Anti-violence rally is conducted with heavy hearts

was to bring together performers of all types to share their crafts — whether it was family.rapping, singing or speaking — to spread a positive message.

Armani Davis, 24, of Homestead, spoke on stage about his journey from being a troubled child to now pursuing a doctorate at Robert Morris University. Harrison Roberson, who goes by the name Enkourage, performed a song called “Choose Life,” calling on his peers to connect with God instead of choosing violence.

“We look at others as hurting us — and that happens, they’re killing us — but there’s sin within our community where we’re killing each other and our own race,” said Mr. Roberson, 22, of Swissvale.

P.R.O.M.I.S.E vice president Tonya Avery, holding a bin for donations for next year’s basketball camp, said organizers wanted to give community members a venue and a support system to talk about lost loved ones.

Gelisa Bonner was there to do just that. The 24-yearold from Carrick went to Slippery Rock University with Ms. Dailey, and considered her a close friend. She was already planning to attend the rally, but said her friend’s death gave her “more of a reason,” as well as the death of her cousin, Mia White, by gunshot a month before Manchester.

Ms. Bonner was planning to sing a rendition of Travis Greene’s “Made A Way” with her two siblings, as a way to say that God can get people through the toughest of situations.

“I’m trying to take this one day at a time,” Ms. Bonner said. “It hurts, because they killed [Ms. Dailey] with her daughter in her arms ... This helps people cope with it. You get to talk about how you feel about things like this.” in