Teen business owners urge peers to stop the violence at peace rally

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WMC) – On Saturday, the owners of Butta Butter Cookies hosted a peace rally ―in hopes of inspiring the youth to stop the violence.

A pair of Whitehaven teens are on a mission to be the change they want to see in their community.

Bringing communities together, supporting small businesses and providing a safe space for the youth to hang out.

It was all thanks to efforts by Jaicob and Jaiden Childress.

“It’s still some good in the city and we showing people that we can come together you know, as a community as one. Because we can’t do it – we can’t be no one-sided. We can’t do it with just one side, we need suits and ties, young and we need streets, we need everybody to lock in. We need young, we need old, we need everybody,’ said Jaiden.

The teens who own Butta Butter Cookies in Whitehaven pulled their resources together so the community could do the same.

Action News 5 caught up with one of the youngest entrepreneurs there.

Rachel Mcguirte says seeing young men step up, provides hope for a community riddled with violence.

“It just seems like every day you wake up, you look at the news somebody’s losing their life. It’s just so much crime I feel like our young people don’t have enough to do and I just feel like this is something to kind of get the community back to what it needs to be,” said Mcguirte

A message echoed by K. Durell Cowanwho leads Heal 901.

“It’s time for the older people to step up and support them in their efforts,” said Cowan.

Cowan says parents should take advantage of the many organizations willing to help.

“I know that we don’t have the Adventure River, we don’t have the Liberty Land but there are tons of events in the city to make sure that our children are in safe spaces, getting wonderful information that can help them with life skills, as well as giving them nourishing meals. The community centers, the city of Memphis is doing its efforts– churches are opening up its doors ―everyone is doing something,” said Cowan.

He also implores parents to be responsible citizens, by calling out bad behavior.

With bounce houses, corn hole and options to shop small―the brothers say it’s all about unity to make Memphis a better place.

“You don’t have to get everything out of the street. You ain’t gotta get everything you know from the block―you can cut grass, you can carry somebody groceries and make money. You can pump gas―it’s a lot of hustling ways you can to make money you know and we got water boys― we give them water so that they can sell it. They doing something positive,” said Jaicob. It’s

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