Dayjah

"We can spread peace instead of gun violence if we believe in one another."

Listen to Dayjah

When my family moved to the Bronx on Pelham Parkway, my mom always made me stay inside. I didn’t understand why until I got older. One day a young mother was outside holding her baby in her arms and someone shot her in the head. Then I got it. It’s ridiculous when you’re not even safe while holding your infant child. I believe people need support in order to develop confidence. So many in our community feel they’re not going to amount to anything, so they slip into a life of violence. But with support from people like us in the PLC, they can begin to believe in themselves. Everyone is somebody worthy of help. I had people who helped me believe in myself, and now I’m getting ready to finish earning a degree at NYU. I want to be an active member of my community who can help – who can say this violence is not acceptable, and together we can do something about it. We can spread peace instead of gun violence if we can grow a movement of people who show they believe in one another.