Although you are one of the youngest people ever to receive this award, your heart has led you to to confront what is perhaps the biggest tragedy in our community—the epidemic of youth violence on the Northside. In recent years, the great majority of Minneapolis homicides have been African American men on the Northside. More and more of these victims are teen-agers. We are told that in the last year 3 of your friends and classmates at Edison High School have been killed by gunfire.
One response to such events would be grief, lose of hope, and withdrawal. That has not been your response. Instead of surrender, you have chosen to take a stand against youth violence and fight to stop it. With a group of equally heroic friends, earlier this year you formed Northside Youth StandUp!, a young people’s movement dedicated to ending youth violence. You are organizing positive activities for young people, creating venues where their voices can be heard, exploring your rich cultural roots, and developing the leadership skills that will be necessary to promote permanent change.
This is pure heart-work, done without a hint of a personal agenda or hope of recognition or reward. This pure expression in the world of the courage and commitment in your heart are the qualities that Sullivan Ballou exemplified. We honor you today for your work, but we also learn from you. You teach us that heart energy is what matters. We are inspired by your example.
Congratulations!
Elissa and Bruce Peterson, Founding Members