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Photos by Dan DuChene
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Tony Walker, an 8-year-old West Willow resident, jumps in front of the camera yelling, "I'm on T.V.!" during the peace march.
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More than 50 residents marched for peace in the West Willow neighborhood of Ypsilanti Township on Saturday night.
The march, themed "Peace and Unity in the Community," was one of four marches scheduled in the Ypsilanti area.
Krisilyn Frazier is calling it a March on Tour.
Frazier, 24, is a senior at U of M. She organized the marches after three of her friends died in the area during the past two years.
A resident of Ypsilanti's south side, Frazier said she went to college to "escape that environment."
However, the dance major said, "I found I couldn't get away from it after my boyfriend died."
Last year, her boyfriend Edward Bell was killed on Grove Street. That same year, his friend Daniel Hamilton was killed on Ypsilanti's south side. This summer, another friend of Bell, Clifton Lee Jr., was killed near Cayuga Street in Ypsilanti Township.
Frazier came up with the idea of a peace march, and executed it with help from the community.
Present at Saturday's march was the West Willow Neighborhood Association, the Ministerial Alliance, the Willow Run High School Marching Band's drum line and the Washtenaw County Sheriff's Department.
"We definitely wanted [the sheriff's department's] help," Frazier said. "They want to make a change just as much as we do."
Washtenaw County Sheriff Dan Minzey marched with the rest of the crowd around the neighborhood.
"We want to be a good neighbor too," Minzey said.
"There's a lot of violence in our society," Minzey said. "It's all across the state, not just in this area."
"Rather then just let it happen, it's nice when a neighborhood gets together for some change," Minzey said.
Angela Riehn lives on Cayuga Street, across from where Lee was killed during an altercation with Washtenaw County Sheriff's deputies. She said the police have stopped patrolling in her area as much since the incident occurred on June 1.
"[The march] is showing the sheriffs that we want them here," Riehn said. "I don't want to have to resort to getting a C.C.W. and gun."
Riehn said she has to deal with people shooting dice, selling drugs and trespassing on her street a lot. She said the march will "show them that we're not going to take this."
James Lee was marching at the event, wearing a tee-shirt with a picture of his brother, Clifton Lee Jr., on the front.
"It really should have happened a long time ago," Lee said.
Lee said he was not marching for peace.
"The Washtenaw County Sheriff's Department came out here and terrorized the community, and they're calling for peace," Lee said. "We need justice."
Lee Tooson, a resident of the City of Ypsilanti, said, "I'm here to stop the killing."
Referring to the sheriff's department as the devil, Tooson said, "How are you going to use peace to beat the devil?"
The march was led by a sheriff's deputy on a motorcycle. Following the motorcycle was the Willow Run drum line.
"It's great," Joshua Williams said of the march. "It brought us all together."
Williams, a resident of West Willow, plays the tenor in the drum line. The 16-year-old is a junior at Willow Run High School.
"We need the practice," Williams said. "I want to bring the whole band next time."
The next march is scheduled for Sept. 23 at 5 p.m. Marchers will meet at the Perry School Park and march in Ypsilanti's south side.
Frazier said Matt Harshberger, Ypsilanti's police chief, helped her out a lot with the march.
"He was so amazing," Frazier said. "He was so open to the idea, I love him to death."
Frazier said Harshberfer helped her pick the best route for the march and organize her plans.
"I want crime to stop in Washtenaw County," said Kyra Thomas, an 18-year-old resident of the area. "I want the curfew to be eight o'clock."
Thomas, a student at Washtenaw Community College, said the current curfew is 11 p.m.
As the march took place, several residents peered from their property to see what all the commotion was.
Ruth Davis was standing on her porch with her 19-month-old granddaughter Aeniyah when the marchers walked past. She said she did not know the event was scheduled for today.
"It's great," Davis said. "They should do it more often.
As the marchers walked through the neighborhood, some of the residents joined the event.
Matt Lewis was taking his dog Precious for a walk when the marchers came by.
"I love this," Lewis said. "It's a show of respect for my people."
The marchers gathered in West Willow Park before and after the march. When the march was complete, participants held a candle-lit vigil.
Several pastors in the area addressed the audience before candles were lit for the ceremony.
"If the community stands together, the dope dealer can't stand against us. If the community stands together, the gang members can not stand against us," said Don Shelby, pastor of the Burning Bush Church of God in Christ, located on Tyler Road in Ypsilanti Township.
A march will be held every two weeks until the last march on Oct 21. Every march will start at 5 p.m.
After the march on Sept. 23, the next march will be held on Oct. 7 at Kettering Elementary. The march on Oct. 21 will take place at the M.E.S.C. building on Michigan Avenue.
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