Wilmington Peace on the Street event held to promote positivity

Wilmington, Del. (WTXF) - A Wilmington Peace on the Street event was held Wednesday. The event featured local, regional and national acts to promote positivity, unity and violence prevention among youth in Wilmington.

"So many people have been touched by this violence that now the awareness is getting wider," said Merna Suber. She and her son Harlan Hawkins are happy to see the turnout for Wilmington's first Peace on the Streets event on the waterfront. But they're worried that the peace won't last long.

"This is such a nice event I said but somebody will get shot tonight afterwards. It seems like every time something nice like this happens we hear about it the next day that someone has gotten killed. That's the sad part about it," said Suber. She says her daughter Annyea was murdered in 2002 when she was just 20 years old. So this event is important to her family.

"I see hopeful because a lot of these kids they don't necessarily have to be out here. They could be in the neighborhoods where anything could happen but they're out here taking the initiative at least to try," said Hawkins.

The event was put on by the City of Wilmington along with Philadelphia radio station Power 99.

Councilman Va' Shun Turner led the charge to bring the event which is usually held in Philadelphia here.

"Unity is very important. I think everybody has to come together. Wilmington is very small but we also have people saying west side, east, north side and south. We need to be one side. One city," said Councilman Turner.

There was music, food, free haircuts for kids going back to school and positive messages from various organizations. Tisha Stewart brought a group of kids with her to enjoy the night free of violence.

"I am ecstatic about all the kids for the simple fact that it's peace on the streets. I think that's the whole thing. Kids need to be more involved in everything that's going on so that it's no division," said Stewart.