Atlanta Public Schools holds community violence prevention summit

ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) - On Saturday, several students and families attended the Peace & Prevention Community Violence Prevention Summit at Frederick Douglass High School.

Born from a partnership between Atlanta Public Schools (APS) and the Fulton County District Attorney’s Office, the event worked to educate attendees on legal statutes with juveniles, adding breakout sessions with information and resources about topics like gang violence and human trafficking.

Chelsea Montgomery, APS’ assistant superintendent for student services, said the event was about bringing the community together.

“We need to keep talking about this in our community,” she said. “The more we are together and the more we’re talking about it, the more prevention we really feel like we can do.”

Montgomery also said the district attorney’s office is bringing its Reach program back into at least four schools this September. The 12-week program provides several middle and high school students with mentorship, job skills training and more.

Tekesia Shields, founder of the Atlanta-based Mothers Against Gang Violence, said attending events like this is her way of giving back to the community. She said her son was arrested at 17 while in high school and is still in jail at 23.

“I felt that it was very important for me to actually come back into the community and teach the families about the resources that they say that they do not have,” she said. “We are available for you not to have to cry, not to have to be embarrassed, but just to change the narrative in your community.”

It wasn’t just adults at the event. Jontavious Broome, a 10th grader, said he went to the summit because his probation officer recommended it.

“Imma learn not to do anything wrong again and mess up in my life,” he said.