Recent data from the Stockton Police Department show a significant decline in violent and property crime, but for a group of local youth that reality — or in their view, the lack thereof for some — is driving them to take action and continue the peace.
“We need to do a lot more work by building up the community and giving the youth more options, so that they don’t feel like being in a gang is their only option to turn to,” said Algeria Jones, a senior at Aspire Langston Hughes Academy.
Jones was one of more than a dozen students and faculty that marched in peace and silence from north Stockton to the city’s downtown.
The peace walk was organized by a fellow senior from St. Mary’s High School, Grace Sasaki, who is also president of the school’s Black Student Union. From her perspective, crime in Stockton appears to be at an all-time high.
“The crime in Stockton is really off the hook, so I think it’s important that people remember we’re a community,” Sasaki said.
The high school senior worked with her peers and advisers for three weeks to organize the “Walk 4 Peace” event — the first she’s ever planned herself.
On Saturday, Sasaki led the silent, 5-mile walk from St. Mary’s High School to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Stockton. She was joined by 15 other demonstrators, consisting mainly of students and a few faculty members. Their goal? To promote unity and peace within the city.
“I feel like it’s going to go well,” Jones said during the walk.
The walk down North El Dorado, a main thorough fair in Stockton mostly flat enough to not make the journey too arduous for demonstrators, began at about 9:30 a.m. and ended just under an hour later.
All walk participants also wore orange, per Sasaki’s request..
“Orange is a color that promotes unity and peace, so I wanted everyone to wear it because this is a silent walk,” Sasaki said. “There are no posters, there is no chanting, so the color represents what we’re here for,” she said.
Robert Livurs, also a senior at St. Mary’s High School student who walked the five miles with Sasaki, said crime in the city was “getting way too out of hand,” noting the mass shooting that occurred over the Thanksgiving weekend just a few months ago that left four dead, including three school-aged children, and at least 13 others injured. He recalls being in the middle of his high school football season at the time.
“That’s sad,” Livurs said. “Somebody needs to step up, and that’s what we are trying to do,” he said.
Promoting peace and unity is a core value deeply rooted within the St. Mary’s High School, said the high school’s chaplain, Father Mathew Issac. Not only did he participate as a chaperone but he attended to support the students and their values.
“We are a faith-based community. We are a Catholic school, and peace is the message of Jesus,” Issac said. “ We, as a faith-based community, uphold ourselves to spread and continue to live through the message that Jesus brought into this world.”.
During their walk, demonstrators received many positive responses.
“One of the most meaningful moments was when a woman ran out of a store and shouted, ‘We see you young leaders!’ which made everyone laugh and really reminded us why we organized the walk,” Sasaki said.
Once the walk ended, Sasaki reflected on her experience.
“I am really grateful for everyone who showed up. This was my first time organizing something like this, and I was very nervous,” Sasaki said. “But it turned into a meaningful experience that I would love to do again because I learned a lot about planning, communication, and bringing people together.”