On Aug. 20, two black males in their 20s were shot on the South Side of Chicago. While this is sad and certainly shocking to some factions, the events were predictable. Unfortunately, gun violence has become an everyday occurrence on the South and West sides of Chicago. Most of the victims are under 30. In fact, since 2007, over 300 Chicago area students have been killed.
As natives of the besieged city, Dwyane Wade and Common witnessed the growing culture of violence firsthand. Now that they’re in positions to give back, they’ve become active community leaders set on eradicating the troubling trend.
During Wade’s “Wade’s World Foundation Weekend,” the two discussed gang violence and teen murders in Chicago. –amir shaw
What can be done to reduce the murder rate of teenagers in the city?
Wade: My organization did a stop the violence march last year and we dedicated a ceremony to the kids who were killed in Chicago. My foundation weekend is all about stopping the violence. We let kids know that they have a lot to live for. We have to stop killing each other. The killings are very unfortunate and more people need to speak up so that the kids can see positive people doing positive things.
Common: Chicago is a beautiful and soulful city. It’s a place where a young black male can learn how to be a man. You get to see black men in different aspects. You see athletic coaches, teachers and there are also negative images such as [street] guys and drug dealers. I got a chance to see different aspects of life in Chicago and it provided a foundation for me. The city helped me to learn who I was as a black man. But it’s still a lot of struggles going on here. We have the drug problems, broken homes and the gang culture. I’m a believer, so I believe that no matter how bad things are, we have the ability to grow out of it. I always tell kids that they can succeed and rise above it.
Why has gang culture influenced so many kids?
Wade: Gang culture is very big here. If [kids] don’t have [families] at home to show guidance, they tend to join gangs because they’re looking for fellowship. The gangs have always had an influence here, but the killings have gone up since I was a kid. The numbers are staggering. I hope that more people pay attention to what’s going on and speak up.
Common: Kids are killing each other because they don’t have love around them. People aren’t telling them that they can do things that are great. When they don’t hear that or see that within themselves, they won’t see that in the person they think is their enemy, so they don’t value life. If you don’t get that message [of love] at home, it cultivates hatred in an environment where they battle and fight against each other. If that type of stuff is all around you, it may be hard to find a solution, but kids should find other ways to express themselves. If they don’t have the opportunity to see a brighter side of life, we have to provide that life for them.
