Living for We: Season 2 now available

S2E7: A Tale of Two Clevelands
Lorenzo Roberson is a typical 10-year-old in a lot of ways. But like so many kids affected by gun violence, he’s carrying a heavy burden. In this episode, Lorenzo opens up about living in fear after losing his best friend to a shooting. He and his older brother, Angelo, talk about how unsafe they feel just walking the dog or going to the corner store in their neighborhood.

The loss hit Lorenzo hard — so hard that he decided to speak up at a community meeting held by the mayor. Dressed in a navy-blue suit, he walked to the front of the room and shared what’s on his mind.

“Will I have a chance to survive?” he asked. “Will my life be cut short too?”

The mayor hugged him and urged the community to step up. Sonya Prior-Jones, Cleveland’s Chief of Youth & Family Success, also joined the conversation. She pointed out that the mayor can’t solve this alone — it’s going to take everyone. That includes folks, businesses, and organizations in the “other” Cleveland — the one where kids can walk around safely — to come together and help build real, lasting change.

In the Cleveland area, and in cities across the country, teens and young adults are dying in our streets – victims of gun violence. There's no question: it’s an epidemic. It's the leading cause of death for teenagers. Young Black men often feel like they a target on their backs. Kids in schools face metal detectors, police presence in the hallways, and shootings at football games. Jr. High students are carrying ghost guns.

This season, we're asking what can be done to reverse cycles of violence and retaliation when shooters value their reputation over their own lives. We know where this violence occurs, we know what drives it. How can we start Living For We and decrease the violence?

Every bullet fired creates two victims: the child in front of the gun, and the one pulling the trigger.

We'll talk with people who are navigating streets where gun violence is normalized – seen as no big deal, while at the same time ruining lives. We'll listen to those fighting for their children and their communities, putting in work to uplift their neighborhoods and create meaningful change. This is more than a podcast, it's a resource for communities tired of chaos and ready to build peace.

Has gun violence impacted you or someone you love? Share your story. Your story might be shared in an upcoming episode.

In 2020, cityLAB of Pittsburgh released a study that ranked Cleveland dead last in terms of livability for Black women. On Living For We, we talk to Cleveland's Black women about their experiences at work, at school, in the doctor's office, and in community with each other in an attempt to answer the question... is Cleveland really as bad as they say it is for Black women?

This is more than a podcast, it's a resource for communities tired of chaos and ready to build peace. Click here to see a list of resources.

Marlene Harris-Taylor

/

Ideastream Public Media

Living for We has received the following honors:

• Regional Murrow Award: Excellence in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
• Webby People's Voice: Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
• Davey Awards: Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (Gold), Series (Gold), Society & Culture (Silver)
• W3 Awards: Cause Awareness (Gold)