The Baltimore Peace Movement, formerly known as “Ceasefire,” will kick off its first weekend of events Friday.
“This weekend gives people the opportunity to be joyful and to focus on how peaceful they can be,” said Erricka Bridgeford, founder of the Baltimore Peace Movement. “This is intentionally four times a year injecting joy into this city.”
This weekend will be the first event since Bridgeford began the rebrand of what was known as Ceasefire in November. Since 2017, Bridgeford has stood alongside distraught mothers and fathers who have lost loved ones to violence with her Ceasefire movement.
Leaders of the movement decided to shift the focus away from violence, and rename it to bring attention to the healing that peace can bring. The former name and logo sent the wrong message, Bridgeford said.
“We have talked enough for five years about stopping the violence, so we are all clear about what we want from Baltimore,” she said. “We now focus fully on uplifting and nurturing what we do want because what we do want already exists in Baltimore. Peace is in all of us.”
The organization revealed its new name and logo four weeks ago in a YouTube video.
Although the organization changed its name and logo, the weekend events will mimic those held by the Ceasefire movement, Bridgeford said. They will continue to have these weekend events every three months.
“We changed our name and logo, but we have not change the work,” Bridgeford said. “We are changing the language that we are using.”
The weekend will start with Letrice Gant of the Baltimore Peace Movement having a conversation with participants in the 2023 Quaker Youth Leadership Conference on the history and evolution of the movement in Baltimore, from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Friday at Homewood Friends meeting house on North Charles Street near Johns Hopkins University.
This event is hosted by Amy Schmaljohn. For more information, contact Schmaljohn at aschmaljohn@friendsbalt.org.
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There also will be an opening rally from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. Friday at Edmondson Avenue and Mt. Holly Street in West Baltimore. This event is hosted by Brigit Molony and Lynijah Forman. For more information on the event, contact them at brigitmolony@msn.com.
Along with the opening rally, there will be a skate night from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Friday at Skateland Putty Hill. The entry fee will be $6, which includes skate rental, but only cash will be accepted. Skaters may stay past 6 p.m. if they arrive by 5:45p.m.
This event is hosted by Heather Hairston of City Neighbors Charter School in the Cedmont neighborhood of Northeast Baltimore. For more information on the event, contact studentenrichment@cityneighbors.org.
On Saturday, Hairston will have a pick-up basketball game with the student enrichment, DEI and family co-op committees in Hightman Hall (the school gym). For more information on the event, contact them at studentenrichment@cityneighbors.org.
Darnell Felder will host an online peace meditation Sunday where guests will be able to meditate and focus on healing. For more information on the event, contact Felder at darnellfelder97@gmail.com.
Additionally, there will be a prayer vigil commemorating the fatal shooting in January of Edmondson-Westside High School student Deonta Dorsey, 16. The vigil at the Edmondson Village Shopping Center will be from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday and is hosted by the Black Lives Matter Interfaith Coalition. For more information, contact them at ryansattler@comcast.net.
There will be additional Peace Promise Weekends this year on Mother’s Day weekend in May and the first weekend of the month in August and November.