KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Adam Sheik-Hussein died last December, after a car hit him outside the Somali Center of Kansas City. His death has been called a hate crime.
Months later, members of his family are overwhelmed by the support of the community, and they vow to keep his memory alive by trying to make the same impact he did before his tragic death.
Saturday, Hussein’s classmates held a peace walk to remember him.
Staley High School lost one of its own students last year and the folks who put this together say that planning the walk has helped them mourn his loss. You can see they put a lot of effort into the planning. An example would be these signs hanging from the ceiling, each one representing someone who has died as a victim of a hate crime.
The news of the hate crime that killed Staley High Student Adam Sheik-Hussein last year rocked this student body. So much so, the kids have started a campaign, but not just to honor the teen. Instead they want to change the world. “Enough is Enough,” they say. The bullying, the violence, passing judgment, hate crimes, all of it. They want it to stop.
“We`re trying to raise money to raise awareness against hate crimes and all the students jumped on board,” said Kahluna Bouchard of Enough is Enough.
But then it grew beyond the walls of Staley.
“We were just hoping for a whole school thing, but it just kept getting bigger and bigger,” said Ali Harb with Enough Is Enough.
Hundreds of people walked through Staley High School Saturday, taking in displays that students from the whole school, and other schools, help put together.
“I don`t know if I have a word that really describes what they`ve done. It is extra ordinary what they`ve done,” said Staley High School Principal Clark Mershon.
The idea started with 13 students in an English Language Learners class, meaning the idea sprung from one of the most diverse groups in the school. A passion shared by those who knew him, those who didn`t, and those who want change.
Another part of the peace walk is tables, each representing a group in the community that also wanted to be a part of this message of peace.