Hundreds of students from local schools gathered at the Marriott East Hotel on Dec. 10 for the third annual Youth Leadership and Prevention Summit. High school leaders from Stop the Violence Indianapolis worked with college mentors to lead workshops for other students, who split into groups to formulate ideas about how to curb violence in their communities.
Over the next few months, workshop leaders will work with student volunteers to develop seven plans for action they’ll present to the cities of Indianapolis and Lawrence, according to Beatrice Beverly, program director and volunteer coordinator for Stop the Violence Indianapolis.
“If we don’t teach our youth how to lead and be leaders so they can become the change agent, our city will not prosper,” Beverly said. “Our city will not grow because we will be stuck.”
While FBI data show the number of overall crimes in Indianapolis declining between 2016 and 2017, the number of murders and aggravated assaults climbed. The issue of public safety resurfaced recently when Mayor Joe Hogsett announced he’ll seek re-election in 2019. Some have criticized Hogsett for not doing enough to curb crime and violence since taking office in 2016.
Community leaders, including Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department officers, helped students develop their action plans and sat in on workshops.
“It gets the youth to thinking about life,” Columbus Ricks, executive officer of the East District, said. “[It gets them] to try to think responsibly … and look at life situations and how you would go about attacking those situations in a mature and adult way.”
Workshops addressed issues including justice in education, conflict resolution and reducing violence. Students spoke about issues such as police officers in school and how to deal with the root causes of violence in their communities.
“They talked about real stuff that people don’t usually talk about,” said Tido Moss, an eighth grader at Andrew J. Brown Academy.
Before students worked on their action plans, IMPD Chief Bryan Roach asked questions to Charles A. Tindley Accelerated School junior Taran Richardson and Shortridge High School senior Porscha Webster about their experiences with police and how officers can build trust with African-American communities. Richardson suggested officers do “outreach” while they’re patrolling, and Webster said there’s “work that needs to be done” between police and African-American youth.
Roach told a story of how he used to try to build those connections with the African-American community by going to a local barber shop when he was an officer, but he said it was awkward because he didn’t feel like they wanted him there. But Webster said there isn’t a need to look past race in those situations.
“There’s definitely a way we can unite and celebrate differences without erasing them,” she said.
At every phase of the summit, adults only facilitated where necessary, leaving the ideas to the students. The same will be true as students form their action committees and draft their plans to present to city governments.
“It’s just heartwarming how other people are saying that enough is enough,” said Angie Ramirez, a senior at Warren Central, “and they actually want to make a difference to help others that are in trouble.”
Contact staff writer Tyler Fenwick at 317-762-7853. Follow him on Twitter @Ty_Fenwick.
