Stop the Violence Rally equips parents and students ahead of new school year

To gear up for the upcoming school year, thousands of parents and students streamed through a gymnasium this weekend, as speakers and community leaders encouraged nonviolence.

The 23rd annual Stop the Violence Back to School Rally was held Saturday from 10 a.m. to noon at the Santa Fe College gymnasium, where students received backpacks, essential school supplies and pep talks on safety, ahead of a fast-approaching new school year.

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The first day of school for Alachua County is Aug. 10.

Hosted by People Against Violence Enterprises (PAVE) and Alachua County Public Schools, the event featured entertainment, speakers and vendors offering information on ways students can ensure a safe and successful school year.

“I was inspired to do this rally right before school commences to give kids not only a fresh start but a fresh mindset, learning how to handle conflict peacefully and inspiring them to be their best,” the Rev. Karl Anderson, founder and president of PAVE and senior pastor of Upper Room Ministries of Greater Gainesville said.

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Anderson says he began organizing the rally 23 years ago in response to a wave of school shootings across the nation, notably the 1999 massacre at Columbine High School in Colorado.

The 2020-2021 school year saw the highest number of school shootings ever recorded, according to a report by the National Center for Education Statistics.

“It’s a coward that grabs a gun or a knife,” said Florida State Rep. Yvonne Hayes Hinson. “When I was a little girl, we settled our disputes with our fists and our mouths. How did it get so bad, boys and girls? You shouldn’t have to grow up in a generation that uses guns to settle your disputes.”

Since the beginning of this year, there have been 27 school shootings throughout the U.S., the latest occurring at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, where 19 students and two teachers were tragically killed.

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Thanks, in large part, to Meridian Behavioral Healthcare Inc., PAVE offered students 5,000 free backpacks packed with school supplies, up from just 100 during the very first Stop the Violence Rally in 1999.

The event also provided students and parents with general back-to-school information, including school calendars, dress code information, enrollment requirements and "Meet Your Teacher" schedules.

“I’m a little worried about bullies and peer pressure,” said Dequronda Phipps, who has a daughter that’s entering sixth grade at Fort Clark Middle School in the fall. “I want to know that my daughter will be safe, which is why I came out today.”

Besides Anderson and Hayes, other speakers during the event included Gainesville Mayor Lauren Poe, Alachua County Superintendent of Schools Shane Andrews, former Gainesville Police Department chief Tony Jones, current GPD Chief Lonnie Scott and several other community leaders.

The theme of this year’s rally was “Getting to the Root of the Matter – Youth Violence.”

“If we get to the root of the matter, we can cut down on some of the strongholds and prevent some of the violence,” Anderson said. “We pride ourselves on violence prevention and education by encouraging parents to secure their guns, use gun locks and communicate with your children to tell if they’re co-mingling with gangs.”

This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: Stop the Violence rally and supply giveaway teaches nonviolence