Pictured from left, Steve Mouhamed, Angela Muhammad, Morgan Mohamed, Student Coordinator Daniel Muhammad, Veronica Camp, Angelica X, Lawrence Muhammad, and Kamal Muhammad. Photo: Steven Muhammad

By Steven Muhammad

DAYTON, Ohio—On March 25, members of the Dayton, Ohio, Muhammad Study Group visited with the grieving parents of two young men, 14-year-old Corey Prater and 17-year-old Javonta Morgan. The teenagers were tragically shot and killed on March 14 by another teenager, who has since been charged for the shooting.

Brother Kamal Muhammad, a member of the Study Group heard about the incident and learned about a vigil for the slain teens through social media. Bro. Kamal quickly organized the Study Group’s attendance to provide support to the families and community.

Group members offered condolences to Veronica Camp, the mother of Corey Prater. They assured her that the Study Group was there to provide support and reinforced the message that her family is their family. They also shared a moment with the distraught mother of Javonta Morgan and conveyed a similar message of unity and empathy.

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Community activist Marlon Shackelford addressed the pressing need for community involvement in preventing future tragedies: “The community has to stand in the gap if we want it to stop. When you’re serious about your community, there’s some things you don’t allow.”

In a lecture from his “Stop the Killing” tour, the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan stressed the urgency of addressing the destructive cycle of violence plaguing Black communities.

In a message titled, “American Government Policy: The Murder of True Black Leadership,” delivered October 21, 1990, from Cashmen Fieldhouse in Las Vegas, the Minister stated, “In an unprecedented wave, crime and violence are devastating Black communities across the nation.

Young Black men are killing each other in alarming numbers, causing a terrible impact on the community. The Black community has never been so destructive towards one another.”

The Minister continued, “This critical issue demands the attention of every preacher, teacher, religious leader, civic leader, and government official. We must identify the root cause of this problem and apply the proper medicine to heal the Black community.”