Maya McFadden Photo
Fire Chief John Alston Jr. at Saturday’s event.
If you’ve ever wondered just how big the shoes of local leaders and politicians are to fill, you can now see the evidence — in the form of footwear — at City Hall.
Two display cases were filled with shoes of all styles and sizes Saturday to honor a dozen community members who are helping lead the city’s fight against gun violence.
The new display collects shoes worn by Mayor Justin Elicker, Rev. Wayne McCrea, U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro, U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, New Haven Clergy Association President Boise Kimber, State Sen. Martin Looney, Former Mayor Toni Harp, Former West Haven Mayor Richard Borer, McCrea’s aunt Mildred Miley, Interim Police Chief Renee Dominguez, Fire Chief John Alston Jr., and Fair Haven organizer Celestino Cordova.
Rev. Wayne McCrea.
Rev. Wayne McCrea, of Upright Ministries Outreach, came up with the idea for the exhibit. McCrea hosted a ceremony Saturday morning at the display on the second floor lobby of City Hall to bring awareness to the ongoing fight against gun violence in New Haven.
The city was prayed over throughout the ceremony. Apostle Thelma Bromell of No Weapon International Deliverance Ministries prayed for protection and healing over the city’s residents and leaders from gun violence and the approaching Hurricane Henri.
Apostle Thelma Bromell.
During the ceremony, leaders placed their shoes in the display cases and talked about the impact of gun violence from a community lens and their goals for the future to combat the “long term storm” of gun violence.
Elicker placed a pair of dress shoes in the display case Saturday. He said he alternates between wearing two pairs of shoes for work; a black pair and the brown pair he wore during the ceremony. He wears the brown pair when there is no tragedy, and the black pair when he attends funerals and wakes.
He put his black pair of shoes in the display to represent the lives lost to gun violence in the city, particularly during his mayoral term.
Elicker said he is “committed to offering a vision of peace and support” to families who have lost loved ones.
Blumenthal and New Haven State’s Attorney Pat Griffin talked about their commitments to gun violence prevention work to combat what Griffin described the “forgotten pandemic.”
“It’s not enough to simply prosecute and investigate,” Griffin said.
Richard Blumenthal, Robyn Porter, Justin Elicker, Toni Harp at Saturday’s event.
Blumenthal promised to continue fighting on a federal level for proactive solutions to gun violence like universal background checks, red flag laws for emergency risk protection orders, and bans on assault weapons, high-capacity magazines, and “ghost guns.”
Harp placed a pair of pink heels in the display case to represent being the first woman mayor of the city.
Harp offered an additional solution to gun violence: The city must do a better job at making residents feel entitled to safety, food, and well paying jobs.
“We’ve been talking about the same things for the past 30 or 40 years,” she said. “We’ve got to empower people so they can better themselves for their children and for our future.”
New Haven State Rep. Robyn Porter piggybacked off of Harp, adding that communities need “love, care, and respect” in the form of jobs, resourced community centers, and youth education and activities. “Love is not enough. People got to eat,” she said. “Idle time is the devil’s playground.”
Following the ceremony at City Hall, McCrea led a peace rally on the New Haven Green to “raise awareness and create peace” through prayer and community engagement.
