“What are we going to do, Rev,” my activist
friend asked, forlornly. The root of the friend’s despair is
the enduring gun violence epidemic that keeps us in tears
and the community under siege.
Handguns are increasingly available and
easily accessed. But with more guns comes the almost
certainty that more and more black people will end up dead
or in prison. Recent statistics show that a child or teen
dies from a gun every three hours and 28 minutes because the
widespread availability of guns has increased children’s
exposure to loaded and unlocked guns.
Mayor Paula Hicks-Hudson recently announced a
gunlocks program and other safety measures. In addition,
Toledo police have confiscated more firearms this year than
last.
Is it enough to make a difference?
For certain, the problem is complex. Blacks
suffer gun violence disproportionately despite owning guns
at a rate less than half that of whites (19 vs 41 percent),
according to Pew Research.
Yet, realistic solutions are surprisingly
simple.
What shall we do?
My perspective is to act first on what you
already know. The second move is then, understanding that
you don’t know enough and to seek out more knowledge and
understanding.
We know, first of all, that the racial
disparity in impact of gun violence has become a national
health crisis and “has everything to do with racism,”
according to the Centers for Disease Control’s Camara Jones,
MD, MPH, PhD. Sometimes the racism operates on an
institutionalized level, where some groups lack access to
opportunities that are available to other racial groups. But
often, racism is turned inward where individuals accept
negative societal messages and begin to lose self-worth and
devalue themselves and others of their same racial group.
We’ve also known the risk factors for
weapon-related behaviors of young African Americans and
others.
For instance, African Americans suffer
enormous emotional distress and many low-income minorities
are disproportionately exposed to violence compared to
others. The delinquency of peers and associates have also
been identified as a risk for weapon involvement.
In addition, many blacks, not confident that
law enforcement or the government are able to ensure their
safety, have decided to arm themselves believing that self
defense is better than no defense.
Certainly then, if the problem of gun
violence is to be adequately addressed, interventions will
have to deal with the things we already know – risk factors
such as reducing exposure to violence and emotional stress
(including mental health) – issues that, in the words of Dr.
Jones, “have everything to do with racism.”
But secondly, it is critical to approach the
gun violence epidemic with humility, understanding that, as
a community, healthcare industry, social services industry
or municipal government, we still do not know enough to
solve the problem. Relevant and realistic solutions that we
are unaware of are often present but perhaps hidden in plain
sight.
For instance, much of what we know about gun
violence and black youth is based upon a deficit model
rather than from a strengths perspective.
Yet, there are many high achieving youth who
navigate high levels of violence in their neighborhoods or
communities and are still able to succeed. How do they do
it? What are the protective factors that they are able to
draw upon to help them deal positively with the negativity
that they also face? We need to listen to their voices and
find out more information that can help others.
Also, successful gun violence prevention
strategies are being implemented in places like Chicago,
Minneapolis, Los Angeles and Boston. Many of these programs
have transformed violent communities into healthy spaces
where people can live with both dignity and safety. Their
success has been primarily due to the ability to understand
both the challenges and successes associated navigating
high-risk environments.
Gun violence is a public health crisis in
Toledo and throughout the nation. However, I believe that we
can prevent or reduce violence by focusing on the strengths
of black youth who successfully navigate community violence
and by identifying successful intervention strategies.
The challenge is finding the political will
to do what we already know and developing a thirst for
seeking out what we do not yet know.
Contact Rev. Donald Perryman, D.Min, at
drdlperryman@centerofhopebaptist.org
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