Day of Peace and Healing set for May 21

An inaugural event designed to bring the county together in fellowship and kick off a summer of non-violence is set for Saturday, May 21 in Georgetown.

The 2022 Sussex County Community Day of Peace and Healing is set for 12 to 6 p.m. at the Richard Allen School.

Cape High alumni and event coordinators Lorenzo Hopkins and Cliffvon Howell said in a joint interview May 3 that they are always thinking about their childhood homes in Sussex County, and have been distraught at the number of unsolved murders that have occurred in recent years.

At one point this year, Hopkins said, Kent and Sussex counties combined had two more unsolved murders than Wilmington, which Newsweek magazine dubbed “Murder Town” in 2014.

A lot of people are hurting, organizers said, and the need for trauma-informed care is great, especially for children who have been exposed to murders in their community and have to sit in their classrooms as if nothing was wrong. 

Howell said both he and Hopkins have been contacted by family members of murder victims seeking help. Offering a free, countywide event will allow the public to network and learn how to find available resources. This knowledge will help empower the public to take a stand in their communities, Howell said.

“Just imagine if we could save one or two lives,” Hopkins said.

Violence is not a “Black problem,” Hopkins said; it affects people of all ages, income levels, sexual orientation and race, who all could benefit from attending the free event, which will also offer entertainment, vendors and information provided by community organizations.

At the event, Hopkins and Howell hope to include testimonials from individuals who will share how violence has affected their families. 

“We want to make sure we end the trauma,” Hopkins said. 

While violence escalates in the summer, Howell said what’s most important is that every episode of violence represents a person, and in Sussex County, personal connections run deep, so one murder affects the entire community.

Another purpose of the event, Hopkins said, is to dispel the myth that police officers don’t want to solve these murders; officers must have enough evidence to get a conviction, and they need help from the community. County fire and police departments have been invited to be present.

Hopkins and Howell have a history of collaborating on community events, including co-hosting the critically acclaimed blogtalk radio show “The Brown-Eyed Perspective.” 

The pair also led a series of community forums co-sponsored by the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives to bridge the relationship between law enforcement and the Black community, held a successful community town hall event called “Save Our Sons” and hosted a public screening (Kappa Alpha  of the documentary “When They See Us.”

Hopkins is chief of the High Criminality Intervention Coordination Division within a federal law enforcement agency, which provides intensive violence prevention and intervention strategies to individuals and communities that pose the greatest risk to public safety and victimization.

A subject matter expert in violence prevention and intervention, Hopkins has provided training to agencies and organizations countrywide and has mentored at-risk youth in schools to help reduce senseless violence. 

Howell is a 22-year public servant who provides administrative services for the State of Delaware. 

Currently the equity and diversity coordinator for one of Delaware’s largest school districts, Howell has 11 years of service in the administration of juvenile justice planning and coordination and 10 years of service in the planning and administration of mental health services.

Event sponsors are the Richard Allen School, First State Community Action Agency, the Sunshine Circle Club, NorthStar Coaching and Consulting, and Cliffvon Howell Consulting. 

Organizations registered to attend are Southern Delaware Alliance for Racial Justice, Public Education Ombudsman Program, Alpha Alpha Mu Omega Chapter (Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc.) and Dover Alumni Chapter (Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Inc.).

Any organizations who would like to host a table at the event are asked to email cliffvon.howell@gmail.com or ljphop@verizon.net.