Smart Justice I Live This Every Day. People Are Hurting.
"Everyone sees a side on the news, but I live it. I have to live this every day."
These powerful words from Yolanda Harrison capture the devastating reality of gun violence in America—not as a headline that fades, but as an unending journey of grief that transforms lives forever. Yolanda's story begins with her son Devan: a talented musician, church youth group member, and college student with dreams. Despite growing up in a good neighborhood, attending quality schools, and being raised with strong values, Devan became one of the countless young Black men lost to senseless violence.
The night Devan died started ordinarily enough. They had planned to see a movie, but when Yolanda had a headache, Devan went out to meet someone about making music, saying he would return soon. That was the last time she saw him alive. What followed was every parent's nightmare—a middle-of-the-night hospital call, the trauma of seeing her son with a fatal gunshot wound to the head, and the fog of grief so thick she doesn't even remember his funeral.
The shooter served less than a year on a misdemeanor charge. Media reports falsely suggested drug involvement, reinforcing the very stereotypes Yolanda had worked tirelessly to keep her son from being associated with.
From this unimaginable loss emerged purpose. Yolanda founded Mothers of Black Sons Standing Against Death. Her advocacy work spans from partnering with former gang members to serving on the Mayor's Hope Council, all focused on creating paths away from violence for young people.
This episode kicks off Smart Justice's special series on Group Violence Intervention (GVI), an evidence-based approach that identifies the small number of individuals driving most violent crime and engages them directly before violence occurs. Through stories like Yolanda's, we see that addressing gun violence requires more than outrage—it demands community-based solutions that offer everyone a shot at hope.
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