New Jersey’s Cumberland County was the place to see an attention-grabbing display of funeral cars and hearses following a procession to raise awareness about local violence.
On Saturday afternoon, funeral directors and other officials in the area worked together to hold the “Funeral for Violence,” an event that included three processions of funeral cars through the streets of the county. It was designed to show the sadness and finality of death caused by violence.
“The important thing was to bring together some of the victims, the fathers and mothers who lost loved ones to violence,” explained Albert Kelly, a councilman in Bridgeton and a member of the Nehemiah Coalition, an anti-violence group in the area.
If this story sounds familiar, it could be because the same group held a mock funeral last year for the same cause. However, last year’s demonstration was more localized whereas this year’s funeral processions stretched through the streets of Vineland, Millville and beyond.
During the processions, people passed out literature with facts about local gang violence and some tips to help the community combat the growing problem. The procession of funeral cars ended at Cumberland Community College where more than 300 people attended a 2 ½ hour service which included speeches from local pastors, an ex-gang member and others.