Justin

Mayor's Office to Prevent Gun Violence


Justin

Al Tabar
Dayjah
Destiny J
Destiny M
Gregory
Justin
Katora
Kiana
Kiara
Kyesha
Melanie
Sha-Anne
Shawniqua

Al Tabar

Dayjah

Destiny J

Destiny M

Gregory

Justin

Katora

Kiana

Kiara

Kyesha

Melanie

Sha-Anne

Shawniqua


"It’s about understanding consequences. To do that, you have to slow down."

Listen to Justin

I was headed in the wrong direction. As a lonesome child, I was closed off to people and really struggling. Luckily my mom recognized that and asked a friend of hers to visit me. I wasn’t open to it at first, but Danny invited me to a group he hosted where he brought together a bunch of kids from different housing projects. He asked us to open up to him and one another. We participated in programs that taught me skills, which changed me. Now I’m 21 and working on a degree in psychology. I believe if more young people had someone to help give them direction, they’d be better off in life. It’s about understanding consequences. To do that, you have to slow down. You have to listen. In the beginning, it was hard. I had to learn to take my time and really understand what they were teaching us. The alternative is just doing things on impulse, like reacting violently in a moment of conflict. It’s when we quickly act on our impulses or follow bad examples without taking our time to think it through, that we who grow up in a tough environment make decisions that negatively impact our futures.

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