What is violence? Google defines this term as behavior involving physical force intended to hurt, damage, or kill someone or something. This word lives rent free in my mind as I scroll through my social media or simply walking through my neighborhood. While the sun rises and grants a new day and opportunity, the city reminds me of the danger of simply being a teen. Just this weekend three of my cousins were shot down the street from my house. The same store I grew up going to is riddled with bullets and no one has an answer. The definition given is not all there is to violence, it’s not only an action but a state of mind. Our city is a prime example of that, to protect what we value we have a mindset to harm others for our own sake. This in itself creates a cycle of ”getting back” which will only lead to more damage and pain within our communities. Revenge only has one purpose and it’s to be the nutrients that influence more violence. In Chicago there’s a lot of crime and violent acts but no one seems to challenge where this stems from. I for one believe that this violence is not just black and white, it has a multitude of reasons as to who’s affected and why it occurs. But once an incident occurs it switches from preventing the actions to catching the culprit. Thus creating the cycle that repeats the atrocities seen throughout the neighborhoods in our city. 

Trauma plays a huge part in the violence in not only Chicago but other cities as well. Since mental health is taken lightly in some black communities, it’s easy to be overcome by emotions that you weren’t taught to under-stand. It’s always “men don’t cry” and “wipe your face” but young black men are not taught to embrace these emotions that everyone at some point experiences. Trauma can relate to a lot of sensitive subjects that if not brought to light will continue to plague our depiction of what a real Black Man looks like. These unrealistic standards are put upon the shoulders of Black Men, causing some to feel cornered and this July lead to irrational decisions. Trauma can be seen as a fuel to overcome that past and motivation, or it can be a burden that will always affect one’s mental health. My philosophy is that if we approach situations with love and not malice in our hearts, we would be able to understand one another and decrease the separation within our community. I’m very captivated by my neighborhood’s potential. Just working at the Quarry and seeing how many people need a community center just makes me want to create more safe spaces where trauma can be discussed openly and freely amongst our community.