The Oaklandside | Teens on Target graduate helps young people get answers to their questions about gun violence
As a leader in Youth Alive, Jalesha Fitzpatrick educates young people about cycles of violence, poverty, and abuse.
alesha Fitzpatrick spent many afterschool hours in Youth Alive’s Teens on Target program at Castlemont High School, advising young people about gun violence and violence prevention efforts in Oakland.
She never expected the gun violence she spoke about each day would hit so close to home. A few years ago, her dad was shot in front of her and her older brother while they were sitting in the car at their grandmother’s home in West Oakland, she said. Their dad survived and is OK now, but it drove home for her how prevalent gun violence can be. After her nervous system returned to normal, Jalesha reflected on how she could use the experience in her work with Youth Alive.
“I thought I could use that experience to sympathize or empathize with other people who may have been through other hard experiences that may or may not involve gun violence,” she said. “It opened my eyes to how dangerous gun violence is and more needs to be done about it.”