One Lexington and its community partners have reached out to thousands of young people over the past year, offering support, mentoring, mediation, protection and more, Mayor Linda Gorton said.
Since June of last year, ONE Lexington has reached out to over 3,000 youth and young adults, facilitated 15 juvenile mediations where violence had occurred, and served 24 families affected by gun violence. One Lexington was created in 2017.
“At the same time, our homicides are leveling off and our violent crime rate is gradually improving,” said Gorton, as she offered an update today on the One Lexington program.
The rate of shootings has slowed, and gun-related homicides are down to 7 from 14 at this time last year, a 50% decrease. Including all homicides, there have been 10 so far in 2022, compared to 14 at this time last year, a 28.6% decrease. The rate of all violent crime rate is down 1.7% compared to this time last year. It fell 4 percent between 2020 and 2021.
“I think One Lexington is one of many factors contributing to the improvement in our statistics,” Gorton said. “I know it’s the right thing to do for our young people. We’re beginning to have a real impact, and that’s important … our young people are our future.”
Gorton, who has proposed expanding the program next year, said the work of One Lexington is best described in a quote from the late Desmond Tutu. “We need to stop just pulling people out of the river,” the South African Anglican bishop and theologian once said. “We need to go upstream and find out why they’re falling in.”
Long before he came to the Mayor’s Office, Devine Carama, who took the reins of One Lexington in June 2021, had spent many years both pulling people out of the river, and finding out why they fall in.
“Communities are at their best when its residents rise up and lead the charge,” Carama said. “One Lexington aims to simply fill in the gaps and support community members in their efforts.”
One of those volunteers, Terry Dumphord, founder of The VOYAGE Movement, said, “It’s important our youth see examples of unity among those who not only look like them, but from positive role models they can look up to. I think it gives them a sense of hope that things can be different. That there is a support system they can lean on, and that violence is not the answer to conflicts."
Dumphord said The VOYAGE Movement uplifts and inspires youth to be leaders and examples to their peers. “We encourage youth who join our movement to know themselves and what they love to do so we can direct them to those fields of employment and careers,” Dumphord said.
One Lexington has partnered with over 40 local agencies and organizations, including Fayette County Public Schools, Lexington Rescue Mission, Urban Impact, M.A.D.E., University of Kentucky Trauma Center, and YMCA Black Achievers of the Central Kentucky. In addition, Carama recruited 100 black men to be a part of the One Lexington team.
The volunteers offer in-school and summer mentoring programs like “It Takes a Village,” community building activities, youth mediations, hospital-based violence intervention resources for gunshot victims, victim advocacy support, and more.
Kevin Payne, Principal of Southern Middle School, said, "This school year, the ‘It Takes a Village’ mentoring group has made a tremendous impact on our students. Since the group started meeting weekly, we have seen a rise in GPA and test scores, as well as a drop in discipline referrals. These boys are growing both socially and academically because of the consistent mentoring they are receiving from Devine and his program."
Brandon Wilburn, Dean of Students at Winburn Middle School, agreed. “Devine’s mentor group has had a huge impact on our students. By giving them this platform, they have shown gains academically, as well as socially. Devine continues to inspire Winburn Middle School and the entire community.”
One Lexington also partnered with Galls and Central Bank through its “Be the Change” Scholarship Competition to provide college scholarships to two Bryan Station Seniors of color who will be pursuing Criminal Justice degrees.
