As the nation anticipates a grand jury decision in the case of Ferguson, Mo., police Officer Darren Wilson, who shot and killed 18-year-old Michael Brown on Aug. 9, one 7-year-old violinist wants to play for peace in the tension-laced town, WOFL reports.
When young Leah Flynn of Sanford, Fla., saw the outbreak of protest and the subsequent police response in Ferguson shortly after Brown’s death, the precocious girl wanted to help the town achieve a sense of peace, the news station notes.
"She said to me, 'Mom, what's going on?' and I explained to her, because I have to—I told her what's going on, and she said, 'But it's not right these people look so sad; maybe I could do something for them,' " her mother, Paula Flynn, told WOFL.
So her father, with whom she practices daily, taught her the song "Let There Be Peace."
"There's a lot of scariness there and violence and fighting, so I really just want them to have [peace] and happiness," Leah said.
The little girl wants to travel to Ferguson to play her song for the community, even as unrest is expected in the coming days, with Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon activating the National Guard and declaring a 30-day state of emergency.
"In her eyes she believes that she can create some sort of change in the atmosphere down there," her mom told the station. "I'm extremely proud, and I tell her it's a God-given talent that God gave her, and she should use her talent wisely."
To hear her play, watch the video below:
Read more at WOFL.