Pulse of Go-Go, Promise of Peace Mingle at D.C. Dance Event for Youth

Go-go was born in the District in the mid-1970s. It became a multi-decade rage, but eventually the scene developed a nasty reputation as a magnet for violence, forcing clubs to shut their doors or move out of the District to the suburbs.

In August, Vaughn decided to try a long afternoon of go-go.

Sure enough, warring neighborhood teenagers got into a brawl inside the club. Vaughn bounced them into the street. Someone fired shots, wounding a 14-year-old girl and a 13-year-old boy. It was midafternoon.

"For a male to shoot a female in broad daylight gave me the constant thought: What is really going on in today's youth's mind?" Vaughn recalled. "What are they feeling that there is so much anguish that you would shoot a little girl? You didn't talk to her, you didn't beat her up, you chose your method of vengeance with firearms."

About a month ago, Ronald Moten, co-founder of Peaceoholics, a District group that tries to stop gang violence, came to Vaughn with a proposal: Open your club for "peace-gos." Only teenagers who went through Peaceoholic training and signed a nonviolence agreement would be admitted. Other community groups would chip in on security, giveaways such as T-shirts and discounts for card-holders at local stores.

Vaughn agreed and joined a coalition with District and Prince George's County authorities, community groups, urban retailers such as Alldaz and the Critical Condition Band, a popular go-go group that recently recorded a stop-the-violence song.

"Membership has its privileges," Vaughn said. "We're hoping these kids will be able to stick their chest out and be proud."

A Lesson in History

Dozens of teenagers stared as the screen showed youths roughly their age being beaten with batons, doused with high-pressure water hoses and bitten by dogs.

Some cringed; others yelled in disbelief. "They're beating them," one said.

The film they were watching at the Peaceoholics headquarters in Congress Heights was about the 1963 Children's March, in which the children of Birmingham went to jail and stood up to police to protest forced segregation when their parents were too afraid.

As the students in the documentary poked out their tongues and their behinds at police, some of the children watching clapped. Afterward, Moten grilled them: When was the Children's March? What was the goal? Who were the key players?

This film was about empowerment. The second one was about the consequences of living the thug life: It showed dozens of boys killed in recent years on District streets -- some of whom the kids recognized.