We are Change: “How does Gang Violence Effect Inner City High School Students in Washington D.C?”

Ayana Boudreaux

Post 9

Freshman Seminar

BANG BANG BANG!!! A distant cry, screams, an echo of a human stampede, and the sound of police sirens fill the air like the night breeze as it pierce my cheeks. While my mind wanders to know what is taking place the voice of a radio host implants imaginatively in my mind these words: “Welcome to the MURDER capitol.” Yet my surroundings resembled that of the NATIONS capitol. It’s funny how crime has its own transportation and it moves from coast to coast. Like in New Orleans crime here in Washington D.C is carried out by the young.

In order to seek an answer to this broad question: In what ways is knowledge generated by various fields of study used to develop solutions to human social problems and challenges, the freshman seminar group cleverly branded, We are Change, attempted to discover a solution to gang violence in Washington D.C. Posing the question: “How does gang violence affect inner city high school students in Washington D.C,” they began to plead a case.

Through research, We are Change, discovered that most youth in the area join gangs because they cannot overcome the pressure of gangs or they have simply come accustomed to the everyday view of gangs. In order to solve the issue of gangs they believed that implementing field trips, building sports recreation centers, having a mentor, and just a simple presence of care can help end gang violence. In my opinion it may take a while to do and cause much turmoil, but gang violence can cease.