Anti-violence initiative targeting Buffalo youth

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW — A new anti-violence initiative is underway that focuses directly on Buffalo’s youth. This vital program aims to empower East Side teens through youth development.

“It made a huge difference. It got me out of a lot of trouble and stuff, especially in terms of fighting,” Ellijah Blackman responded.

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Blackman is 15 and is one of 15 other people aged 13 to 20 who have been participating in the anti-violence programme over the past five months.

They learn a wide range of skills, from character building to leadership to etiquette. They are also paid for the work they do.

The aim is to keep children away from street violence and those I spoke to say it is working.

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“I’m going to start taking the right paths, going in the right direction, etc.,” Blackman explained. “It’s like a second family.”

I asked Blackman what the best part of being in the program was.

“Working together,” Blackman replied.

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“Believe me, it takes a lot of work to get a young person to come to work, dressed nicely, behaved properly – with the best attitude possible,” said Murray Holman, president of the Stop the Violence Coalition.

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Holman praised the parents who attended Thursday’s meeting. The Buffalo Black Billion has partnered with his organization and with summer youth programs in Erie County and the city.

But Holman says they are looking for more investors to keep the business going year-round.

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“And especially with our youth, and around my age, 15 to 20, I feel like we should stand together and stop the violence in our communities and keep them safe,” Nuri Muhammad said.

Muhammad says he learned to take responsibility for his actions and respect others by participating in the initiative.

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“I’ve learned to take responsibility for a lot of things I’ve done,” Muhammad said.

The program is held at Gethsemane Missionary Baptist Church on Grape Street in the city’s Fruit Belt, where students tend a garden and greenhouse.

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You may be wondering how this greenhouse and fresh vegetables, grown by young people, help them avoid street violence and build their self-esteem.

“They have to be responsible for coming every day. They have to water the plants twice a day, before and after sunset,” explained Minister Ina Chapman.

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Chapman and her husband pastor both Gethsemane Church and St. John Baptist Church..

“They grow their own vegetables and fruits. They’re more likely to eat healthy, so we prevent them from becoming obese,” Chapman noted.

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“It’s unbelievable. It’s a phenomenal feeling,” Lemoyne Hill said.

Hill, dressed in a white suit, stands out as he serves as a youth coordinator and mentor to the teens.

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“We instill in our young people many qualities and values ​​that we know are important to improving their way of life,” Hill noted.

“I just thought I was going to come here and work and get paid. They taught me to be respectful. They taught me to work on my attitude,” said Mikwon West, a Buffalo teenager.

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“His attitude is completely different,” said mother Latasha West.

West tells me she loves the program for her son Mikwon.

“I want to raise a young king and I don’t want him to be on the streets or anything,” West mused.