LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Dozens of children and their families participated in a "My Life Matters" walk through west Louisville on Saturday.
"This is our march. This is our movement. This is our statement here in the community," says Grand Master Khalid Ashanti Raheem, who organized the walk.
The group met at the Arabian Federation Martial Arts Academy on South 28th Street and walked to West Broadway with a message for both the children and the neighborhood.
"We're doing a walk. This is not a demonstration. It's not a march. It's more of a statement that we live. That my life matters. When we say Black lives matter, it offends people. When we say blue lives matter, it offends people. When we say all lives matter, it still offends people. But my life. What about my life? These children's lives?," says Raheem.
He says they want to take back the streets. "We're taking out streets back from the thugs. We're taking our streets back from the people -- the so-called leaders. We're taking our streets back from the police -- the wrong ones. The ones that are not doing what they're supposed to do. We expect peace, unity, love," Raheed explains.
"When is the last time you walked through the neighborhood? When is the last time you were safe walking through the neighborhood with your kids? Today we walk with our children. We make a stand. We walk with our children. We walk with our family," Raheem says. "We walk hand in hand united in solidarity about peace, love, justice, respect, confidence, inner-peace, concentration, self-discipline, control of mind and body, how to have harmony with others and be an asset to the community."
Raheem says that families need to come together and find leadership to make things better. "Y'all can't have our kids. You can't have their futures. And we're taking our streets back."
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