Hundreds of young people and adults converged on THEARC in Southeast D.C. on Sunday to reflect on the current state of affairs in the District and talk about what they believe to be solutions to the violence that has rocked their communities over the past several years.
For 14-year-old Gabriel Riley, the event, touted as the S.M.A.R.T. Collaborative’s Stop the Violence Youth Summit, brought to mind memories of childhood peers who lost their lives to gun violence, including Karon Brown, his Stanton Elementary School classmate who was killed at a Naylor Road gas station in 2019.
Gabriel, a quarterback and tight end in the Prince George’s Bears youth football team, has recognized football as a viable tool in avoiding violence and developing strategies to live a better life. He acknowledged his coach, Leroy Hall as a guiding light in his adolescent journey.
“I’m learning to become a better person and a better coach to myself,” Gabriel said. “[That means] stop throwing fits on the field and fixing my attitude. It’s important off the field because people might not like you the way you think they do.”
A Day of Reflection, Encouragement and Strategizing
The Prince George’s Bears counted among several football teams and enrichment organizations that attended the S.M.A.R.T. Collaborative’s Stop the Violence Youth Summit on Sunday afternoon. The goal of the summit, as articulated on flyers, centered on using sports, music, arts, recreation and theater to heal and save the youth.
The summit also provided those most affected by violence a platform to weigh in on how to create healthier and safer neighborhoods. Interactive programs focused on conflict resolution, mental health, and creating pathways to sports, workforce training, and arts and music opportunities. Coaches, teachers and mentors also discussed among themselves how to effectively engage youth.
Other groups represented in the space included the Johnson Middle School football team, Swarm Gang, City Life, Maryland HEAT football team, National Christian Academy and Metro Bengals Football.
For nearly four hours, coaches and parents joined young people in large-group and small-group conversations about community violence, mental health, police-community relations, parent involvement, and wrap-around resources among several other topics.
Before students attended breakout sessions, they gathered in the main gymnasium where they heard words of encouragement from Check-It Enterprises and Don’t Mute DC founder Ron Moten, D.C. Council member Trayon White (D-Ward 8), D.C. Department of Parks & Recreation Director Thennie Freeman, Deputy Mayor for Public Safety and Justice Lindsey Appiah, along with several coaches. They also participated in a public safety survey, the results of which were generated in real time on a projector screen in the middle of the gymnasium at THEARC.
For nearly a month, Moten and Charles Holton, founder and executive director of Play 4 Lyfe, a youth empowerment and mentorship nonprofit and summit sponsor, organized the event and formed all the proper connections. Holton said they did so with a sense of urgency about the crime that had overtaken communities.
“The inspiration for the summit was BET’s Teen Summit,” said Holton. “I want young people to do something better in life, not live in an illusion and fairy tale with ‘Grand Theft Auto.’ I want this summit to get bigger and take it all over the country, not just D.C. Maryland and Virginia.”
Other sponsors included DPR, Check-It Enterprises, Don’t Mute DC, Anacostia Coordinating Committee, Building Bridges, 11th Street Bridge Park, Downtown Locker Room, MRP Realty, Public Safety Solutions for America and the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Public Safety and Justice.
Public Safety Solutions provided food for a dinner that student-athletes had with Acting MPD Chief Pamela Smith at Highlands in Northeast the next day.
During the event, local nonprofit Yaay me!, Dr. Sheryl Neverson, Kellie Thompson and Mitch Credle and Gil Nelson conducted workshops about parenting, mental health, entrepreneurship, and positive social media content, respectively. MPD officers David Wilkerson and James “Hammer” Thomas also provided support.
Christopha Alston, a Johnson Middle School football player, said the summit built upon what he’s currently learning on the field and being around older, positive male figures, including football coach Mike Sharrieff.
“I’m learning how to be a man and how life works, with things like paying taxes, paying bills, providing for your family and learning how to stay out of trouble,” said Christopha, 13, a wide receiver, linebacker and defensive back. “It’s important to stay out of the streets with people getting jumped and killed. Football kept me from all of that.”
Tayron Burwell, another Johnson Middle School football player, said he looked forward to speaking more about what he has seen during his few years of life. He told the Informer that he found relevant messages in the adult speakers’ words of encouragement.
“It’s rough being a young person because certain people try to stop you from being great,” said Tayron, a running back and linebacker. “I don’t like it because people preach [like] they want you to succeed but they bring you down. Events like this can influence me to do better things. I’m learning that I have a lot of people behind me.”
Marjie Cheadle, a running back and left outside linebacker with the Prince George’s Bears, expressed similar thoughts, even going as far as to suggest next steps.
“I’m taking in information about different ways to become a better person in my community,” said Marjie, 13. “I want to help by having more people coming into school for mentorship to show us something other than the streets and take us on field trips.”
A Mission to Change the Dominant Narrative
This calendar year, more than a dozen young people have lost their lives to gun violence. By March, the number of young people shot in the District had been approaching 50. That’s why this summer, DPR, Department of Youth Rehabilitative Services and other entities have dedicated their resources to enriching young people and diverting them from violent activity.
As the clock winds down to the start of another school year, school administrators, parents, and even student leaders are discussing safe passage strategies and ways of involving business owners and community members in their endeavors.
Another part of tackling violence, per D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb, involves changing the narrative about who’s committing it.
On Sunday, Schwalb said that 500 youths — a tiny fraction of the 50,000 youth under the age of 18 in the city — are currently entrenched in the local juvenile system. In mentioning that statistic, Schwalb said he wanted the young people in attendance to embrace their role as influencers and future leaders.
“You’re living and walking in what it means to be accountable,” Schwalb said. “We have to change the narrative. I want you to be an example of what leadership looks like. You can do that with your friends in school. People in government are looking to you and people in your generation to make this city great.”
I hope many churches and organization will embrace your programs. Violence toward our youth is epedemic. We must move and not only get motivated when a black youth is shot by a white person. We must hold our own race for accountability and reach out in love. Violence is not normal behavior.