Resource Page

Page under construction — few items added 2/2020 — suggested resources welcome —

Homicide Tracker: D.C. Witness

How Often Do Mass Shootings Occur? (NYT article, 2015)

Can Communities Prepare for Mass Shootings? (NYT article, 2016)

Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence publications page

 

Holistic Approaches & People of Color

Cycle of Trust

Lack of trust between law enforcement and communities they serve is a major driver of gun violence, according to a report issued in early 2020 by the Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence. Police brutality and over-enforcement in some communities lead to distrust of police which contributes to failure of law enforcement to protect residents and greater likelihood of vigilante justice…leading to over-enforcement in some communities….” See In Pursuit of Peace: Building Police-Community Trust to Break the Cycle of Violence” (read and/or download PDF).

Story in The Guardian. More on Giffords.

“Engaging Communities to Reduce Gun Violence”

• “…there was a missing voice in the conversation about gun violence prevention and the connections between gun violence, mass incarceration and police-community relations….People of color deserve to have a seat at the table in a way that has not been happening…” — from April 2016 report release and panel discussion (video above)
• Guns and People of Color (2016 report, PDF)
• The Intersection of Gun Violence, Policing and Mass Incarceration in Communities of Color: Survey Results (related memo, PDF)

Articles and other resources

• “Guns and Race: The Different Worlds of black and white Americans” from Brookings
• “Gun Control Debate Ignores Black Lives” (2015 ProPublica article)
• Drumbeat of Multiple Shootings: Black People Are Primary Victims
• APA Gun Violence Prevention background
• See the New Orleans-based documentary film, Shell Shocked, below
• The play, Gospel of Lovingkindness, portrays the all-too-common realities for shooter and victim, both teenage black men, in many communities. Set on Chicago’s South Side, and based loosely on the story of Hadiya Pendleton, this powerful play shares perspectives often overlooked in “gun sense” discussions. The recent Mosaic Theater (DC) run included several community conversations; discussions continue through schools, houses of worship, etc.

Organizations

Child-Focused Advocacy and Action
DC Children’s Law Center
National Child Trauma Stress Network

Domestic Violence Prevention
National Coalition Against Domestic Violence

Gun Violence Prevention
Coalition to Stop Gun Violence
Hadiya’s Promise
Moms Demand Action
Project End Gun Violence
Violence Prevention Center

Faith-Oriented Violence Prevention
Faiths United to Prevent Gun Violence
Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism on Gun Violence

Trauma
Wendt Center for Loss and Healing

Violence Interventions
Cease Fire (Oakland CA)
National Network for Safe Communities

Media/Publications

Addressing Childhood Trauma in DC Schools
From a city where trauma is a constant in many children’s lives, comes this study and recommendations for creating “trauma sensitive” schools. Download 2015: Addressing Childhood Trauma in DC and visit DC’s Children’s Law Center.

American Roulette: Murder-Suicide in the United States.Fifth annual, comprehensive study by the Violence Prevention Center: More than 1200 people in the U.S. died in murder-suicides. 93% used guns.
American Roulette study. Details on VPC and this study here.

Annual Gun Law State Scorecard
Interactive state-by-state 2014 Scorecard.
Summary (print) version, additional case studies and other resources, available from Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence.

Armor of Light Film
THE ARMOR OF LIGHT follows an Evangelical minister and the mother of a teenage shooting victim who ask, is it possible to be both pro-gun and pro-life? The film opened nation-wide on October 30, 2015. Learn more about this film and the conversation it is attempting to launch.

Child Trauma and Education
We Act Radio’s Education Town Hall discusses childhood trauma and the need for street response units as well as changes in our educational systems with long-time local activist, Stuart Anderson. Background and audio link includes print resources from DC and national organizations.

Peace Officer
Peace Officer, by Brad Barber & Scott Christopherson, centers around one particular police shooting, that of a white man in a community that is 90% white. The film includes important information and additional perspectives, however. An associated discussion guide explores the disproportionate impact of militarized police on communities of color. (Peace Officer Discussion Guide PDF)

Shell Shocked
This 2013 New Orleans documentary “attempts to bridge the gap” between various parties — government, law enforcement, community leaders, and others — who disagree on how respond to one of the nation’s highest per capita murder rates. It does so by sharing first-hand views from activists, community and government leaders, police, and youth facing these violent circumstances. Visit ShellShockedDoc. NOTE: Well worth the small charge for viewing this independent film on Vimeo; also available for purchase.

Government Studies and More
More Resources from DC Government, CDC, US DOJ, & WHO

“What if, no matter…”
Relevant song, “What if, no matter…,” by Tom Paxton.

BACK