NAACP Hosts Anti-Violence Balloon Release

MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – Violence continues to be a problem in society, and as the community in Macon remembers the death of Sammie Davis Jr., the NAACP hopes to remind everyone the violence needs to stop.

Saturday afternoon, the organization hosted a balloon release followed by a gathering at the Frank Johnson Recreation Center.

The event aimed to raise awareness about how important stopping violence is to the community.

Supporters made signs to voice their concern Davis’ death, and what’s been done as a result of it.

NAACP President Gwen Westbrooks said violence affects so many people in a negative way.

“What we don’t understand–what a lot of people don’t understand is that when violence occurs then we’ve lost both families,” said Westbrooks. “Because you’re dealing with the person that’s suffered from the violence and then the person that committed the crime so we just have to understand that it affects both families. But we have to be there for the families that have incurred violence.”

The release occurred in multiple places around Macon, including at a Kroger in the area of where Sammie Davis Jr. died.

A crowd of about 30 attended the meeting, which included singing as well as a poetry reading in honor of stopping violence.