Racial Equity in Community Violence Intervention

Community violence is a public health epidemic in the United States, claiming nearly 20,000 lives each year and leaving tens of thousands more injured. It includes the use or threat of harm towards strangers, acquaintances, or intimate partners and the use of force by the authorities. It also disproportionately impacts communities of color: Homicide is the leading cause of death among Black males aged 15–34, and it is the second leading cause of death for Latinx men in that same age group.  

In cities across the country, community violence intervention specialists are developing innovative strategies to reduce this violence and create community safety. These efforts are often led by people directly affected by violence in their community. However, many of these organizations lack the resources to carry out their effective work because they cannot meet the requirements for government grants.   

In 2021, a group of directly affected practitioners, organizations, advocates, and researchers developed a racial equity framework for funding to interrogate this problem. This panel discussion will describe their nine recommendations to reduce the barriers and burdens that make government funding fractured, burdensome, ineffective, and unattainable for community violence intervention organizations in jurisdictions with the highest rates of violence.