WASHINGTON — Local groups banded together Saturday night for a Silence the Violence concert, shining a light on violence across the country and in D.C.
“It helps families who have been affected by gun violence heal through the arts,” concert organizer Lois Weaver said. "A concert like this is a perfect opportunity and it is a form of healing."
The concert is put on by the National United Methodist Church and 100 percent of the proceeds go to the TraRon Center, a D.C. organization that uses creative arts as a mechanism to get children and adults to talk about their trauma.
“I think about me getting shot and how my family feels about it,” a young kid said at Saturday’s concert. “I am scared to get shot and die.”
This is the fourth year the church has put on the concert and happened to come after a violent week in the district. It also comes days before Congresses’ designated Murder Victims Awareness Day.
“Sept. 25 is the day that Congress designated as murder victim’s awareness day,” Weaver said. “We plan a concert around that date. Congress designates the day is Murder Victims Awareness Day but has not done anything to really absorb it. So we are.”
Weaver said the goal of the concert isn’t to talk about guns, but to use music and art to let people now what victims go through.
“We are not trying to take people's guns away, we are trying to make lives for everyone safe,” Weaver said.
Weaver said the goal was for every person to leave with something they could take away.
”I hope that when they leave here, they know that they can never ever again say they don't know what to do in the face of gun violence,” Weaver said.