SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — There have been eight homicide investigations in Sioux Falls in 2024. To help combat that violence, dozens of people gathered at Windy City Bites to have conversations about how they can bring peace to the city.
As people made their way inside Windy City Bites, they brought some grief with them.
“We’ve got people that are dealing with sadness, frustration, confusion, and this is a time for leaders to step up and do something special,” organizer Terry Liggins.
“We decided to put something together for the community to try to get what we can do to create a hub of a space and safe space for everybody in the community,” Windy City Bites co-owner Dashawn Lewis said.
Liggins helped organize the event. His objective was clear: to Increase the Peace.
“This is just an intentional effort to bring a new narrative of positivity, of optimism and of hope, because we need that now more than ever with everything that we’re experiencing here in Sioux Falls,” Liggins said.
Liggins, along with three other leaders in the community, spoke to the crowd.
“They bring expertise, they bring passion, and they bring lived experience,” Liggins said
Julian Beaudion was one of the speakers.
“What I really want to convey to the black community particularly is that we not only have to unite, but we have to act in peace. We have to be able to change our mindset in some ways in order to be peaceful and in order to ensure that the next generation of black folks coming up in this community have a peaceful society or community to live in,” Beaudion said.
And with peace and unity comes strength.
“We have what it takes to be resilient enough to face anything that is in front of us, so I just hope that through my own example and through this event, people can have the confidence and believe in themselves to get through the hard times that we’re going through and that we can get through it together as a community,” Liggins said.
Other topics discussed included financial literacy and taking care of your mental health.
