RACINE, Wis. — Unity and Peace: the names of the two teams playing at Friday night’s Bigger than Basketball tournament, and the goal of the Violence Crime Reduction Initiative in Racine County.
The event was put on in honor of National Crime Victim’s Rights Week. Naykeda Haymer is the president of Racine’s chapter of Voices of Black Mother’s United (VBMU), who put on the event.
She says events like this aim to create communities with less violence and more collaboration.
“We are coming together with law enforcement, local community leaders, also victims and survivors through a game of basketball,” said Haymer.
Why basketball? She says it’s a simple way to connect.
“We know that basketball is a common interest. People want to play, people want to watch, but we also have messages around being safe and honoring those that we’ve lost.”
That loss is something that Tanya Wooden, a member of VBMU, knows well. She lost three nephews and her son to violence.
“It just knocked the wind out of me. When it hits your own door, your own son - I didn’t think I would be here today,” said Wooden.
Through her own grief and healing, Tanya began working with VBMU to help others going through the same thing.
“It takes a community to solve the problem, so it’s not just one person’s problem it’s a community issue. And the community has to address it as such.”
Friday night’s tournament was a way to share resources, meet people, and show off on the court.
“Regardless of if you’re law enforcement, a community, victim or survivor, we all want unity we all want peace as we move toward safety in our neighborhoods,” Hayden said.
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