Stop Stuff Q&A With Jonathan Strickland, Founder of Strickland's Boxing in Lake City, SC

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This story takes us full circle to almost a year ago.

I was at Harry Belafonte's Many Rivers to Cross Festival outside Atlanta where I met a school teacher from Lake City, South Carolina.

You may remember that Walter Scott was gunned down while running from police in Lake City in 2015. The Officer pled guilty of one count of excessive force.

The teacher was home schooling Walter Scott's young cousin as he couldn't attend regular classes due to trauma. I also learned of other losses at the school related to gun violence.

Some friends of mine got together and we donated close to 100 Stop Stuff™ hats to the students so they'd know that people cared about their plight.

Skip to a year later and I see the stop gun violence hat on Instagram posted by Jonathan Strickland who owns a boxing gym there.

Neither of us knew each other, but we became fast friends when we realized our missions were aligned.

I recently sat down with Jonathan to get his views on life, the world and Stopping Stuff.

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How would you describe yourself to the world?

I would describe myself as being very compassionate. My family is top priority and everything I do is for them.

My community is my second passion. I see so many people who are less fortunate than me in my community, and I feel it is my duty to help better the community.

I also see myself as a committed and loyal individual.

Violence has been rapid amongst our youth in my community.

I am committed and loyal to the service of stopping violence and bringing about peace to the community.

What are you most passionate about and why?

I am most passionate about teaching the youth in my community to box and use fitness as a way to use their energy as a positive force rather than turning to the streets and using their energy in a negative manner. Hence, #glovesupgunsdown!

What have you personally overcome and what advice would you give to others experiencing the same thing?

I overcame the streets: gang violence, drug dealing and a lack of education.

Not to sound cliché, but my advice would be to stay in school. School is so important.

Also, I would advice for them to find something constructive to do to consume their free time.

Whether it be sports, spiritual/religious, etc. As they say, “An idle mind is the devil’s playground.”

I believe that.

What do you think we need to stop and why?

I think we need to stop being stagnant and take affirmative action on issues that arise in our society.

For example, it is easy for people to say, stop gang violence, poverty, racism, etc., However, not many people take real action to do so.

What can we do to make the world a better place?

To make the world a better place, we can unify, practice what we preach, stop being judgmental and learn to love each other and coexist peacefully.

What words of encouragement would you give to others?

My words of encouragement are to stop creating enemies that are not there.

For instance, when you get stopped by the police, they are not necessarily the enemy.

Also, the pen is always mightier than the sword. If you're ever in a situation, it's best to stay calm and take proper legal action.

Do you believe we can change the world?

I believe we can change the world by learning about each other and accepting our differences., Learning to coexist will go a long way.

Jonathan is holding an event for peace at Strickland's Boxing on 473 Church Street in Lake City, South Carolina on Saturday, August 12th at 3 pm.

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If you have a message to share and are interested in being included in STOP STUFF™ STORIES, please email me at info@stopstuff.com.

Seanne