CLARENDON COUNTY, S.C. — The Clarendon County community is coming together on Sunday to spread awareness about violence and make a call for peace.
“Summerton and Manning…for years we feuded with each other. We’re the same people," said community member Dale Powell.
Powell has been part of the community for 30 years. He says he's seen violence in the community get progressively worse and decided to make a call for action when it arrived at his doorstep.
“My son was murdered by gun violence also two years ago," he said.
His son's name was Dashell Powell. He says it was his tragic death that inspired him to organize a community event called "Clarendon County Coming Together for Peace." County leaders and mental health professionals will be offering support.
They'll be joining local families who lost their loved ones' lives to gun violence and are sharing their stories and working together to explore solutions. The mission is to unite residents of Clarendon County and provide a safe space to address the local impact of gun violence.
“When it first happens everybody is at the funerals, everybody is in your home, but then after that you’re by yourself. Nobody can relate to you because they don’t know how you feel about that. We need that same amount of energy when it’s time for us to go out here for justice, when it’s time to advocate, when it’s time for us to talk to these children," said Powell.
In 2019, the FBI tracked 137 violent crimes in Clarendon County.
The event takes place Sunday at Sugar Hill Community Field in Manning from 1 to 5 p.m.