Senseless Community Violence Claims the Life of a Little Boy

Newark, NJ-On Saturday, February 1, 2025 in Newark, NJ, community stakeholders came out in droves to support the family of a murdered nine year old Black baby named Yasin Morrison. He was killed on Friday, January 31, 2025 by senseless community violence. His little body got caught between the crossfire of bullets on Osborne Terrace. The family of the nine year old organized a balloon releasing ceremony to honor the child in that neighborhood.

The murder of the little boy sent shock waves in the city over the weekend. Many in the community were, and are still, outraged over the murder of an innocent little kid.

There have been several actions by the community that took place in the city to bring the killer, or killers, to justice.

However, to show immediate action for the little boy, and the family, many members from the community joined in solidarity with the family’s balloon releasing ceremony on a cold Saturday afternoon.

The show of support came from many people, such as, Keesha Eure, Newark’s Deputy Mayor on Violence Prevention and intervention, the clergy, community activists, New Direction, One Hood, Brick City Peace Collective, Hassan Kirby, Shombey Bandele, True V, Sharif Amenhotep, Phi Sigma Beta Fraternity, Board of Education Vice President Dawn Haynes, the Muslim Ummah (Arabic word for community), Ms. Andrews, the Newark Anti-Violence Coalition (NAVC), Mukoran, South Ward Councilman Pat Council, Councilwoman-At-Large Pastor Louise Roundtree, Councilman-At-Large Larry Crump, Bashir Muhammad Ptah Akinyele, Ed Riley of the All Politics Are Local radio show, Jahmil, Kim Riley, Kid 1 Problem, Mayor Ras J. Baraka’s Office of Violence Prevention and Trauma Recovery, and many others.

On Sunday, February 2, 2025, there was a prayer vigil for the eight year old’s family. It took place at 2:00 pm on Osborne Terrace and Hawthorne Avenue in Newark, NJ. This event was organized by Newark’s Councilwoman-At-Large Pastor Louise Roundtree.

But on Monday, February 3, 2025, the Newark Anti -Violence Coalition (NAVC) is scheduled to host a major anti-violence demonstration at the intersection of Osborne Terrace and Hawthorne Avenue at 6 pm in Newark, NJ. The little boy’s family has confirmed to join the rally. One Hood, New Direction, the Brick City Peace Collective, and the Mayor’s Office of Violence Prevention and Trauma Recovery all plan to join the rally.

The NAVC was born out of the outrage of senseless community violence in Newark, especially in Black and Brown neighborhoods. Community activist Ras Baraka (the son of internationally and nationally respected poets and activists Imamu Amiri and Amina Baraka), who is now the mayor, Nation of Islam member David Muhammad, and Black Cops against Police Brutality founder Delacy Davis, made the calls to create the NAVC. The founding date of the NAVC was on July 20th 2009. This is the date of the murder of Nakeisha Allen, a mother of two children innocently killed by a drive-by shooting while walking home from her neighborhood store on Meeker and Elizabeth Avenues in Newark, NJ.

The NAVC became a broad coalition of activists, teachers, principals, lawyers, revolutionary members of the Bloods, and Crips, social workers, progressives, members of churches and masjids (Mosques), community - based organizations, victims of violence, aunts, uncles, mothers, brothers, sisters, fathers, and concerned citizens of the community!

Exercising their constitutional rights to assemble and peacefully protest, during week number #1 on July 22, 2009, the NAVC walked into the middle of the intersection at Meeker and Elizabeth Avenues and successfully blocked traffic to host a massive anti-violence rally for murder victim Nakeisha Allen!

To help solve the problems of senseless community violence in the city, five demands were created and presented to the city of Newark, NJ. They went as the following: 1) The removal of Newark Police Director, Garry McCarthy and the restoration of the position of Chief of Police, 2) Mayor Cory Booker as the Chief Executive Officer of the City to call a mass meeting with grassroots community based organizations, law enforcement, social services providers for the City of Newark, UMDNJ (Violence Institute), Newark’s Business Community, Clergy, to declare violence as a public health issue, 3) Secure and Create employment opportunities for Newarkers, 4) Support the implementation and enforcement of the Amistad Bill (A1303) that will teach particularly African-Americans and Latin Americans the knowledge of themselves, and 5) Calling all street organizations (gangs) to lay down their guns and adopt non-violent conflict resolution strategies.

Through the rain, the snow, the cold, and the heat, the NAVC led anti-violence civil disobedience demonstrations all over the city of Newark, N.J.'s major and minor intersections for 155 straight weeks from 2009-2014! The strategy was simple: inconvenience the city by bringing traffic and business activity to a halt, to challenge the city elected officials and the community to address the pandemic disease of senseless community violence in the city.

The NAVC’s 155 week long anti-violence demonstration became the longest anti-violence rally in the history of the United States.

Because of Ras J Baraka's struggles with senseless community violence as a community activist, when he became the mayor of the city, he made ending senseless community violence a priority in his administration.

When he got elected as the mayor in 2014, Baraka established the Office of Violence Prevention and Trauma Recovery. This department has dramatically reduced homicides in the city since being elected as mayor of Newark. According to channel 7’s ABC news report that broadcast on air to the public its findings on Monday, December 30, 2024, “the numbers revealed homicides decreased 23% in the city from last year, marking the lowest level since the 1940s. (https://abc7ny.com/amp/post/newark-crime-stats-city-decrease-murders-rise-violent-2024-officials-say/15729127/)

The office of Violence Prevention and Trauma Recovery is an ecosystem of community activists, anti-violence organizations, and therapists all working together to stop senseless community violence in Newark. Sometimes they work independently of one another. At times they work together. But the ultimate goal of the Mayor’s office of Violence Prevention and Trauma Recovery is unity without uniformity to stop the violence in Newark.

Mayor Baraka issued a public statement on Friday, January 31, 2025. He said, “tonight, I am outraged by the incomprehensible death of an eight-year-old boy who was shot in our city. It is sickening to me that anyone would be so deranged to recklessly endanger an innocent child. And that the child lost his life, is just infuriating to me as a father myself. We will not tolerate this reckless and dangerous behavior. The killer should know— we are coming after you. We are not going to rest until we find you, so turn yourself in now.

“The Essex County Prosecutor’s Office is investigating, and asks anyone with information to call 877-TIPS-4-EC. Newark’s Police Division is supporting the investigation and all available means will be leveraged. The Essex County Sheriff's Office is offering a $10,000 reward to anyone with information about this senseless act. Our hearts go out to the family members and everyone affected by this tragedy. Justice will be served.”

-Bashir Muhammad Ptah Akinyele is a community activist, a member of the Muslim community in New Jersey, and a member of ASCAC (the Association for the Study of Classical African Civilizations). He is also a history and Africana Studies (Black Studies ) teacher at Weequahic High School in Newark, NJ.

As Salaamu Alaykum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakaatuh (Arabic for May the peace, mercy, blessings of God be upon you)! Hotep (an ancient African Kemetic / Egyptian word for Peace)! P.E.A.C.E. (Proper Education Always Corrects Errors)!