AKRON, Ohio — A group in Akron is stepping up to help address youth violence. On Monday, the organization, 100 Black Men of Akron, gathered to call for urgent action, emphasizing the need for intervention and community-based solutions.
For Edward Smith, known to many as Coach Ed, teaching basketball is only part of what he does.
“Coaching for me is about preparing my athletes for life,” said Smith.
Since 2005, he’s coached basketball at multiple schools, but in those 20 years, he’s lost athletes to violence, including his 21-year-old son.
“My own son, Jordan, was murdered by a young Black man,” Smith said. “It motivates me to help others. I got 1000 sons, right? So, it just motivates me to do what I can to make sure that they don’t meet the same fate.”
That same mission is what drove the organization, 100 Black Men of Akron, to speak out Monday, in the same location where last week’s shooting took place.
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“Today I’m issuing a clearing call to every organization, every leader, every citizen, who believes in the transformative power of unified action,” said Eufrancia Lash, president of 100 Black Men of Akron.
The press conference came one week after Akron police said five people were shot and several others hit by vehicles when gunfire erupted in the Mason CLC parking lot around 3 a.m., during a large gathering.
“How much more? How much longer do we have to see incidents like we've seen?” said Lash.
In an effort to curb the violence, the 100 black Men of Akron announced several changes:
- Expanding their leadership and mentorship programs from four schools to six
- Updating curriculum to include conflict resolution and emotional intelligence
- Hosting a mentorship summit multiple times a year, with plans to partner with other organizations
“Violence is not who they are, it's false identity, born from survival, not from destiny, we must respond not just with enforcement but with engagement, not just with policy but with presence,” said Councilman Kemp Boyd.
Akron Mayor Shammas Malik supports the group’s call to action, noting that while overall gun violence may be decreasing, major incidents like last week’s continue to occur.
“Every single incident that we can avoid is a win, right? And every incident that happens, it hurts, it's painful, and so that's our focus,” said Shammas.
He also emphasized that real change will take a collective effort.
“It's a whole ... community approach. But really, you know, there are so many different nonprofits that can fill an important role in helping,” said Shammas.
Their goal: to ensure every young person in Akron gets the chance they deserve.
“To every young person we see you, we need you and we have not given up on your, to our community, lets not wait for another headline to act.Lets show now with open ears, open eyes and open hearts,” said Boyd.
