Men who have served time in prison speaking out against violence in Little Rock

Little Rock, Arkansas – Leaders in the community and those with past criminal records gathered today to discuss the problems affecting our children and the violence that exists in Little Rock.

Many people call Southwest Little Rock home, and the area is making a stand against gun violence in the city.

“It’s really sad we are seeing these things in our community, and I think we can do better,” Kaleem Nazeem said. “We are trying to do some preventative measures with the community as far as gang violence and crime.”

After serving 28 years in prison, Nazeem, who was arrested when he was 17 years old, is now sharing his story with young people to effect change.

“I’m just hopefully trying to stand in that gap where I can give individuals some of my life experiences and avoid some of the pitfalls I had to go through,” he said.

To curb the violence, Nazeem spoke with other local authorities, such as Thaddeus Hamilton, a supporter of Fathers of Faith. He talked about the realities of young people’s daily lives.

“There is 13 to 14-year-olds getting killed, it’s 9-year-olds walking around with guns as big as my leg,” said Hamilton. “A lot of them are scared of each other and they have a point to prove.”

They are forming a street squad, for example, to mobilize the community and effect change.

“Become the change you want to see,” Hamilton stated. “If you really want this gun violence to stop, act like it.”

They talked about the street crew they’ve created, but they’re also pushing for emotional intelligence education and increased parental involvement in taking down the gun culture.