3rd Annual Peace Basketball Tournament held in Auburn Gresham
by Tisha Lewis, My Fox Chicago, Fox 32 NewsAnother call for peace took place Saturday. This time, basketballs replaced posters at the third annual Peace Tournament. Beyond your typical basketball game, many of the players on these teams once battled each other as rival gang members.
The auditorium inside Saint Sabina Church transformed for the Peace Tournament Saturday afternoon. What started in 2012 now attracts Chicago Bulls stars and politicians alike but it’s the people who fill the stands and the players on the court who are most impacted by the city’s violence.
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“Everybody always looks at Chicago as a negative environment but it’s not always about that negative, it’s about coming together as a whole promoting peace,” said Keith Dean.
Dean is just one example of the Peace Tournament’s mission – to mentor former gang members by providing them with an outlet.
In this case, it’s basketball.
“It really means a lot, playing in this type of environment, playing in this type of organization, a Peace Tournament… it speaks for itself. We’re promoting peace, promoting positivity,” said Dean.
“I’ll continue to do it and encourage other people. I’ve got little siblings at home that look up to me that watch me. I try to do what I can to make it better,” said Eugene Alvarez.
The tournament comes on the heels of a case closed. On Friday, four documented gang members were charged with fatally shooting 9-year-old Antonio Smith. Chicago police say they killed him after believing he was warning rivals. Three of the accused offenders are 19-years-old.
Father Michael Pfleger points out the Peace Tournament coincides with the last weekend of summer.
“But if something comes up we’ll go back out, if something goes on in the neighborhood that we need to go to, we’re there and we’ll respond to it, we’re not going to roll over because unfortunately it’s a 365 day issue,” said Pfleger.
Most of the players are from areas most effected by violence including the Auburn Gresham, Englewood and Chatham neighborhoods. The players are taken off the streets and many times, put in a classroom to complete GED classes and job training.