Published on July 7, 2016
On July 1, 2016, the Peace League of New Orleans held the third annual Peace Games New Orleans at St. Mary’s Academy. The day-long event gave 67 young men from in and around the city a chance to interact, hear from community activists and, of course, play basketball. This year’s speakers included Michael Ruffin from the City of New Orleans, Alfred Marshall from Stand with Dignity and Antonio Travis and the Black Men Rising group from FFLIC.
The Peace League of New Orleans has been a three year collaborative project of Isaiah 43 of Catholic Charities Archdiocese of New Orleans, One Voice Louisiana, and Temple of Praise Ministries. The league was created in response to requests from young men who attended an Interfaith Peace Initiative event in 2014. This season the Peace League held several Saturday tournaments leading up to the Peace Games. Additional activities included a health fair, empowerment sessions, job search support and team coaching.
Kristina Gibson (far left) and Sr. Salvatrice Murphy (far right) with Peace League volunteers and YPLC members.
Peace Games New Orleans is modeled after the Chicago Peace Games and the work of Fr. Pfleger as a means to curb violence by helping build relationships across neighborhoods. Seven teams competed in this year’s event. The 1st and 2nd place teams received trophies, and their players who demonstrated outstanding commitment to integrity and hard work were also recognized. The final award, the Herbert Tennessee Peace Award, was presented to Harvey Stewart, a player on the Herb World team who was recognized as an outstanding participant within the league.
Additional support for the Peace Games was provided by several donors and volunteers.
