Edison High Peace Garden dedicated to fallen community leader
FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- A place for peace.
The Edison High School Peace Garden is now a new location on campus where students can reflect and relax.
It's all in dedication to the late Ali Shabazz.
"The community was always in need of peace efforts and everything, so he was the kind of person that made that happen, and all the work that he did in the community. I just think that it fits the situation," said his widow, Nia Shabazz.
Ali Shabazz was a community leader and head of a local mosque.
He was also a civil engineer for Caltrans and died in a car accident on his way to a job site back in 2022.
The father of eight, never forgot his days as a proud Edison Tiger, coming back to tutor and volunteer/
That's why student body president Matthew Pitcher founded the growing garden in his memory.
"To create a drought tolerant, native plant garden behind me is a good symbol of the man and the legacy that he had," said student and peace garden founder, Matthew Pitcher.
Pitcher says it took nearly a year for all the right pieces to sprout together to make it happen, but he felt it was needed for his school.
"Whenever I always wonder on campus that there were few green spaces on campus, so I wanted to do something about it and have something that is sustainable and contributes to the longevity of Edison High School," said Pitcher.
Congressman Jim Costa said he was in awe of how despite the tensions across the world, peace garden members never wavered in making Friday's dedication possible.
"Where the student body decided they wanted to have the politics of hope and aspire to the better angels in all of us," said Valley Congressman Jim Costa.
Ali's wife says she is just grateful because the seeds he sewed into the children in the community, are now blossoming in his honor.
"This is how I want people to remember: this situation does it all. He was a man of peace, calmness, and he believed in the kids. It started there with the children," said Nia Shabazz.
