RACINE, Wis. — A Racine woman is working to stop the violence in her community by bringing young people and law enforcement together for basketball.
Nakeyda Haymer is organizing “Bigger than Basketball” at the Case High School Field House on Thursday.
Haymer knows firsthand how violence can challenge a family. Her brother D’Anthony Keenan was shot and killed in the summer of 2017 in Michigan.
“It tears the family apart obviously. It’s a lifelong thing,” says Haymer.
She says everyone grieves differently and for her, helping people, helps her.
“For me, working with families in similar situations is a coping mechanism for me, and it’s helping me deal with my own grief," she said.
Thursday evening at 6 p.m. various law enforcement officers will play basketball with youth from the community. She hopes it will start a dialogue between them.
“One of my biggest hopes is that we get to see each other outside the uniform and see each other as individuals, as people,” Haymer says.
In addition to basketball, during halftime there will be a panel discussion about violence in the area.
For information on the event, check out the flier below:
