HELENA-WEST HELENA, Ark. — The goal is fighting crime in the Arkansas delta.
For the second year, a young Helena-West Helena man is staging what he calls a “Cease fire event” snd he’s focusing on gun violence.
This weekend’s eight-hour rally is in response to the shocking murder of a 73-year-old woman.
“I want to stop everybody from hurting…everybody from crying,” said J C Moore, organizer of Cease Fire 2021.
24-year-old J C Moore is driven by a desire to see positive change take place in Helena-West Helena Arkansas.
“My friend was killed around the corner, and a couple of my friends were killed last year,” said Moore.
The event is to be held July 11th on North Sebastian Street in West Helena. It will feature a job fair, five dollar haircuts, free food and for eight hours, a message of nonviolence.
“And I hope those eight hours turn to 80 hours…800 hours,” Moore said.
Moore, who depends on sponsors and his own money to stage the event, admits he was discouraged after last year’s Cease Fire didn’t seem to have much impact on gun violence. His attitude changed, however, after the brutal murder of 73 year old Genoria Mosby in May.
“Once I woke up and I saw that elderly woman got killed, I had to keep it going. I had to keep it going,” Moore said.
Reverend Steve Cannon, who pastors a church in West Helena, also holds after school programs and summer camp for youth 7 years to 19 years of age.
He’s taking part in this year’s Ceasefire rally, after seeing how J C Moore successfully brought the community together, if just for one day.
“We’re killing ourselves. What can we do different?” said Cannon. “And it brings a form of unity and it gets them to sit down and without being in a hostile environment, saying, ‘what can we do to better our community?”
Cease Fire 2021 is be this coming weekend on Sunday July, 11, from 9 a.m., to 5 p.m., at the Exsalonce Beauty and Barber Salon on North Sebastian Street in West Helena
