SACRAMENTO, Calif. — More than 50 people attended an event focused on gun violence, including members of local activist and civil rights groups. Sacramento has been rocked by several mass shootings in recent months, including a gang-related incident downtown along K Street that claimed six lives and injured a dozen others.
Rappers from the former groups "NWA" and "World Class Wreckin' Cru" attended including DJ Alonzo Williams, DJ Yella, DJ Clie-N-Tel and others.
The organizer Elizabeth Kim with Organized Voices, said the recent incidents make the timing of this conversation more important.
“And now kids are afraid to go out on the weekends because of yet another shooting that could happen,” Kim said.
Kim moderated two separate panels of community members and later rappers in a discussion about policy and culture. Focusing on new laws in California that allow gun manufacturers to be sued, the controversy surrounding rappers "Gunna" and "Yung Thug" who are facing racketeering influenced and corrupt organization charges, and asking about the culture of silence when crimes happen.
"What we were doing back then was we were holding a mirror to society’s face,” said Marq Hawkins who goes by the stage name DJ Clie-N-Tel. “We weren’t trying to perpetuate and promote gang violence, we weren’t trying to push a certain gang agenda.”
The event also featured family and friends of those who have experienced gun violence. Jennifer Redmond spoke about her 19-year-old daughter who was shot to death in Natomas in 2020. Sarayah Jade Redmond’s killer has never been caught.
“I never thought that I would have to worry about my daughter leaving home and not coming home,”
Sacramento area groups attended the event including Anti-Recidivism Coalition, ACLU NorCal, NAACP Nor Cal, NorCal Resist, Neighbor Program, and Vanguard Media.
The conversation is expected to continue through the many activist and civil rights organizations that participated.
