Norton's Youth Violence Roundtable to Feature Young Men Who Faced Crime in D.C.

Norton's Youth Violence Roundtable to Feature Commission on Black Men and Boys and Young Men Who Faced Crime in D.C.

November 4, 2010

WASHINGTON, DC - The Office of Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) said today that the Commission on Black Men & Boys will hold a Roundtable hearing entitled Youth Violence: Helping Young Boys Become Young Men on Tuesday, November 9, 6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Library, 901 G Street NW. The Roundtable will discuss some of the issues that lead young African American men into crime, and what the witnesses, all of whom have lived lives surrounded by crime, believe should be done. The panel will include Tony Lewis, Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency Vocational Development Specialist, and son of one of the District's most notorious drug dealers, "Little Tony" Lewis who remains incarcerated. The Commission also will hear testimony from Ali Moore, a former felon who, at the age of 16, was sentenced to 15 years in prison for second degree murder and now works for the D.C. Department of Employment Services' Project Empowerment program. Ivan Cloyd, a one-time gang member and current Potomac College student, who volunteers with the Alliance of Concerned Black Men, will testify. Residents who attend the Roundtable also will be invited to testify.

"Today's concerns about crime and violence often focus on Black youth because statistics suggest a propensity toward violence in that population," said Norton. "Almost never do we hear from these young men themselves. However, at this Roundtable our commissioners will be asking the questions that residents would ask. We fully expect new insights that we could not get by speaking to criminal justice professionals or experts alone."

Among the issues expected to be probed are how the witnesses became involved in crime; how they extricated themselves; what they would do differently today; and what can be done to reach youth who grow up amidst violence, stereotypes, low expectations, and limited employment opportunities.

The Congresswoman established the D.C Commission on Black Men and Boys in 2001. Since its formation, the Commission has worked to reveal and help resolve the pressing issues that Black men face, such as high school dropout rates, criminal justice issues, HIV and AIDS, marriage and family issues, and discrimination. The members of the commission include former D.C. Police Chief Isaac Fulwood, Peaceoholics Founder Ronald Moten, Alliance of Concerned Black Men Founder Tyrone Parker, former President of 100 Black Men Marvin Dickerson, and Excel Institute Founder George Starke.

WHO: D.C. Commission on Black Men and Boys Roundtable with Witnesses Who Have Faced Crime in D.C.

WHAT: Youth Violence: Helping Young Boys Become Young Men

WHERE: Martin Luther King, Jr. Library, 901 G Street NW

WHEN: Tuesday, November 9, 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.