KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) – Local basketball fans gathered at a Kansas City community center over the weekend to play basketball in an effort to stop the violence.

The Mid-America Black Archives in Kansas City hosted the second annual Stop the Violence Basketball Tournament on Saturday, July 27 from 12 noon to 4 p.m. Registrants at the Black Archives building at 1722 E. 17th Terr. were able to grab a bite to eat and register to vote before the giveaway.

The tournament, held at the Gregg-Klice Community Center at 1600 E. 17th St., featured 16 teams ranging from middle school-aged players to young adults. All of the competitors were from Kansas City and the surrounding area.

“I know I have a lot of brothers and sisters who love basketball and they hold their heads up high for the love of basketball, so I really try to highlight that in the community,” Marcus Bass III, Media Officer for Black Archives of America, said of the tournament’s importance.

The organization said it works to empower youth through alternatives to violence that has become a reality. The tournament was also part of the Summer of Youth Empowerment series.

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