In Elizabeth, the New Jersey anti-violence coalition spread the word of Trayvon’s story to area youth.
“This movement is nothing unless we start educating our young people that this is what they are subject to. That they have to be a little bit more watchful of themselves,” Salaam Ismial, Director of the National United Youth Council told us.
Meanwhile, members of the New York City Council wore hoodies in support of Trayvon.
And on Capitol Hill democratic Congressman Bobby Rush of Illinois also wore one the house floor while giving a speech.
ELIZABETH — Salaam Ismial has been trying to put an end to street violence for decades.
At times, he’s been a one-man band, standing alone as he decried the culture of indifference to death that has pervaded the streets of his city, Elizabeth, and so many other urban centers. And, at other moments, he’s built coalitions of fiery politicians, ministers and community leaders to stand by him and his group, the National United Youth Council.
This year, he is building something new. It’s a strategy he believes could really bring about change: He’s asking every county in New Jersey to declare, as the national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention already have, that violence is a public health crisis. Ismial is calling for public hearings asking counties to empanel commissions to examine the topic.
“It’s totally out of control. Cities are crying out now. They’re overburdened with this problem,” he said last week. “Violence has become more of a culture — and even a way of life — to some of these kids on the street. With no remorse, they’ll go to jail readily, some of them.”
Ismial claimed his first victory last month in Union County, and now he’s hoping to have similar success in Middlesex County. After that, he’ll be on to Ocean, Monmouth, Somerset, Mercer, Camden, Hudson, Essex, Passaic and Salem counties. Eventually, he wants to get the participation of all 21 New Jersey counties. Read more »
Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders Honor the Work of Salaam Ismial
and the CDC is also is on Board 2/23/2012
revzech cowhn Freeholder Bette Jane KOWALSKI
and MOHAMED S. JALLOH Talk about the work of Salaam Ismial with Rev Zechariah A Jackson, Officer Donald Johnson
New Jersey County Declares Youth Violence To Be A Public Health Issue
By: David Matthau | http://nj1015.com
As youth violence continues to get worse and worse, one County in Jersey has adopted a resolution declaring the problem as a “public health issue.” Read more »
The United Youth Council Inc. encourages your attention to the growing
discontent in the community with police, youth and your leadership.
Street violence in the city is at a upsurge and the highest its been in many years
while the poor, black and youth are becoming more ostracized and meaningless under your administrative watch.
On Saturday January 14, 2012 we will hold with local organizers a statewide march for peace in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
In 1968 we lost two great leaders, Dr Martin Luther King Jr., and Senator Robert F. Kennedy, both violently gunned down by assassin’s bullets.
They both spoke out against the war, poverty and racial injustice.
And both became great leaders our youth can follow and mimic their method to seek justice.
You heard the many great speeches of King:
“An injustice any where is a threat to justice everywhere,” he said
And Robert Kennedy said:
“Each time a man stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope, and crossing each other from a million different centers of energy and daring, these ripples build a current which can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and resistance.”
These great men of honor is in all of us who stand by what’s right even when we are wrong.
I ask that you be that of right for the people you serve.
-Salaam Ismial
Executive director of the Elizabeth-based National United Youth Council, an organization that has been outspoken against violence in New Brunswick
By Jennifer Bradshaw New BrunswickPatch
The National United Youth Council will host a “Youth/Community Summit” to discuss police and street violence from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday at the Progressive Lodge, 186 Hale St.
According to a release from the organization, the program will feature a myriad of speakers and guests discussing street violence, acts of police violence and corruption and community activism.
A panel of police officers from New Brunswick, Plainfield and Elizabeth will answer questions from the audience.
Dominique Sharpton, daughter of national activist Al Sharpton, who spoke in New Brunswick on Nov. 17, will moderate a panel discussion, according to the release.
Keynote speakers include National Action Network Youth Director Victoria Pannel, National United Youth Council Director Salaam Ismial, and rapper Young Tuddlez, who will also give a performance.
It’s all over YouTube, brutal brawls featuring girls. They punch, gouge, cut and stomp. This isn’t a cat fight it’s a war!
Nia Manning with United Youth tells us, “All the girls are raged and they want to just hurt each other.”
Nia Manning’s 15 and saw her best friend get shot to death a year ago. She says teen tempers are primed to explode. Telling us, “They want you to do something, they’re WAITING for you to do something”
Fights on the street get posted immediately and erupt over anything, but they also hide a deep insecurity.
Nia explains, “Everybody wants to be somebody! Everybody wants to be on top!”
Girls committing violent crimes barely a blip on society’s radar 20-25 years ago. But by 2007 juvenile court cases for girls had more than doubled and arrests for assault are up 233%.” Nowadays, lots of cops stand guard and try to keep the peace when many high schools let out. Surveys show girls now perpetrate 1 in 4 violent episodes at school compared to just 1 in 10 a generation ago.
Psychologist Jeff Gardere tells us, “A lot of the young girls who are being brought in by their parents have been suspended for acting out physically. They see it as being tough, boys who are watching it are getting some sort of sexual titillation out of it.”
And posting it on YouTube or Facebook. Counsellors at a statewide teen help center called 2nd Floor say social media gives angry teens instant access to gossip, insults and schemes — 24/7.
Ismail Salaam heads United Youth Council, grownups and teens trying to offer alternatives to violence in 15 cities across NJ. It’s a tough sell. He says, “They want Benjamins, they want the look, and the pressure of social networking puts that on them.”.
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