By Rebecca Henely
A mother whose son was killed in one of the many murders in southeast Queens last year Saturday held the official opening of her organization, Life Support, which is designed to bring families of victims together.
“We’re here to say we are taking back our community. We are taking back our streets,” said Shenee Johnson, mother of Kedrick Ali Morrow, who was shot in Springfield Gardens in May 2010. Morrow, who was 18, was a month from graduating from Elmont High School and set to go to St. John’s University on a $24,000 scholarship before he was killed at a block party.
Family members, fellow bereaved mothers and other allies met with Johnson at the restaurant Sangria’s at 95-44 Sutphin Blvd. in Jamaica. Johnson, who has family in the music industry, spoke about her organization’s goal of creating a support network for victims’ families.
“No other child will experience this inhumane act,” said Sherian McFadden. Her son, Tony McFadden Jr., was murdered in St. Albans last October, which led her and her husband Tony McFadden to create a foundation aimed at fighting violence in the community.
Johnson also showed a music song and video she had created. In the song, titled “Life Support” like the organization, Johnson sings for an end to gun violence, and the video features footage of a rally held by Johnson in Manhattan against violence. It also has appearances by state Sen. Malcolm Smith (D-St. Albans); former City Council candidate Nicole Paultre-Bell, whose fiancé Sean Bell was killed by police; and family of Freaky Tah, a South Jamaica rapper who was murdered in 1999.
Johnson’s aunt and uncle, Jackie and Robert “Bob” Poindexter, produced the music video, which was directed by musicians who go by the names of Zodiac Fishgrease and Saint. Johnson, while the band No Image wrote the music. Johnson, Fishgrease, Saint and the members of No Image are all family members.
“We always see the videos with the booty shaking — let’s shake up the young minds,” Fishgrease said of the video’s message.
State Sen. Shirley Huntley (D-Jamaica) encouraged Johnson and her allies to petition state leaders to help combat violence and commended Johnson’s strength.
“People who lose their children, that takes an effect that never, ever goes away,” Huntley said.
More information can be found at lifesupportnational.com.
Reach reporter Rebecca Henely by e-mail at rhenely@cnglocal.com or by phone at 718-260-4564.
