Video and Article by Cesar Canizales

“Stop playing!” 

Hundreds of community members from the Central District came together for a turkey giveaway -- and feast -- at Garfield Community Center on Saturday.

“We've made sure that this year we honor our brother D’Vonne Pickett Jr. He was instrumental from the beginning. He always helped—had an impact on the community,” said Gerael Patterson, RBM CEO and sponsor of the event. “There's no words that compare with D’Vonne. You know, he inspired us all to be great, to be better. So, you know, we made sure that we continued his legacy and attention to this because it was only right.”

  

It was a celebration of life, community and remembrance, honoring D’Vonne Pickett Jr., who lost his life to violence in October, and Traci Grant who passed away last year and who organized the feast every year for years.

Pickett’s widow Keanna Pickett and one of their children attended the celebration.

“This event is very important because it is a way to honor not only just my husband, but also Ms. Traci and the community,” Keanna said.   

D’Vonne’s absence was palpable

“I remember last year being with him; I mean, we were literally here giving out turkeys together, you know what I mean?” Elijah L. Lewis, a volunteer, said. “And so for him not to be here and for this to be an honor of who he is - it's a sad reality that we have to face.”

“D’Vonne Pickett was a huge part of the community. We miss him dearly, but we continue to keep his legacy alive,” said Jacqueline Smith Armstrong, who works with the organization Africatown. “D’Vonne’s words were ‘Stop playing,’ so we're going to stop playing. We're going to be the community that D’Vonne so much cherished and wanted to see come to fruition.”

For many, food is the way to bring the community together—and celebrate.

“I think it's a tradition, especially in the Black community, to heal people and to show connection through food. That's what Thanksgiving has given Black people in this country,” Helena Neeley said. “And I think that us being able to give the boxes of food as well as the hot food is saying ‘here we are a community not as strangers, but as Black people all in this community.’”

“It's these types of things that are helping me continue forward and support my children so that they can feel some type of purpose from their dad as well and continue on his mission, which is part of my mission also,” Keanna Pickett said.

Traci Grant’s family was also there to show their support for the event. Staci Doan, Traci’s twin sister, talked about why the feast was so important.

 

“In this day and age and with inflation, I think it’s really good for the community to come together and be able to have some resources, you know, that can be provided. And then to have some positive African-American males actually put this on, because it’s not just about gang bangers and crime,” said Staci Doan.

Keanna was thankful for the community to show up. 

“I'm just really grateful for the community being here and just doing what they can. You don't know everybody, but we're eating together. The sponsors, the people in need--I’m in need this year because my mind just isn’t there to go to the grocery store and prepare a big meal, but I’m the head of my household at the moment and so having this is taking the burden off of me,” Keanna Pickett added.

 

The family event brought people together, and it showed. 

“What you see today is community. We’re better together,” said Jacqueline Smith Armstrong. “We are together through the good and the bad. We come together to celebrate and that’s what we’re doing today.”

  

The show of love and community did have an impact on at least one young child, Myleah.

“I felt loved!” Myleah exclaimed.