans.
The festival will take place Saturday, August 20, on Oretha Castle Haley Boulevard between Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and Thalia Street from 3 to 7 p.m. The event is free and open to the public.
For more about this event and CeaseFire New Orleans, see the full press release below:
On Sat., Aug. 20, City of New Orleans officials alongside NOLA FOR LIFE and CeaseFire partners, faith- and community-based organizations, non-profits, residents, local businesses and schools will host the third annual CeaseFire Peace Festival in Central City. Hosted by DJ Wild Wayne, the festival is a celebration of the communities and organizations that are working collaboratively to create peace and safety in our city. The event, which is open to the public, will take place on Oretha Castle Haley Boulevard between Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and Thalia Street from 3-7 p.m. Last year’s Peace Festival drew more than 400 attendees and 20 partners.
“We are excited to bring together all of our partners that have joined us in the fight to help end this city’s culture of violence,” said Mayor Mitch Landrieu. “Everyone must play a part in reducing crime, and I hope that our peace festival will inspire others to get involved.”
The CeaseFire Peace Festival is a celebration of the communities and organizations that are working in concert to end gun violence. The goals of the CeaseFire Peace Festival are to raise awareness in youth and young adults of New Orleans about their roles in ending the shootings and murders in our neighborhoods; lift up ways we can work together to create peace and safety across New Orleans; and celebrate communities and culture that give New Orleans its unique identity..
The event will include a host of activities and entertainment for youth and families:
- New Orleans Fire Department Truck Demonstration and Space Walk for kids
- Health Screenings (University Medical Center Team)
- Resource Tables (NOLA FOR LIFE Initiatives, New Orleans Public Library, New Orleans PeaceKeepers, Ashé Cultural Arts Center, Jack & Jake’s Public Market, 100 Black Men of New Orleans, Evacuteer.org, Jericho Road Episcopal Housing Initiative, Café Reconcile, NOLA TV, Dryades Public Market, STRIVE NOLA, Positive Direction, Urban League of Greater New Orleans, Trifigura Bike Shop, FYF Alumni, New Orleans Redevelopment Authority, Voices of the Ex-Offender, Liberty’s Kitchen)
- Food Trucks
- Speakers/Presenters (Wild Wayne – Q93, Pastor Troy Lawrence – Reaping the Harvest International Church, Charles West – NOLA FOR LIFE, Willie Muhammad – New Orleans PeaceKeepers, CeaseFire New Orleans Staff, Oliver Thomas)
- School Supply Giveaway sponsored by Keedy Black
- Cool Tents sponsored by Café Reconcile, New Orleans Job Corps, Kentwood, & Coca-Cola
- Door Prizes sponsored by New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, Café Reconcile, & Liberty’s Kitchen
- Performances by DJ Jubilee, Shamar Allen, DJ Square, Keedy Black, FAVOR, and HOT8 Brass Band.
Based on the CURE Violence model, which boasts a 40% – 45% reduction in shootings and killings in program target areas, CeaseFire New Orleans is an initiative of NOLA FOR LIFE specifically aimed to reduce street violence in the Central City neighborhood of New Orleans. In the fourth quarter of 2013, CeaseFire New Orleans expanded to include a new Hospital Crisis Intervention Team now housed at the University Medical Center. The CeaseFire model uses violence interrupters and outreach workers with street credibility to interrupt and resolve potentially violent situations before they escalate. The CeaseFire Violence Interrupters also seek to prevent retaliatory shootings by mediating ongoing conflicts between groups. In addition, CeaseFire New Orleans aims to change community norms about violence by mobilizing support services and the larger community to demand a change in behaviors that lead to shootings and killings.
