Community advocates spark gun violence conversations with teens

The regular curriculum was put on hold at one Milwaukee high school this Monday morning, April 24, so that students could discuss a more pressing issue.

MILWAUKEE - The regular curriculum was put on hold at one Milwaukee high school this Monday morning, April 24, so that students could discuss a more pressing issue.

Gun violence was the focus inside Milwaukee Excellence Charter High School's gym.

"We have the most powerful voice right now," said Laterrian Stewart, a Sophomore at Milwaukee Excellence Charter High School.

This week, students are given the opportunity to speak about the problem that they see all around them.

"On Tik Tok when I look up Milwaukee or my community, I see the gun violence," said junior Samuel Cohn-Blackman.

Samuel Cohn-Blackman

"My uncle, he got killed from gunshots; I was at a pretty young age," said junior Christopher Riser.

An important discussion about gun violence took place during the meeting.

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"A lot of their questions were tough, but that's good we need tough discussions because gun violence is a real things," said Milwaukee Police Department officer Ndiva Malafa.

Cohn-Blackman said the discussion provided a way to learn how to resolve conflicts peacefully.

"One take was just ignore it," said Cohn-Blackman. "put it away, don’t engage in it"

Milwaukee police said in 2022, 13% of homicides were youth victims. In a class of 60 kids, police showed what that would look like.

"I could be one of the 12 people that get injured or lose my life due to gun violence, and it's a scary thought," said Cohn-Blackman.

Saving lives is the lesson here, so these students can pursue their dreams.

"I want to be an engineer work on cars," said Stewart.

"So I want to own my own restaurant, head chef," said Riser. "That's always been my dream."

Students see gun violence problems every day, but they also see themselves as part of the solution.

Throughout this week, students at Milwaukee Excellence Charter High School will be attending workshops on a number of different topics, including sexual violence, mental health, and bullying.