Photo: Shenee Johnson, who lost her son, Kedrick, to gun violence, spoke on Monday night during a prayer vigil outside the Queens Museum. Forum Photo by Michael V. Cusenza
Spurred by the Charleston, S.C., massacre, elected and government officials, advocates, and families of victims of gun violence joined religious leaders on Monday in front of the Queens Museum for a borough-wide interfaith prayer vigil.
Sponsored by Queens Borough President Melinda Katz and District Attorney Richard Brown, the ceremony began with invocations by the Rev. Dr. Alfonso Wyatt of the Greater Allen A.M.E. Cathedral of New York, Dr. Ghassan Elcheikhali of the Razi School, Rabbi Robyn Fryer Bodzin of the Israel Center of Conservative Judaism, and Pastor Richard Hogan of the Divine Deliverance Ministry.
“We came here to launch a movement—we’ve been moving, but we need a movement,” Wyatt said, eliciting shouts of “Amen!” and “Absolutely!” from some attendees. “We say in a loud, glorious voice that we will not stand silent while our children are dying.”
In solidarity with gun violence awareness efforts, Katz said, the front exterior of the museum will be illuminated in orange every night from Monday through June 30, and will be visible by all motorists along the stretch of the Grand Central Parkway in front of the building.
“I can’t think of a more senseless act of violence,” Katz said of the Charleston tragedy. “Our country is mourning, and Queens mourns with our country. We are proud and stand together to send a message that gun violence and racist gun violence will not be tolerated.”
By Michael V. Cusenza
michael@theforumnewsgroup.com
