WILMINGTON, N.C. (WECT) – Conversations for Peace until Justice Just Is was the name of the event put on by the YWCA Lower Cape Fear on Thursday night.
The free event was open to families of all ages so they could learn more about social justice.
Children participated in activities to help them learn about local and national issues.
The book giveaway center in the event made sure every child left with a book to help inspire and educate others.
They also heard a story told about influential women who used their voices to make an impact and it was narrated by those same voices.
A special guest appeared at the program to inform the children about the importance of voting and why they should participate when they’re of age. Local Judge Robin Robinson says “If you want to ensure your peace and harmony, that laws are designed to cover, we need to be good citizens. And part of what’s being a good citizen is knowing what’s going on locally, in the state, and nation.”
Judge Robinson also had a table set up passing out information about the separation of powers.
The young event attendees formed vision boards to formulate their concerns and ideas.
The CEO of the organization says she hopes everyone takes what they learned and shares it with others.
“We want them to have the tools and skills to go into the community. So we’re going to talk about how to communicate your ideas and how to influence people to make changes based on your ideas,” says Velva Jenkins.
Older attendees got a free opportunity to take a picture ID for this year’s upcoming election since that is a requirement and the chance to register to vote.
The event was also made possible by the volunteers who helped the children. The Alpha Psi Omega Chapter guided attendees through activities. The vice president says they chose to serve at this event because they’re educators and advocates and want children to know about the needs of the community.
Other organizations that were in attendance include Love Our Children NC. They’re a growing team of dedicated advocates who pressured the New Hanover County Board of Education to change the out-of-school suspension policy.
The YWCA Lower Cape Fear has future events planned and the next one will be in October.
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