Community Movement Builders<\/a> (CMB), spoke with Dallas Weekly about the organization\u2019s on-the-ground work through The Malcolm X Academy, also known as the Charles Beazley Center. From neighborhood patrols to urban agriculture, Peters breaks down what real community care looks like\u2014and why it\u2019s urgently needed.<\/p>\nDW: For those unfamiliar, what is the Malcolm X Academy and what does your work there involve?<\/p>\n
Peters:<\/strong> The Malcolm X Academy\u2014also known as the Charles Beazley Center\u2014is part of the national network of Community Movement Builders. Here in Dallas, we run an after-school program, maintain two community gardens, host family events, and distribute vital resources like Narcan, diapers, and food. We\u2019ve had Father\u2019s Day celebrations, took kids to the Fort Worth Zoo, and we\u2019re always building. Our mission is simple: improve the lives of Black people right here in Highland Hills.<\/p>\nDW: You recently had a harrowing experience while out in the community. Can you share what happened?<\/p>\n
Peters:<\/strong> We were back at the Pinks Apartments to follow up on interviews we\u2019d been doing\u2014giving people space to speak their truth and letting them know what we do. While pulling up, we drove straight into a gun battle. Not even 10 seconds after we parked, shots rang out. I ducked in the car. My comrades were outside, exposed. I could hear bullets hitting my vehicle\u2014at least five. It sounded like war.<\/p>\nThat moment shook me\u2014not out of fear, but awareness. It reminded me just how necessary our presence is. These weren\u2019t grown men out there. These were kids\u2026 babies, really. It made me double down on the work. We have to reach them before they\u2019re lost to this.<\/p>\n
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Community Movement Builders \u2013 Dallas HQ. Photo Credit: Judah Agbonkhina<\/p>\n
DW: Talk to us about your patrols. What do they look like and what\u2019s the purpose?<\/p>\n
Peters:<\/strong> We\u2019ve been doing this since 2019, starting in the Greens where murders happened every two weeks like clockwork. Our mission was to show up\u2014build relationships, respond to violence, and remind folks they\u2019re not forgotten. We don\u2019t come to chastise or act like police. We come to be seen, be consistent, and be accountable to our people.<\/p>\nFast forward to now, we patrol areas around J and Irving, Five Mile, Basswood, Castle Hills\u2014wherever we\u2019re needed. Our goal isn\u2019t just to react to crime but to prevent it. Police come after something happens. We want to stop it from happening in the first place.<\/p>\n
DW: And the garden? It\u2019s more than just produce, right?<\/p>\n
Peters:<\/strong> Absolutely. Our community garden\u2014shoutout to Yamisi Nancy who helps lead it\u2014is about healing and connection. It\u2019s about getting back to the Earth. We grow yellow and orange watermelons, squash, lemongrass, oregano, thyme, basil\u2014all kinds of medicinal and edible plants. The garden gives us space for youth programs, for elders, for teaching sustainability. Yes, we\u2019re militant when needed\u2014but we\u2019re also holistic. The land is part of our liberation.<\/p>\nDW: Given everything you\u2019ve experienced\u2014including being caught in gunfire\u2014do you ever feel afraid doing this work?<\/p>\n
Peters:<\/strong> In 2019, yeah\u2014we got shot at directly. The recent incident was more about being in the crossfire. But fear? Not really. Awareness, yes. We know where we are. We stay alert. Of course, we want to go home safe and we don\u2019t want to cause harm to anyone, either. Our goal isn\u2019t to escalate but to stay present, calm, and ready.<\/p>\nI wouldn\u2019t say we\u2019re fearless, but we\u2019re motivated. Because when you see kids doing the shooting, you realize how urgent this is. If we don\u2019t show up, who will?<\/p>\n
DW: Some folks might ask, \u201cIs it working?\u201d What\u2019s your response?<\/p>\n
Peters:<\/strong> Look, the biggest issue in our community isn\u2019t just violence\u2014it\u2019s inaction. People complain, point fingers, but don\u2019t step up. We don\u2019t need everyone to agree with our exact methods. But do something. Create your own ecosystem. Be the change you want to see. We\u2019re out here doing the work\u2014and if more of us did it together, imagine the difference we could make.<\/p>\nDW: What do you need from the community right now?<\/p>\n
Peters:<\/strong> Support in whatever way you can. If you can donate\u2014do it. If you can volunteer\u2014come on. Help us scale diaper drives, food giveaways, youth programs. Not everyone\u2019s meant for the frontlines, but everyone has something they can contribute. Add value however you can. Just tap in.<\/p>\nIf you\u2019re ready to get involved with the work of Community Movement Builders or the Malcolm X Academy, follow them on social media or visit the center in Highland Hills. Change doesn\u2019t start somewhere else\u2014it starts with us.<\/p>\n
\n\tRelated<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"In the heart of Highland Hills, a quiet revolution is growing. It\u2019s not led by institutions or government…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":62033,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5135],"tags":[5229,8021,8022,8023,44533,1596,8024,44534,44535,44536,44537,425,50,7207,358,3187,67,586,132,5230,68,2969,44538],"class_list":{"0":"post-62032","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-dallas","8":"tag-america","9":"tag-black-media","10":"tag-black-news","11":"tag-black-press","12":"tag-community-movement-builders","13":"tag-dallas","14":"tag-dallas-weekly","15":"tag-davante-d-peters","16":"tag-family-events","17":"tag-fathers-day-celebrations","18":"tag-highlands-hills","19":"tag-local","20":"tag-news","21":"tag-police","22":"tag-texas","23":"tag-tx","24":"tag-united-states","25":"tag-united-states-of-america","26":"tag-unitedstates","27":"tag-unitedstatesofamerica","28":"tag-us","29":"tag-usa","30":"tag-yamisi-nancy"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/114845531816452438","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/62032","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=62032"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/62032\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/62033"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=62032"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=62032"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=62032"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
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