Pensacola area residents, who’ve lost a loved one to an act of violence, now have a place to go for solitude, reflection and remembrance.
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The Garden of Peace and Hope, a memorial for homicide victims, was officially dedicated this week at Corinne Jones Park in downtown Pensacola.
“We’ve been waiting on this day for years, nine years, exactly, thank God,” exclaimed Lavon Brown, president of Parents Against Injustice and Negligence (P.A.I.N.), a support group for parents that have lost children through violence.
Brown’s son Labar Brown was 25-years-old, when he was killed in 2012.
Two years later, she came up with the idea for a Garden of Peace and Hope, an idea that members of P.A.I.N. fully supported.
Now thanks to the backing of former Pensacola Mayor Grover Robinson and others in the community, it’s become a reality, with a beautiful flower garden and memorial plaque. But, it’s not yet finished.
“We have two more benches coming, I was informed today they are here,” Brown said.
As part of Monday’s ceremony, Brown and members of P.A.I.N. presented a large mock check of $10,000 to Pensacola Monuments, to be used as a down-payment for construction of a $25,000 memorial wall.
“And we will be ordering the monument, this week, with the names of victims to hold up to 500 names,” she added.
The dedication of the Garden of Peace and Hope is timely, happening amid community efforts to reduce gun violence in Escambia County.
In her comments, Pensacola City Councilwoman Allison Patton said she hoped this garden would help residents envision a future where there is less needless violence killing our youth.
“I want to make sure that as we celebrate and remember the lives of those that are lost, we never fill up this beautiful plaque that has 300 names on it with 500 names,” Patton declared. “Let’s make sure that that is our goal.”
Echoing that sentiment was Angela Mixon, vice-president of P.A.I.N., as she remembered her daughter lost to gun violence.
“My daughter’s name was Catherine Lindsey. She was 22 (years old). She was killed in 2011,” Mixon said, adding that she left two very young sons behind. They are now ages 13 and 16.
Mixon pointed out that Corinne Jones Park where the garden is close to her home and was a big part of her children’s lives, including Catherine’s.
“This is where they grew up,” began Mixon. “This is where they played at. This is where they came and got free lunches at, you know. So, this a chance for her children and their children, a legacy. It feels right, it does.”
The event drew several parents like Mixon and Brown, including Pauline Ball is still grieving the loss of her 15-year-old son and Rosa Dukes, who lost a son and 17-year-old grandson to violence.
Cindy Martin clutched a framed photo of her son, Matthew Cox, Jr., who was gunned down at the family home in 2012, when he was just 19 years old.
“I thank God for the Garden of Peace and Hope,” said Martin. “It gives me a sense of peace and tranquility,” said Martin. “I can come here and I can write poems and I can write songs and I can feel good about it. And, my son’s name is on the wall and that makes me feel good, too.”
A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held in front of the garden after it was blessed with holy water.
As for Brown, the driving force behind the garden and memorial for victims of violence, she’s already visited the site numerous times and hopes it will be a place where others will want to come.
“I have so much joy. I have a smile on my face. If you see me crying, it’s tears of joy,” she exclaimed.
But the work for her and members of P.A.I.N. isn’t over. They have six months to raise an additional $15,000. The money is needed to finish paying for the monument, which will display up to 500 victims’ names when complete.
