Despite the vulnerability of those in Black communities to gun violence, In 2010 VPC reported “there was no national data on the prevalence of drive-by shootings, those who commit them, those who are killed and injured as a result of them, the firearms used, where they take place, or at what times they most often occur.” The same holds true today.
What has changed, however, is that in 2020, CA Governor Gavin Newsom carved out $200M of the state budget to provide grants for violence intervention programs intended for local community training and building relationships with those in communities most at risk of being either shot themselves or of shooting someone else. Millions have been granted to local organizations around the state, including here in the inland region, through the state’s CalVIP Program.
Black on Black Crime
White also calls for a shift in thought in the Black community when it comes to Black on Black crime.
“The community needs to be as incensed on Black on Black crime as we are about Blue on Black crime,” White says. “We can't say that we accept it more when we are killed by each other, to me we almost should accept it less. Nobody should be killing.”
When this concern was brought to the attention of the Vice President of the NAACP San Bernardino Chapter, Che Wright, she voiced a similar opinion.
“On top of looking over our shoulders at the PD, we’re fighting each other,” Wright said.
“Shame on us for not having more of a dialogue about what real endeavors we can do to start making sure that we make it not cool,” Wright said.
“We're the ones who make trends all around the world, so how is it that collectively, we can't go into our communities and cease fire?”
Wright describes a number of “amazing and unfortunate reasons” she believes this stems from, including parents working to put food on the table, leading to idle time for their children, to a system that may have failed a child because they “never had the mentorship, or community love or guidance” to prosper within it.
She believes it starts with the destigmatization of these challenges and encourages open community dialogue. Wright thinks that this kind of conversation on the community level has diminished due to division.
“That's why they used to say it takes a village,” Wright said. “A village was an open opportunity for us to check each other, and hold each other accountable for the places where one was lacking for someone else to come in, who was equipped and capable to help.”
Wright says key solutions lie in increased financial literacy and sustainability through various avenues. She believes the ability to provide and live sustainably can decrease aggression. She stresses the importance of creating programs for Black men, specifically. These programs would help the community understand their options for financial sustainability, beyond solely pursuing education.
Wright developed and piloted the Live Program in Dallas, Texas. The program equips students with basic fundamentals of business and entrepreneurship while providing mentorship with the opportunity of a fellowship following completion of the program.
Wright says resources and funding are available and stresses the importance of organizing and moving swiftly into the action stage.