Written by aly jones for Hate Out Of Winston
2020 was the deadliest year for gun violence the United States has seen in decades, with North Carolina experiencing a rate 6% above the increase in the national average (source). 2021 has been even worse, and we in Winston Salem know this well. Gun violence has bled from our streets into our schools, and Winston Salem/Forsyth County Schools, school board members, community members, and some parents have promoted the implementation of metal detectors and increased School Resource Officers (SROs) as the solution. As my comrade Miranda Jones has written, there is a wealth of research demonstrating the lack of effectiveness of metal detectors in combating school violence. There is an equally substantial amount of information regarding the lack of impact brought about by increased police presence in schools, but it doesn’t take data or a social science background to understand why these band-aids are just that. Metal detectors and SRO presence don’t provide a safe, nurturing, secure home. They don’t teach conflict resolution or provide chances for young people to repair harm. They don’t provide healthcare or job security. They don’t transform food deserts into oases. Band-aids are not able to prevent a wound; they are there to help soak the damage of the aftermath. Such is the nature of reactive measures like metal detectors and SROs.
The narrative that violence is a result of Black on Black crime is a tired trope, and the problem of gun violence does not begin at school. It begins in the community. It is most likely to happen in under-resourced communities: places that don’t meet the most basic human needs for food, shelter, and safety (source). In Winston Salem, a child born into poverty has only a 3% chance of making it out during their lifetime. The only places in the US with worse odds are the barren reservations the government has created for Indigenous people. When you combine that with a 20% poverty rate and a dramatically disproportionate rate of evictions for Black Winston Salem residents, it is clear that we need solutions that start at home.
In February of 2018, Maryland Governor Larry Hogan (Republican) signed multiple pieces of legislation dedicated to reducing gun violence after the mass shootings in Las Vegas, Nevada and Parkland, Florida and in response to a study that showed gun violence in Maryland was costing the state $1.5 billion annually. One of the bills included a $5 million package dedicated to violence interruption, and the state showed a deep understanding of what that means. Violence interruption does not simply mean the use of mediators and gang interventionists; violence interruption means getting to the root — and there is plenty of evidence that root is a lack of access and resources. Thus, the $5 million included funds set aside for youth development and job programs, a way to keep young people from getting involved in criminal or violent activity because they will be engaged and productive. Here in Winston Salem, we have a program called YouthBuild that does exactly this, except their funding is pitiful, and they are only able to serve 8 participants annually. It is one of the programs Hate Out of Winston (HOOW) has worked to advocate for in order for it to meet its true potential transforming the lives of young people. The program needs an additional $1.5 million to get there, and HOOW will continue our advocacy.
It is not the responsibility of the oppressed to free themselves. It is the responsibility of the system that oppresses, and in this case, the institutions of power in our city make up that system. Recently the City announced they are going to meet with the Chicago-based-now-international group called Cure Violence, formerly known as Cease Fire. The work done by this organization has proven highly effective. In their first year of existence in Chicago, gun violence decreased by 67%. Their main approach is mediation, mentoring, and treatment for addiction, as well as support to people who are leaving gangs. This is crucial work, and while adopting a Cure Violence program in Winston Salem would involve people from our city as leadership and facilitators, there are already groups doing this work effectively here. They simply don’t have the funding for the type of larger-scale interventions an organization like Cure Violence has. In order to bring about true, lasting, transformative change, those being under-served must be included in solutions. We need to do more than offer seats at the table; we need to free up the head of the table and follow Black leadership in Winston Salem and Forsyth County. We also need to include Black residents, who have non-sexual felony convictions and have served their time, to function as mentors and advisors. They have powerful lessons to teach our youth, and they are people at-risk youth can relate to and learn from. There are a number of grassroots groups doing violence interruption work, as well groups providing community services such as educational support and advocacy, restorative practices, rites of passage mentoring, job training, and education and support for agricultural self-sufficiency. There are groups already trying to prevent the wound, and you can learn about some of them by clicking on the links below. We are at a momentous crossroads where we can choose to take the path of reaction or we can choose to take the path of prevention. The question is: When the time comes, will we include the citizens most deeply impacted by gun violence in Winston to participate in choosing our path?
Resources:
Winston Salem Journal article for 10,000 Fearless
YouthBuild *this is for the national program to see what it could be if fully funded
