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Danville students record music video after local shooting; youth-led town hall set for July 31
Summary
Students from Danville District 118 wrote and recorded a music video addressing gun violence after the killing of Anaya Davis; Project Success and partners are organizing a youth-led town hall for July 31 at Laura Lee Fellowship House.
Project Success staff and Danville high-school students presented a music video they wrote and recorded to process grief after a recent shooting and to urge local leaders to hear youth perspectives. The students produced the piece after a Danville shooting in which a young woman, identified in remarks as Anaya Davis, was killed.
Jamie, a Project Success staff member, said the timing of the video “gave them an outlet for the grief that they were going through.” Mary Catherine, who is organizing a youth-led town hall, said the meeting is meant to be led by young people: “we really want this to be a conversation led by you where we invite all of our aldermen, our mayor, and our reps to hear from young people how they're affected and how much more we could be doing in Danville to address gun violence.” The town hall is scheduled for July 31 from 5 to 7 p.m. at Laura Lee Fellowship House in Danville.
Organizers said the youth video and follow-up events are intended both to allow students to express grief and to spur public conversation about local responses to gun violence. Project Success staff described the program as a combined violence-prevention curriculum in after-school settings plus family outreach, including hardship funding for families affected by violence.
Tracy Parsons, who opened the coalition meeting, introduced the Project Success presenters and noted the video was produced with an Atlanta-based group, Say It With Music / Her Records Incorporated. Presenters asked coalition members to share the town-hall flyers and to attend as allies while leaving primary speaking roles to young people.
Organizers said the town hall will invite local elected officials and representatives; the event will include student-produced material and opportunities for youth to suggest solutions. No formal policy or municipal action was announced at the coalition meeting; the planned town hall is an organized public forum for youth testimony and local leaders’ responses.
