Angela Walker’s son has survived two separate shootings.

Walker said her son was fortunate, compared to many others in Birmingham who used to be involved in gangs. As a pastor and CEO of Mothers United Against Gun Violence, she has spoken to and worked with many mothers whose children died from gun violence.

Birmingham saw a record number of homicides in 2022. Many victims were young adults. Mothers United Against Gun Violence will host a prayer vigil to urge community members to stop the violence, hear messages from mothers who lost their children to violence and commemorate the National Day of Remembrance for Homicide Victims. The vigil will be hosted in Kelly Ingram Park on Monday, Sept. 25, at 6 p.m.

“Hopefully, as we are coming together to pray for families who’ve been affected by gun violence, we can appeal to the hearts of those who are committing these heinous crimes,” Walker said.

“We’re not only praying for families, but we’re praying for the communities and praying for those who are committing these crimes that they will have a heart, that their conscience will be stirred and awakened to really think about the impact of their actions.”

Walker said faith changed her sons’ lives for the better. She said her faith spread to her sons and her sons’ friends.

“If one could change and they can communicate that transformation to somebody else, it can be a domino effect, just like crime is,” Walker said.

Though she believes the prayer vigil will help spread awareness, she said it will take continued action to see a decline in the violence.

Mark Haynes, executive director of Mothers United, wants to depoliticize conversations about the best ways to prevent violence and continue to expand the coalition of people working on the issue.

Haynes said the group has not accepted any funding from government agencies, choosing instead to fund themselves. Their partnerships are carefully chosen to be nonpartisan. He said he wants to focus solely on stopping the violence and helping survivors.

The group is partnering with the NAACP, Birmingham Police Department, Jefferson County Family Resource Center, Beyond the Walls Community Outreach, One Place Family Justice Center and many more advocates to implement a community safety plan.

Mothers United will release a Birmingham Peace Plan in October to introduce new violence prevention initiatives they hope to implement throughout the city.

These initiatives include tackling gang violence through peaceful intervention, training youth “peace ambassadors” to spread the anti-violence message into schools and hosting community violence prevention conferences.

On Oct. 28, the group will host a forum to bring awareness to domestic violence and sex trafficking in Birmingham. Their goal is to bring the community together through awareness and empowerment.

Both Haynes and Walker hope to see community members of all backgrounds attend the vigil on Monday evening and spread the message of anti-violence.

“We’re locking arms with these individuals, locking arms with the community and letting them know that we feel you. We are with you. You are not forgotten. Your loved ones are not forgotten,” Walker said.