Talent Youth Expression holds Anti-Violence Talent Show

IRONDEQUOIT, N.Y. (WHEC) — Young people who are sick and tired of losing loved ones to gun violence, are hitting the stage. Friday night they performed in an Anti-Violence Talent Show as a way to keep their friends, or family members’ memory alive.

It’s another show for the members of Talent Youth Expression, this time at the outdoor stage at the I-Square Plaza in Irondequoit. The night’s performances were dedicated to all young people who were killed by gun violence in the past two years, including the former host of the group, 18-year-old Lysaun Curry. His mother, Titiana Bogar, spoke to us about her life since he was murdered.

"It’s hard. I’ve been getting by as much as I could. Just living every day. It’s not living, just gliding, but out of all this I’ve stayed strong," Bogar said.

Saturday marks one full year since Curry was shot and killed while walking on Trenaman Street. Bogar said she’s happy to see all those who turned out for her son.

"It brings me joy to my heart because this is who my son was. My son was a people person. He was a debater. He would go to bat for any and every one, and that’s just who he was," Bogar said.

Talent Youth Expression Founder Erica Colon says this stage allows these young performers a chance to showcase their talents in a setting that’s in a non-school-based environment.

"A lot of these kids have been through traumatic experiences. So this is like a safe place to kind of express themselves through their talent whether it’s comedian, dance, poetry, rap, sing, so on and so forth," Colon said.

Before hitting the stage, and singing his hit single "I’m Free," Isaiah Santiago, a friend of Curry told us why it was so important for him to participate in the Anti-Violence Talent Show.

"It’s definitely a way for us to celebrate their life like Lysaun, and like all the other young people we have lost in the last two years. It’s a celebration for them, and also a way for us to connect with them, and just say goodbye one last time," Santiago said.

Almost everyone in attendance was wearing orange-colored clothing which was not only Lysaun’s favorite color, but orange also happens to be the color of Gun Violence Awareness.