As part of the ongoing national conversation around gun violence, brought to the forefront with the anniversary of the Parkland School shooting, NPR produced this documentary. The film offers teens from different backgrounds a platform to share their thoughts, fears and stories. This collaboration is another one in which Youth ALIVE!’s TNT students stepped up to the plate.
Youth ALIVE!, National Network of Hospital Based Violence Intervention (NNHVIP), and peer programs like Cure Violence joined together to talk violence as a public health issue in a recent Pacific Standard article on gun violence and the search for a cure:
New California Law Increases Victim Access to Help
Posted November 5, 2018
YA! Legislative Advocacy Update
Dymond Garrett and other TNT Youth Leaders in Sacramento
Even as Washington grows more hostile to newcomers and people of color, the State of California continues to increase fairness and access to critical support and services.
TNT kicked off the new school year by doing what it does best – making connections. Recruitment started in early September for both our Fremont and Castlemont high school sites and consisted of tabling, pizza parties, lunchtime enlistments, and classroom visits to spread the word. Initial turnout for the program exceeded all expectations – interviews numbered in the high double digits and we are seeing more than fifty students regularly attend our afterschool sessions.
Youth ALIVE!’s Ricardo Garcia-Acosta was a guest on KALW’s Your Call with Rose Aguilar recently, for a panel discussion of community-based efforts to increase safety and prevent violence. Ricardo joined Rose and James Favel, founder of Bear Clan Patrol, a Winnipeg-based group that supports people in need and helps then find missing loved ones. Ricardo had some fantastic things to say about the needs of our clients in a time of change for Oakland. “Jobs save lives. Jobs stop bullets. Folks feel like they have to hustle because they don’t fit into this city that’s changing. We need to find ways to get them the skills they need to tap into the growth of the city.” He also spoke to the need for everyone to contribute, to “step outside your comfort zone and do something.” Listen to the whole fascinating conversation here.
