The Rev. Jesse Jackson called for a stop of violence Sunday from the steps of the Arkansas Capitol as he makes his way throughout the Southeast bringing attention to a movement he hopes to launch in coming weeks.
Gun violence across the nation has exploded since the covid-19 pandemic and has dominated many political conversations in Little Rock as homicides continue to rise.
The number of homicides in Arkansas during 2020 jumped by 78 over 2019 as the state saw a 34 percent increase in homicide, according to data from the Arkansas Crime Information Center.
According to the Crime Information Center data, the state reported 310 homicides last year, compared with 232 the year before.
Little Rock's rate of increase in homicides increased by 36 percent from 2019 to 2020, according to Crime Information Center data. The capital city had 49 homicides in 2020 and 36 in 2019.
As of Sunday, 26 people have been killed in Pulaski County since the start of the year.
The most recent death was Sunday morning, just hours before Jackson's conference.
Jackson called for the banishing of open carry laws, raising the minimum wage and affordable health care.
"Arkansas is a sleeper state," Jackson said. "Arkansas is ripe for a change."
Voting for candidates who support these changes will lower violence, Jackson said.
He said the desegregation of Little Rock Central High School was one catalyst for the civil-rights movement. Black residents now sit on the Little Rock School District board, he said. He said that's an example of how voting can change issues over time.
Poverty is one major factor in rising violence, Jackson said.
"Six or seven dollars an hour is not enough money," Jackson said. "You'll lose your dignity. People who work ought to have something -- be able to buy a house."
He also encourage people to look for solutions outside of violence. He said comedian Chris Rock won the battle after recently being slapped by actor Will Smith because he didn't hit back.
Derek Van Voast, assistant and successor to Jackson, said this is just the first stop in Arkansas. He said the reverend plans to return in upcoming weeks to continue the conversation in more depth.
Natalie James, a candidate for U.S. Senate in Arkansas, attended the conference. She said Jackson's appearance in the state shows that Arkansas is worth saving.
She said violence in the state stems from institutional issues.
"The main issues are our living wages," James said. "Making sure people can support themselves and making sure that people, such as our children, have the right education, a 21st-century education. Right now we are suffering from the lack of [that]."