By Nicole S. Daniel
The Birmingham Times
When young people are killed by gun violence in the city of Birmingham the homicides probably affect one segment of the population more than any other – young people, says a 17-year-old out to curb violent crime.
“Seeing a lot of teen violence in our city, especially, I won’t say it makes me disheartened but, it makes me feel like, there’s a lot more that can be done,” said Deon Arnold, a junior at Holy Family Cristo Rey Catholic High School in Birmingham’s Titusville Community.
Arnold isn’t waiting for others to take steps to address the violence. He’s been active in violence prevention since 2018 the year he founded Solutions, an organization that helps children, teens and young adults learn how to resolve conflict by managing their emotions by creating their own method of self-discipline.
His work is welcomed in the city of Birmingham, where a 17-year-old was killed April 1 at an east Birmingham apartment complex and a 28-year-old man was shot to death by a Jefferson County sheriff’s deputy outside the Collegeville public housing community.
In the first three months of 2023, there had been 74 people shot who survived those injuries. That number was up from 70 for the same time period in 2022. However, homicides in the City of Birmingham dropped double digits in the first quarter of 2023, according to AL.com’s Carol Robinson.
Arnold feels most of the crimes in the city of Birmingham are due to the “community not being on the same page and local government officials not being able to help others.”
The growth of his organization was slowed by the COVID pandemic but this year “we are ready to hit the ground and display a lot of what we’re doing and what we stand for — to empower the youth and establish an organization that offers resources that consist of educational programs,” he said.
Arnold added that the group continues to grow. “We have about 160 members … our Facebook group page has about 500,” he said.
Youth Violence Prevention
Arnold and his organization are looking forward to National Youth Violence Prevention Week (NYVPW), which is April 25-29 a time for youth to lead communities on effective strategies on ways to prevent violence.
Solutions will host its first NYVPW event April 29 at First Missionary Baptist Church in Hueytown at 1p.m., he said. “There will be an art gallery as well as vendors and volunteers . . . individuals can submit poetry, art pieces or some kind of expression of themselves centered on the observance.”
Ultimately, the goal is to “spread the word and awareness of conflict resolution out of just our own community and into the greater Birmingham area, and hopefully it reaches more throughout the state,” he said. “We wish to gather more expression of arts from people. There are a lot of youth in many communities that I know feel like they’re not really a part of much in their schools and most importantly in the community. I’m trying to get them more involved in community efforts.”
Asked how he plans to attract more teens, he said, “poetry and art, I know a lot of kids my age love expressing themselves through poetry. I plan to do a lot of groundwork, attending community events, and using social media to my advantage.”
This month’s event in Hueytown is not the first for Solutions. In February, Arnold hosted a sneaker ball for teens on Valentine’s Day.
“Kids dressed up in suits, dresses and sneakers and this was to [promote] conflict resolution and hopes to spread awareness to teen dating. I wanted people to see how they could build healthy relationships even in party settings.”
About 60 kids signed up for the free event and about 40-50 showed up, he said.
In June, Solutions will observe Gun Violence Awareness and Prevention to coincide with its summer series” workshops centering on problem solving, decision making and more.
Besides preparing for events that will be curated by Arnold, he is currently preparing for college.
“I’ve been preparing for the SAT, looking into schools to tour, and starting the process of filling out applications.”
His goal is to attend an Historically Black College or University (HBCU) with philosophy, psychology or electrical engineering programs.
‘Drive And Motivation’
After graduating high school, “I plan to become way more involved in social activism and mutual aid programs. I want to be heavily involved in the community,” Arnold said.
Arnold was 12 years old when his mother Javonti Barnes suddenly passed away from heart complications. He is being raised by his grandmother Vanessa Barnes who has served as a congregational care minister at Sixth Avenue Baptist Church in Birmingham.
“I feel like after [my mother] passed, the grief was heavy but the drive and motivation came along with it. I felt like if it was a time to do something, it would be now. I was at my lowest point but I couldn’t go anywhere but up.”
“Since I was a child the main thing my grandmother has taught me was to understand how to be myself and not be arrogant while doing it.”
To learn more about Solutions and upcoming events visit its Facebook page Solutions
