Youth in the Martindale Brightwood neighborhood are taking a stand, and a walk, for peace.
For the last five years, KIPP Indy has hosted the Juneteenth Peace Walk “to provide our youth with an opportunity to promote peace,” said Martha Cortes, Chief Partnerships Officer for KIPP Indy Public Schools.
Barato Britt, president and CEO of Edna Martin Christian Center, says the walk was generated by the students who wanted their voices to be heard. “We wanted to lean into the importance of allowing youth to establish that voice,” said Britt.
“This is a day to celebrate our students and our youth in Martindale Brightwood,” said Andy Seibert, executive director of KIPP Indy Public Schools. “Their voice is amplified in this setting. Their brilliance and their advocacy is powerful.”
Beginning at the Legacy and Leadership campus located at 2259 Ralston, youth and supporters walked through the neighborhood with signs and messages of peace.
According to the Marion County Coroner’s Office Annual Report for 2023, the 46218 zip code, which encompasses Martindale Brightwood, saw 35 firearm deaths, the most in the county. This accounts for 47% of all firearm-related homicides in 2023.
In November 2023, Devin Gilbert, a student at KIPP Indy, was shot and found in the parking lot of the Edna Martin Christian Center Campus & KIPP Academy. He died from his injuries, as previously reported by the Recorder.
The school and community later held a prayer vigil honoring Gilbert’s memory and other recent incidents of youth involved with gun violence.
This year, the Juneteenth Peace Walk represents the collective efforts of the school and community to be proactive in violence reduction within the neighborhood. Indy Parks, the Brightwood Community Center and the Felege Hiywot Center all joined in supporting the annual walk.
Britt says EMCC is fortunate to be a part of a group of residents and stakeholders who are working toward positive developments in the neighborhood.
“This is a community celebration that is led by the students that we’re privileged to serve,” said Britt who adds that youth voice will be one of the pillars of the upcoming Martindale Brightwood Quality of Life Plan.
“These are the future leaders in our community, in our city, in our country. It’s just a beautiful opportunity to lift their voices and for the adults to sit back, listen and learn,” said Seibert.
Contact Editor-in-Chief Camike Jones at 317-762-7850 or via email at camikej@indyrecorder.com. Multi-media reporter Noral Parham contributed to this report.
Camike Jones is the Editor-in-Chief of the Indianapolis Recorder. Born and raised in Indianapolis, Jones has a lifelong commitment to advocacy and telling stories that represent the community.
Noral Parham is the multi-media & senior sports reporter for the Indianapolis Recorder, one of the oldest Black publications in the country. Parham has worked with various leagues to provide a diverse perspective in sports, including the Big Ten, Big East, IHSAA, IndyCar, MLB, NHRA, NFL, NBA, WNBA, WWE and the Olympics. Prior to joining the Recorder, Parham served as the community advocate of the MLK Center in Indianapolis and senior copywriter for an e-commerce and marketing firm in Denver.
