It was a protest that attracted elected officials, throngs of police and residents of the rapidly gentrifying blocks of Fort Greene and Clinton Hill.
However, it was the young men and women of Whitman, Ingersoll and Farragut Houses that represented the true audience for —as well as the hopelessness and despair at its root.
"People have to remember that this is one of the poorest census tracts in the city," said Councilwoman Letitia James, D-Fort Greene, who with Rev. Mark Taylor of Church of the Open Door, organized the rally. "This is a place that can no longer be ignored."
Sunday's march came in response to a particularly violent month in Fort Greene Houses that saw two young men gunned down not far from buildings in which they spent much of their lives.
It was those killings that brought two young residents of 60 Carlton Ave. in Whitman Houses—a stone's throw away from where lived with his mother—to demonstrate against violence and intimidation.
"The violence has to stop. That's why we're here," said Sharell Barnett, who carried a sign reading, "Don't shoot!" with fellow Whitman Houses resident Shamecca Davis.
The march also highlighted other problems that some said exacerbated the problem of lawlessness at public housing projects like Whitman and Ingersoll. Tops on that list were the continued closure of Whitman Community Center and a promised on-site jobs center.
Money for the rehabilitation and operation of the community center remained elusive; however, James said negotiations with two private developers to provide funding for services was ongoing.
