Stop the Violence Concert hosted by Mixed Unity
What: Free youth concert to promote non-violence and to commemorate the life of Tai Lam.
Where: Downtown Silver Spring Silver Plaza Stage, Ellsworth Drive
When: Saturday, March 7th, 5 – 9pm
Details: On Saturday March 7th, young people from Montgomery County and the surrounding DC metropolitan area will congregate in Downtown Silver Spring to promote messages of nonviolence and peace via a free concert. Mixed Unity, the host of the event, are a group of teens who have come together to produce positive action following the death of Blair High School student Tai Lam in November.
This youth-led initiative is supported by a number of local groups including: Identity, Gap Busters Learning Center, Blair Sports Academy, Street Outreach Network, Asian American LEAD, Maryland Multicultural Youth Center, and Gandhi Brigade. The concert will consist of bands, poets, breakdancers, and motivational speakers along with Grooves from HOT 99.5 as the Master of Ceremony. Downtown Silver Spring, the main sponsor for the concert, invited Montgomery County notables to the event.
For more information about Mixed Unity, contact Lillian Buie at Lillian.downtownssp@gmail.com or 301.565.9411.
Downtown Silver Spring, located across from Discovery Communications’ headquarters and two blocks from the Silver Spring MARC station, is a successful urban redevelopment project with 440,000 SF of retail. The Downtown Silver Spring shopping district features an eclectic mix of entertainment, restaurants, retail, offices and a Courtyard Marriott Hotel. From the mosaic tile steps and interactive fountain, to the diversity of the eateries and retail, Downtown Silver Spring brings a new level to shopping, dining and entertainment.
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14 comments:
What were you thinking?
Was just there on a date with my wife. We weren't there for the concert, but just for a night out. We saw fights break out, hordes of Montgomery County Police descend upon the place, and arrests. The irony of the intent to hold a concert against youth violence resulting in violence and arrests does not escape me. Very sad that a few bad apples had to ruin it for everyone.
I was so upset that fights broke out during this concert that was supposed to be fun for us and support non-violence. It is very unfortunate. I am grateful to the Mixed Unity organization for trying to bring us together and do something positive. I'm sorry it got ruined. You all tried so don't be mad at yourself. A few ignorant people can ruin it for all of us.
I was also there for an evening out with my wife; we were at the Addis Ababa on Fenton and Thayer, about three blocks away. I didn't see or hear anything about a concert, but as we walked back to our car at about 10:15, we encountered a huge number of police - one cruiser was there from Takoma Park - and hundreds of people milling around agitatedly on the streets at Fenton and Ellsworth...one guy was arrested in the middle of the intersection after some altercation with the cops there.
My teen and her friends were caught up in the riot leaving the movies. Luckily no one was injured but they were pretty shaken up and also saddened. Downtown Silver Spring should be a safe place for families and youth to spend a warm spring evening. Otherwise, residents and their money will go elsewhere>
By 10:00 things did get a bit out of hands, no doubt... But, nothing more than what you get at any concert other that maybe the Pops... The police, rather than providing a presence that could have deterred some of the violence, opted to 'respond as needed' - maybe not the best of choices... But overall, the kids that put this together deserve lots of credit... I am sure next time it'll be even better....Anyway: For a few pixs and the main message from the stage, see http://www.reemberto.com/Silver-Spring-Unity.html
I didn't know about the concert and was in Silver Spring to watch a movie. When I exited the movie I checked out the concert and was near where the fighting started and then saw a number of instances where the youths were running around. I was amazed that more people were not hurt by the kids' behavior, especially some of the families that I saw with small kids. I do not think that the police acted inappropriate at all, instead if anything more police would have been better. We have to hold kids responsible for their actions. I do feel really bad for the organizers of the event, it looks like they did a great event from what I saw, and hopefully they won't let this deter them in knowing their efforts were not in spite. The last thing that needs to be done, however, is show any sign that this type of behavior is acceptable to those kids who were part of the fighting or stampeding. Only through showing that this is not acceptable public behavior will these activities be able to take place without problem in the future.
The people who put this event together should really be proud of themselves. Throughout the entire night, I saw young people spearheading a positive and very challenging movement that can, at times, be very unpopular to their peers. The young people took center stage to not only organize the event, but to also present an elected official, and express themselves lyrically and through break-dancing. Immediately following some of the situations that broke out, the organizers locked arms and swept the street with their purple team shirts that read STOP THE VIOLENCE. That was extremely courageous and I hope it opened the eyes of onlookers who may have agreed, but didn't know where to go to work towards a violence free society. At the end of the day, we all strive to make our communities safer. The young organizers can look back on this day and say, we did our best. The work MUST continue and I hope many were inspired to step in and take action.
I live in DT Silver Spring. I was just walking down to get a burrito and encountered hordes of teens and tweens running and screaming. I had no clue what was going on. Instead of "High School Musical" it was "High School Riots."
The Fix- Chaperones.....tons and tons of chaperones. I liked the idea, but there needs to be more supervision.
The concert displayed some of "Montgomery Counties" strongest youth leaders. They took a stand for peace and non-violence but a few people were not listening--those who chose to fight.
GREAT JOB MIXED UNITY!
The violence is a prime example of our society. We need to make sure that our entire community is much more involved for these youth led movements.
We all have a responsibility to support these efforts by telling the youth organizers "GREAT JOB" and by also reinforcing this positive message to nay sayers who instead of acknowledging these efforts, decide to negatively criticize our efforts.
The kids that put this together are leaders and we must always always support them. It is not easy to stand up for peace in the face of violence.
Thanks to whoever added the youtube link---showed the positive message during the gogo performance.
Peace can be accomplished, one person at a time.
I saw in the Washington Post that 16 arrests were made that night. I was there that evening just to go on a date and had no idea that there was a youth concert going on. We were scared. Me, my wife, and some parents with young children had to run and take sanctuary in the Borders bookstore on Ellsworth to escape the mob of running/rioting kids fleeing the police. One would think the massive police presence would deter the unruly kids in that crowd, but some of these male teens and 20-somethings are all just full of testosterone and idiocy and they want to pose in front of the pretty young girls and make like they're big bad thugs or something, so I'm glad the cops were there to crack these morons on their heads. Those thug-poseurs give all young men a bad name and the fact that they chose to act up at a hip-hop concert only does them the disservice of confirming the worst stereotypes that some close-minded people have of them. Thank God at least there wasn't any thug-life shootings or guns being drawn. Anyway, these dolts ruined my evening out.
If we are a thinking , sensible God fearing people non violence doesn`t need to be promoted we are not coaxing animals into behaving properly we are dealing with supposed people. If you think people have to be coaxed and rewarded for not acting like savages that tells us a lot, now we reward adults for not acting like children and for the record most of these arrests were not kids but supposed grown men
Just another exhibit on the joys of practicing our national religion of diversity and multiculturalism.
People in Washington might remember Human Kindness Day in 1975, when the same sort of thing happened.
Whites never seem to learn.
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