Community Haven to hold ‘Grove Street Day of Atonement’

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    Shown is a memorial near the Grove Street site in Chattanooga where seven Black women were gunned down on the night of Sept. 25, during a community block party.

    The Community Haven is hosting “A Day of Atonement, Reconciliation and Responsibility” in honor of the Grove Street shooting victims.

    The event will be held on Oct.16, from noon-2 p.m. at the West Side ball field, which is adjacent to the historic former James A. Henry Elementary School, 1241 Grove St.

    Members of the community are still in shock nearly three weeks after seven women were gunned down on Grove Street during a community block party.

    Two of the women died–37-year-old Labrecia Dews and 21-year-old Keniqua Hughes–and five others were seriously injured.

    Chattanooga police still do not have any solid leads about what happened, and are asking anyone with information to contact them.

    The Community Haven, through its Justice Fund, is asking 100 Black men to donate $100 each in order to set up a $10,000 reward for the capture and prosecution of those responsible for the shootings. 

    A post on the Community Haven’s Facebook page reads, “Calling all Black Men! We must make our communities decent and safe places to live. It’s time for us to respect and protect our women. Others outside our community will never respect us as Black Men as long as we allow our women to be gunned down in the streets and killed. Do you not feel the pain? Do you not care?”

    The Community Haven is a 501(c)(3) organization established in 2017. In 2019, the nonprofit purchased land at 815 N. Hickory St. in “Bushtown,” the first Black incorporated township in all of America. 

    A building on the 5-acre site served as the old location for the St. Francis Catholic School for African Americans, the former Tennessee Correctional Workhouse, and the 28th Legislative District Community Development Corporation property which closed in 2012.

    The Community Haven aims to “change the lives of inner city Chattanooga through centers for training, leadership, youth and family outreach, small businesses, and community initiatives for thousands of Chattanooga’s underserved residents.”

    Its board members include Brother Kevin Muhammad, executive director, and pastors Timothy Careathers and Charlotte Williams. 
    For further information, call the Community Haven at (423) 206-2866.