Thursday, April 16, 2015

Acknowledging the Murder and Remembering the Life of Christopher Walker

April 30 marks the six-month anniversary of the murder of Altadenan Christopher Walker.

Christopher spent much of his short life affiliated with a gang, but he had put that behind him. At the time of his death, he was just a regular guy with a family and a full-time job.

This is a chance for the community to express “black lives matter” – even when no police officer is involved in the killing.

Community members will walk the short distance from Fountain of Life Church to the Fair Oaks Burger, where he was killed. The program will begin at 7 p.m. behind the Fair Oaks Burger in their large parking lot, complete with stage, sound, and lighting.

This event is also a call to action for the community of Altadena. Community leaders and members will come together to learn ways to curb gang affiliation and violence in the community and offer options to Altadena and Pasadena’s at-risk youth.

Speakers include Christopher’s parents, Ursula and Richard Walker, as well as Mikala Rahn (Founder & Director of Learning Works Charter School), Ricky Pickens (gang intervention leader and coordinator of Youth of Promise), and Pastor Jean Burch (Senior Pastor of Community Bible Church of Greater Pasadena). High School students of Learning Works Charter School will be performing.

The event is sponsored by Neighbors Building a Better Altadena and Neighborhood Unitarian Universalist Church of Pasadena (www.neighborhooduu.org).

A Walk for Christopher will be held on Thursday, April 30th at Walk from the Fountain of Life Church (9 West Mendicino Street, Altadena) Walk begins 6:30 p.m. Program at 7:00. Walk from the Fountain of Life Church (9 West Mendicino Street, Altadena) to the parking lot of Fair Oaks Burger (2560 Fair Oaks Ave, Altadena). The distance is approximately 3 blocks.