Hundreds gathered on the south side of Chicago to say goodbye to 17 year old Kiyanna Salters. Her silver casket sat inside St. Sabina Catholic Church and she was dressed in royal purple, her head resting on a satin pillow. Salters was the innocent victim of senseless gunfire, a scenario that plays out far too often in communities of color. Kiyanna was remembered as an intelligent girl who was studying Japanese and planned on embarking on a career in the medical field. 
Speakers made mention of her love for fashion and Strawberry Shortcake and Hello Kitty dolls. Her mother, Kenya Jackson, warned the congregation "It's going to happen again...you all have to love your kids. Talk to them. ... hug these children." Her grandfather, Lester Salters, summed up the violence plaguing communities of colors, "we survived the chains and the ropes in the South. We're supposed to be free, but our own kids got us slaved up, in chains.'' Kiyanna's younger brother, Darien made a vow to finish school and become successful in honor of his slain sister. "I gotta pick up what she did. I gotta take her place," he said. "I promise I will."
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