Calling on moms
Editor, The Commercial:
In January of this year, a 16-year-old became a homicide victim, and recently, an 18-year-old was the (accused) killer of another Pine Bluff citizen.
The Respect for Life Campaign calls to do something about homicides and work with others "to do something about homicides." The Pine Bluff Interested Citizens for Voter Registration Inc. (PBICVR) Respect for Life Campaign (RFLC) began 27 years ago in April 1997.
Since then, the PBICVR campaign has concluded homicides have become epidemic proportions over the last 27 years, approximately 540 residents have lost their lives, and considering the killer goes to prison, Pine Bluff will have lost 1,080 citizens in this community. Of those homicides, 97% were Blacks killing other Blacks. In 2023, over 40% of all homicides were Blacks under 18 years old.
Thus far, 100% of the homicides in 2024 are Blacks killing other Blacks. These senseless killings tend not to raise much concern from the total community, and more importantly, the city loses population, businesses close their doors for lack of customers and families move to a safer city. The silence is breeding younger victims and killers, which is sure to impact future growth.
Nonetheless, as a Community Affiliate Network (CAN) member with the Woodson Center, we encourage Pine Bluff mothers to visit our website at www.pbicvrpenorpencil.com and click on "our platforms" to join the Woodson Center "Voices of Black Mothers United" Movement. Joining this platform gives surviving mothers of homicide victims a voice to speak up to address the crisis of Black homicide in Pine Bluff and around Arkansas.
Rev. Jesse C. Turner, executive director,
Pine Bluff Interested Citizens for Voter Registration Inc.