Nelma Jones: Listen to Youth and Help Them Solve Gang Problems

Nelma Jones

In keeping with Doctor Gayle’s thoughts, Educator and Researcher Nelma Jones, who was also a guest on O.Y.E., stressed the importance of getting the perspective of these young men in our efforts to finding solutions.

Nelma Jones, Educator & Researcher

“I know a lot of people were upset when some members of the street took to the media and started expressing themselves. There was so much to have learnt from this group of men.  These people know what their problems are, and they know what the solutions should be. But, we are not tapping into them enough. A lot of us think that we know and we plan for them, rather than get them involved in the planning to get them to solve their own problems.   And I spoke to one of them on Saturday. He came to me because he is saying we don’t want to hear from so and so and so. They come and tell us they want to help and disappear out of the blue. He told us, he said, and you know our young people we want something, we want to know that we belong; we want to know that people care about us. But, a lot of time people come, start something with us and they leave. And, it is the same thing with the gang truce. Setting up a gag truce is not just being verbal about something. There has to be some kind of written agreement and position that both sides take and what will happen if these truce are broken. What is the state’s position? What is the street group position? Those are some of the things that need to be discussed. I want to say, those of us who work with these groups and with communities. It is more that what we think we know. We need training to work with vulnerable communities.”