During an after-school program and in partnership with the Soul Saving Station in Harlem, students and Thrive Teaching Artists came together to discuss the hot button topic of “Gun violence,” which hit close to home for more than a few. While there is much to discuss on that topic, we chose to focus on several themes: the theme of going from death to life (a call to choose life, not death); a focus on the children who sometimes get stuck in the crosshairs and ultimately are the future individuals who will either change or continue the cycles we see today; finally, a call for strong and loving families to be built. Many times, the family or lack thereof has an effect on what we see happen outside the home, and so we wanted to raise awareness of that fact, promote the need for a strong and loving family, and encourage families to unite and love one another. While a single mural in and of itself cannot turn the tide on its own, we hope that it changes hearts, one person at a time. Through that we will see change in action.
Check out the music video above that R.H.Y.M.E. students produced during National Gun Violence Awareness Month in June, 2022. The song, entitled “Love Over Everything,” features the “L.O.V.E.” mural.
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