Posts Tagged ‘Youth Alive’
Oakland’s high homicide rate moves residents to do something about it
Marilyn Washington Harris knew something was up when her son, Khadafy Washington, didn’t respond to her calls and texts. She was upset that he hadn’t told her where he was going. But since he was 18, she wanted to give him some independence.
Read MoreAs the nation responds to mass shootings, Oakland’s Teens on Target empowers students to end violence
While students and teachers across the nation stand up against school shootings, Oakland high school students are standing up to daily gun violence in their communities.
Read MoreAs reported shootings rise, analyzing gun violence, and its effect on young people, in Oakland
Scid Howard III grew up on the streets of East Oakland, so he knows what it’s like to be a teenager in a city where some young people are lost forever to gun violence and others live on, scarred physically and mentally. Howard himself was shot at age 19 and witnessed the shooting death of…
Read MoreNFL stars give scholarship to Oakland gunshot victim
On Thursday Seattle Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch and San Francisco 49ers quarterback Josh Johnson gave a $500 scholarship to Oakland gunshot victim Gerald Williams, a former Castlemont High School student who will be studying business management at San Diego State University this fall. Nearly 200 people attended the ceremony held to recognize Williams’ achievement…
Read MoreA rise in homicides, including the deaths of three children, concerns anti-violence proponents
Carlos Nava, a 3-year-old, was killed by a stray bullet in a drive-by shooting in East Oakland on August 9. Less than three months later, 23-month-old Hiram Lawrence was shot in the head by a stray bullet in West Oakland on November 28, and died two weeks after that when he was taken off life…
Read MoreAfter 20 years, Youth Alive continues its fight to end gun violence among Oakland’s young people
Since Youth Alive launched its first violence prevention program 20 years, some of the crime and gun violence trends in Oakland have changed, but two things remain consistent: Young people make up a high percentage of Oakland’s homicide victims, and many are killed by someone using a firearm.
Read MoreTrauma experts meet in Oakland to share practices for youth violence prevention
During a two-day conference last week, Youth ALIVE! hosted the third annual National Network of Hospital-based Violence Intervention Programs National Conference at Oakland’s Preservation Park. Over 120 representatives from non-profits across the country met to discuss strategies on how to stop the “revolving door” of young gunshot victims who are treated at urban emergency rooms, only to return later.
Read MoreYouth mentors share hard-learned lessons in East Oakland
With homicide numbers already deep in the double digits this year, Oakland has a reputation for being one of California’s most violent and crime-plagued cities. But that won’t stop students at Castlemont High School in East Oakland from working hard to change that.
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