Durham teens and North Carolina Central University students will lead the "Unmuted: Youth Against Gun Violence Symposium" presented by GRACED, Inc., sharing their experiences with gun violence and pressing state and local elected officials directly on what needs to change.
GRACED, Inc. founder Tiffany Swoope says young people have been left out of a conversation they should be driving. "I truly believe that our youth aren't the problem," she told WRAL. "Our youth are actually the solution, but you cannot policy your way out of something that you haven't fully listened your way into."
The symposium arrives against a grim backdrop. City data shows that from Jan. 1 to April 11, Durham recorded 132 shootings, 54 people shot, and 10 deaths, a pace ahead of the same stretch in 2024.
That toll is personal for many of the young people involved. Fourteen-year-old Michael Kirkland watched a shootout unfold in front of him. "I want to be safe to walk outside, go to the store, play," he said. At least 18 juveniles have been shot in Durham so far this year.
The teens have also pushed on specific policy questions. Durham City Council voted against reinstating ShotSpotter after the city had previously used the gunfire-detection technology. Tony Lunsford, who supports bringing it back, said faster response times could save lives even if the program is expensive. Young people at the forum also called for more recreation centers and pools to give teenagers somewhere to be.
Separately, Cornwallis Road resident Rachel Cordero organized a "Cook Out and Conversation" near the Weaver Street Recreation Center after bullets struck nearby apartments in February, leaving a man dead and two teens injured in shootings three days apart. Durham Police Chief Patrice Andrews donated to the event's GoFundMe. Cordero said she plans to carry the community's concerns directly to officials.