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Anti-violence youth town hall to give voice to teens concerned about youth violence

By Kayla James

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    DES MOINES, Iowa (KCCI) — A coalition made up of Des Moines community leaders and businesses is coming together to encourage the youth to speak up in a town hall against anti-violence next Monday.

The Youth Town Hall is scheduled for Monday, Feb. 13, at 7 p.m. at 3843 6th Avenue in Des Moines.

“It’s time to pass the mic,” said RJ Miller, the executive director of Greater Opportunities, a Des Moines-based nonprofit. “It’s time to remind our students that they have a stake in education and they have a stake with what’s going on within the community.”

Miller, along with a coalition of organizers, are focusing on giving teens the opportunity to speak up at the town hall. The town hall comes following the shooting at Starts Right Here last month where 18-year-old Gionni Dameron and 16-year-old Rashad Carr were killed. Starts Right Here founder Will Keeps was also injured in the shooting.

“It’s got to have impacted the students — the students that are friends with anybody in this situation,” said Charles Brewton, a member of Greater Opportunities.

This is part of the reason organizers involved with the town hall want teens to come and feel comfortable enough to speak up.

The other part is so teens know it’s their time to take charge and drive the conversation. Organizers note that youth violence can’t be stopped without hearing from teens.

“Older people will always just be like, ‘Oh do this and do that. Do this,'” said Destiny King, a member of the City of Des Moines’ youth advisory board and one of the organizers. “But we can’t walk in their shoes. So we need to have them actually speak.”

King — like Miller and Brewton — wants teens to feel comfortable speaking and sharing their concerns in a trusted place. Not only will they be heard, but it will help community leaders figure out how to start to help.

“I want to put a plan of action together based off the data we collect from the youth and start working on addressing that,” Miller said.

Des Moines teens are loved and they’re the community’s future.

Both are facts organizers of the town hall want them to realize.

Brewton, King, and Miller just want Des Moines’ youth to feel that they’re loved and know that there are adults who are willing to listen and help.

“It starts with your kids,” Brewton said. “If you got a kid, be more involved in their life.”

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