Healing through love

RICHMOND — Sharing his love for music, young members of the community showcased their artistic abilities during a Valentine's Day event dedicated to Kyle Bratton, a Contra Costa College student killed by senseless violence.

The Leaders Opposing Violence through Entertainment (LOVE) event was the product of Bratton's friends and mentors at the Richmond Youth Student Empowerment (RYSE) Center, a place where the 19-year-old's presence as a youth leader will never be forgotten.

"This is a special time for my brother and our family," Kyle's older twin brother Cory Bratton said. "He was a lovable person, and we get to show people how much effort and work he put into the community."

Kyle Bratton, also known by his stage name, "Lil' Twin," was shot and killed on Dec. 14 by an unknown assailant as the CCC student stood with his girlfriend at the intersection of South 17th St and Virginia Avenue in Richmond. Just a few days prior to his murder, he was in the RYSE Center's recording studio, working on a few songs.

"We repurposed Valentine's Day to not only (acknowledge) the love for your significant other, but the love for yourself, family and community," RYSE member Tania Pulido said. "Since (Bratton) was a rapper and (Valentine's Day) was his favorite holiday, we thought that entertainment would be the best tribute."

Inside the center, adorned with purple decorations to symbolize Bratton's favorite color, more than 100 people filled the seats and spilled out onto the sidewalks as they watched the spoken word, dance and music performances.

The bulk of the performances, which were dedicated to Bratton and everyone lost to violence, acknowledged their optimistic outlooks and several introspective questions that these young people ask themselves daily.

Don Black, for instance, rapped about the pain he feels about a friend who was killed. Black acknowledged the fact that he thought about retaliating, but explained his reasons in deciding against it.

"When I was 16, I pictured my homicide," he said. "Three years later, and I'm still alive."

Abel Pineda presented a spoken word piece about the helplessness he felt when his friend was murdered.

Bratton's cousin, John Holman said that the event was special to their family, because it gave everyone a chance to celebrate Bratton's life and his passion for music.

"Every time you saw (Bratton), you saw him with a pen and paper writing songs," Holman said. "I think he would be happy that everyone is together and there's no drama."

Toward the end of the night, attendees were given goodie bags, which included a CD that included one of Bratton's songs and a glowstick.

Guests stood and broke their glowsticks to symbolize unifying as one to make a better future for everyone. Together, they screamed, "We love you, Kyle."

Executive Director Kimberly Aceves said that since the RYSE Center opened, they have lost three members to violence. This event was the members' way to transform grief and anger into positive energy and show their desire for healing and change.

"His loss was obviously very devastating for us and the event tells another story about the young that are dying, to say that they are not just another number, not just another statistic," Aceves said.

Contact Holly Pablo at hpablo.advocate@gmail.com.