YOUTH GANG/SUMMIT LED BY THE ETHICS PROJECT FOUNDER
On March 24, 25, 30 and 31, nearly two thousand students attended Youth/Gang Summits held at Sumner, Beaumont, Vashon and Roosevelt High Schools in St. Louis, Missouri, that were designed to give students an opportunity to be heard. “Students today face unimaginable problems; gangs, drugs, killings. They need to be heard by the community” commented Cythia Wilson, Urban League employee and member of The Urban League's Public Safety Advisory Council that hosted the four summits. The two and one-half hour Summits held at each of the four Comprehensive High Schools and facilitated by more than 70 community leaders, were designed to allow students to be heard.
Chaired by The Ethics Project Founder, Dr. Christi M. Griffin, the Summits opened with a panel session for the entire student body of each school that represented some of St. Louis’ most accomplished leaders. Former Supreme Court Judge, Ronnie White, chronicled his path from City Counselor, to the Missouri Court of Appeals and ultimately to Chief Judge of the Missouri Supreme Court. Malik Ahmed, President of Better Family Life, shared his years of community involvement at both Beaumont and Vashon and Melba Moore, the first African American Commissioner of the Department of Health for the City of St. Louis, passionately engaged students in a break-out session that encouraged community service and involvement as a path to success. Break-out sessions with approximately 100 selected students at each school followed.
Doctors, lawyers, judges, several authors and motivational speakers gained as much from the Summits as did the students. "I would relish more opportunities to listen to our public school students and find out what matters to them, and learn about their ideas for addressing issues such as drugs, teen pregnancy, and crime” wrote Sarah Jane Forman, Clinical Professor of Law in the Criminal Justice Center at Washington University School of Law. All were committed to continue being engaged with the students – and the students eagerly welcomed their presence. “We need role models like you” one student told members of 100 Black Men at a Beaumont Break-Out session, we need adults to be adults, not our friends.”
Students’ voices were important throughout the entire process. “I called on a wide spectrum of ages and experience for the panel”, said Dr. Griffin. “Students wanted to hear from young adults who had recently faced problems similar to theirs and yet had found viable solutions. At the same time, they needed to hear wisdom from those who have had a more seasoned past and path. I particularly wanted them to see the level of success that could be achieved by those that looked like them.” As a result the Vashon panel was as diverse as a former gang member, LaDon Merriweather, radio DJ, Young Dip, Caroline Fisher, a veteran educator and 2009 Missouri Department of Education Pioneer in Education and Dr. Marilyn Maxwell, an internist, pediatrician and professor of medicine who heads the Medicine and Pediatric Residency Programs at St. Louis University. The advice of each resonated with the students.
Planning for the Summits began in December, 2009, with a meeting with St. Louis Public School Superintendent, Dr. Kelvin Adams, a host of top administrators and St. Louis Metropolitan Police Chief, Dan Isom. Both Dr. Adams and Chief Isom remained closely involved in every aspect of the Summits. Numerous gang unit detectives led by Captain Rochelle Jones, participated in the various Summits, interrupted only by the death of Office David Haynes who had been killed in a police chase the very moment the Sumner Summit convened. Earlier in the year, Chief Isom listened to students concerns over lunch at a “student board meeting” hosted by Urban League President, James Buford. And this month, Dr. Adams attended the opening Summit at Vashon High School and at one point “rolled up his sleeves” while attending a break-out session at Roosevelt.
Early in the planning, Dr. Griffin enlisted the assistance of former U.S. Prosecuting Attorney, Kymberly Smith Jackson, who brilliantly led The Student Leadership Corp, approximately 50 students, from Sumner, Beaumont, Roosevelt and Vashon, through exercises that fully engaged them in the process. The Summits were planned down to the wire and executed with the assistance of those students. ROTC students stood guard welcomimg the community leaders at each of the high schools. By complete irony, the Roosevelt Summit was opened with a welcome by freshman, NaPorsha Williams, daughter of one of the panelists, Napoleon Williams.
At various points during the Summits and planning, it was noted that while African Americans comprise only 11% of the general population of the United States, we make up 76% percent of the populations in prisons. With schools struggling to educate students on smaller and smaller budgets, billions are being funneled into prison coffers. Various speakers at the Summit rallied for the tide to turn. By continuing to host The Youth/Gang Summits, it is the hope of the Urban League Public Safety Advisory Council initiated by Urban League Vice President, Angelia Bills, to help reduce the incidences of crime in the St. Louis Metropolitan Area. By introducing students to community leaders, engaging them in positive and productive goals, and diverting their attention from gang activity, it is the commitment of the Public Safety Advisory Council, the St. Louis Public Schools and the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department to begin turning that tide.
A Joint Summit involving 75 students from each of the participating high schools is planned for May 13, 2010.
Dr. Christi M. Griffin
City of St. Louis
2010 Youth/Gang Summits
