Blazin’ 102.3 Hosts Event to Help Bring Peace in the Streets

Ernie Sims gave words of advice.
Photos by Giulia Marsico

Blazin’ 102.3 DJ’s got the crowd involved.

By Giulia Marsico
Outlook Writer

Hundreds of locals gathered together at Tallahassee Community College (TCC) to “party with a purpose” on Aug. 21.
The Blazin’ 102.3 Tallahassee radio station hosted its annual Birthday Bash in the TCC Auditorium in hopes of bringing diverse locals together to take part in something bigger than themselves.
The event, Peace in the Streets, hosted by Blazin’ 102.3 disc jockeys, was ignited to promote peace, unity and to bring life in the community despite an increase in violent crime rates.
As a result of Tallahassee’s socio-economic segregation and high poverty levels, in 2011 Forbes magazine rated Tallahassee No. 8 in “America’s Most Dangerous Cities.” But that isn’t stopping community leaders from stepping in and making a positive change.
Keith Kennedy, project manager of Peace in the Streets, believes the event is a stepping stone to combat the violence in the community.
“There has been a lot of violence in the Tallahassee community. One of the ways we wanted to combat this is for the youth to have a voice, to be able to be heard. When the youth are in trouble, everyone needs to get involved. This is our attempt to try and reach out to find solutions that are productive for the youth as well as party with a purpose,” said Kennedy.
One of the performing artists at the event, Seth Gordon, stage name Yung Gordon, started creating music when he was 14-years-old and his claim-to-fame dance move, the bobble walk, put him on the map in Miami.
For Gordon, growing up and witnessing violence in the streets wasn’t something unusual; however, it has helped him speak out against violence and lead by example to a younger generation.
“Only a person growing up from the streets can relate to situations that are going on (in the streets) and can give the best advice to someone that’s younger who is growing up in the streets,” said Gordon.
And that’s exactly how James Bennett, DJ Lil Boy from Blazin’ 102.3, connects with the younger generation: through his music and radio personality here in Tallahassee and as he tours around the United States.
“Community events such as Peace in the Streets gives our youth something they can relate to. At the end of the day, people are going to listen to what they can relate to. Nowadays a lot of people come up with solutions to a problem by using theories. But we’re taking action, and we wanted Peace in the Streets to bring a diverse community together to celebrate as one,” said Bennett.