In Lexington, Ky., Black men are taking the issue of gun violence into their own hands to promote and organize change in their city.
Black men being gunned down is nothing new, as seen by the Kansas City verdict that came down last week and the Ahmaud Arbery trial that’s going on.
But in this Lexington community, Black men are coming together to think of solutions on how they can stop the murderous acts within their city.
Per the report from WKYT, the director of One Lexington, Devine Carama, called for 100 Black men to come to the University of Kentucky campus.
From WKYT:
“Anybody that looks at the homicide statistics in Lexington this year, you will see that they disproportionately affect Black males, especially young Black males,” Carama said. “Though we need everybody to be a part of this fight… I think it’s important to intentionally reach out to Black males in the community.”
He said he’s giving them opportunities to participate in that will help break the cycle of violence.
“What we’re trying to do is every time it happens, have more people come out to a point where it develops a change,” participant Eric Trigg said.
The group of Black men met at the University of Kentucky and heard from anti-gun violence organizations like Stop the Bleed, the YMCA Black Achievers Program, Operation Making a Change (OMAC), and Mayor Linda Gorton according to the WKYT report.
These men promoted how simple and respectful gestures could go a long way in the community and that every Black man in the room needs to be a role model, saying that something as simple as “a smile” according to WKYT.
“You’ve got all of these images coming from social media, and music and within a neighborhood and they need to know that Black men can come together for positive things as well,” Carama said…
“It’s never, you want to grow up and be like your dad,” event volunteer Teelisha Wortham said. “It’s good to have that for those young men who do not have their father…..that you have a positive man or mentor in their life to help guide them through whatever difficulties they have.”
Positive influences and role models can go a long way in changing lives. Hopefully, these Black men in Lexington can promote change and create more solutions to minimize gun violence in their community.