Conversations about gun violence and how it affects young people in Miami-Dade are getting more urgent—especially after the shooting death of 6-year old King Carter last month.
Earlier this week, a room full of educators, parents, pastors and community leaders gathered in Liberty City at a catering hall. They were there at the request of Tawana Akins, an elementary school teacher who knows personally the toll these killings can have.
Guns have killed four of Akins’ family members. The most recent washer 6-year old nephew King Carter.Bullets intended for someone else felled the little boy who loved chewy candy.
"No one should have to continuously see their family members shot down one by one, name by name," said Akins.
Over the years there have been many meetings, summits and workshops about gun violence in Miami-Dade.
At this meeting, Miami Dade Schools Superintendent Alberto Carvalho warned that it can’t be just talk.
“Sometimes we say so much we actually believe we did something," he said. “You have to be determined to do what you want to execute what you think is right.”
The meeting turned into a workshop about ideas to address gun violence —a social media campaign to teach parents what to look for online, early intervention for young people with gun-related offenses, a mentorship program led by Miami-Dade police officers and mental health services for children in the schools.
Miami-Dade State Attorney Katherine Fernandez-Rundle talked about a pilot program her office has already rolled out.
Investigators, prosecutors and police are working in the same building to tackle shootings in some of the hardest-hit areas from Northwest Seventh to 27th avenues between 59th and 79th streets.
In the past two years, she said, there have been more than 500 shooting cases in which someone was struck in that specific area.
Several of the suggestions and ideas involved the school system.
Regina Davis, who works with parents on how to navigate the school system, said after-school programs at schools can be a great resource, but they won’t necessarily fix the problem.
“Remember, the violence is taking place in our community,” she said.
She added schools should provide transportation for kids who have to walk under the cover of night from after-school programs into neighborhoods that aren’t always safe.
Tangela Mitchell, a teacher at Miami Central High, said one of the problems she sees is that adults sometimes give up on the most troubled kids.
She talked about a student she called “Thomas.”
Every day he would show up to class and just sit there angry with his fists balled. Thomas would not communicate with her.
One day Mitchell gave him a red piece of paper and she told him, “You don't want to be bothered, you're having a rough day, take out the sheet of paper and I know to just leave you alone.”
He placed the red paper on his desk every day he went to her class. And then one day he didn’t.
“I get emotional thinking about this story,” she said, wiping away tears from her eyes. “That was the moment he trusted me enough to let his guard down. We have to do a better job in helping the children let their guards down.”