Gangs in Durham: the problem and the solution pt.2

AALIYA

(African and American Latino and Immigrant Youth Agenda)

Purpose:  Reinvigoration of community youth organizations with higher education, political consciousness, and civil rights agenda resulting in cleaner safer neighborhoods in Durham.

Methodology:  this gang amelioration project will differ from most outreach programs in that it will recruit gang members (black, white, Latino, Asian) directly from their neighborhoods, schools, and organized events.  Also, whereas most youth programs dealing with gangs typically focus with youths from a particularly targeted ethnic group, the changing racial and cultural dynamics of Durham necessitate a cross cultural multi lingual engagement between black and Latino youths, parents, and communities in Durham.

Young Nobles Inc.* will guide young risks*, gang affiliated or not, through the acquisition of educational credentials (i.e. GED, Associates Degree, Technical Degree, or four year Diploma), political consciousness, conflict resolution skills, leadership development training and civil rights tools for critical engagement with the political processes and progress in Durham.

This will be one via direct exposure to and influence from the artist, activist, academic, and municipal communities aimed at offering young risks leadership development training, incentives and opportunities based on wise decision making; not necessarily via a seemingly external delegitimization of the youth groups in which they may or may not already be members, as such approaches preemptively, implicitly promotes animosity between gang members and programs’ outreach in Durham.

Potential Impacts:

1. Lower Dropout Rates in Durham Public Schools
2. Lower crime rates in Durham neighborhoods
3. Cessation of Gun Violence in Durham communities
4. Increased acquisition of educational credentials by members of disenfranchised communities in Durham (i.e. GED, Associates Degree, Technical Degree, or four year Diploma).
5. Increased  enrollment in Durham Public Schools, Durham Technical Community College, North Carolina Central University and Duke University
6. Increased youth engagement in the Local Political processes via voting, petition, protest, and effective self representation.
7. Lessening of domestic violence rates in Durham via workshops aimed at eliminating misogyny, sexism and objectification.

*Young Nobles Inc.  will act as the recruitment/community engagement arm of the African and American, Latino and Imigrant Youth Agenda (AALIYA)
*the term “risks” is used to refer to youths at risk of success, not necessarily, incarceration etc…