Feb. 18, 2009 — Popular local singer and songwriter Mada Niles brought a message of peace Wednesday to more than 600 junior high students at Island Center for the second annual Stop the Bleeding Youth Summit, singing "I want to see more love and unity / No more war — no more blood running in the streets."
Cheryl Francis, wife of Lt. Gov. Gregory Francis and founder of Stop the Bleeding, told the students she wanted them to get positive messages from the summit.
"I care about you," Cheryl Francis told the students. "I want to see you have a happy childhood, a happy life and a happy future."
The lieutenant governor also delivered a positive message, encouraging students to make their parents and families proud.
"Everything you do affects your family and family name," Gregory Francis said. "My mom always told me, 'Don't embarrass me.'"
Lt. Thomas Hannah, Crime Stoppers law enforcement coordinator, and Alan Brown, civilian coordinator of Crime Stoppers, told the students how they can earn up to $2,500 for tips leading to arrests with an anonymous phone call. Hannah told the students they can even send information to Crime Stoppers via text message.
"When you see a crime being committed, call Crime Stoppers," Hannah said. "If you see someone with a gun don't think its cool — call it in."
Hands flew up through out the entire audience when Hannah asked the students how many of them hear gunshots at night. He told the students that in his 23 years in the police department there were more than 200 children under 18 who had died from violence. Brown and Hannah handed out Crime Stoppers business cards to each youngster in attendance.
St. Croix Police Chief Oakland Benta got the students to sing along to an original song he wrote
"Are you somebody?" he sang. "Do you know right from wrong?"
"If you want to be somebody and go somewhere, you gotta wake up and pay attention," the students sang.
Fifteen-year-old Anumaat Kahina Christopher, Teen Line volunteer and WTJX "Graffiti Street" cast member, read an original poem: "Let's love each other — let's forgive each other. Violence only causes more violence. Be strong and live long." Christopher reminded the students, "You don't realize how much you love somebody until they are gone."
Andrew Soliz, founder of Sacred Ways teaching center in California, spoke to the children about how Native Americans live in their hearts.
"It is your mind that will get you in trouble," Soliz said. "What you do and the people you associate with are important."
Soliz and his cousin,Thomas Alverez, described the Native American circles of color — black, red, yellow and white — all living in peace.
Soliz has a long history of working with at-risk youth and families, as well as inmates in California. Sacred Ways instructs youth, adults and families in the principles of Native American culture, which constitutes learning from and living with nature.
Virgin Islander and motivational speaker Devin Robinson encouraged the students to find a reason to be better, telling them they have a purpose and mission to accomplish success.
"No one has made it fighting each other," Robinson said. "Believe in non-violence, because there are many drawbacks from violence. We don't want to be known as a bunch of people who fight amongst ourselves."
"This is wonderful ideology for the kids from bad neighborhoods," said Suetania Francis, seventh grade teacher at Elena Christian Jr. High.
The messages gave the students food for thought.
"The summit made me think about being nice to everybody and think about not hurting anybody," said John H. Woodson Jr. High seventh grader Rakheem Valesquez.
"This taught me how to help stop crime with Crime Stoppers and how to stay out of trouble," said Jenal Gittons, an Elena Christian seventh grader. Students from Arthur A. Richards Jr. High also attended the summit.
The Department of Human Services helped host the summit along with Stop the Bleeding.
The "Stop the Bleeding" Foundation is a non-profit organization designed to promote, educate, confront and foster accountability in the V.I. community against violence and abuse of youth through innovative communication, agency collaboration and responsible action.
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