Here & Now

Madison Area Student Leader Describes Community Efforts

ZAC SCHULTZ:

VIOLENCE IN CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA ERUPTED THIS WEEK OVER POLICE SHOOTING OF A BLACK MAN. AND LIKE SIMILAR INCIDENTS IN OTHER PARTS OF THE COUNTRY, IT’S DRAWN DEBATE ABOUT RACIAL TENSION IN THE U.S. AND PROBLEMS FACING BLACK COMMUNITIES. HERE IN WISCONSIN, VERONA AREA HIGH SCHOOL FRESHMAN DEBRELL CARR IS COMING TO TERMS WITH LOSING HIS OWN FAMILY MEMBERS TO VIOLENCE. HE RECENTLY SAT DOWN WITH MADISON POLICE CHIEF MIKE KOVAL TO DISCUSS CONCERNS AND IS DOING WHAT HE CAN TO HELP PEOPLE HIS AGE BECOME ENTREPRENEURS AND DEVELOP HEALTHIER RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE POLICE. AND HE CONTINUES WITH OUTREACH EFFORT AMONG HIS CLASSMATES. HERE HE IS IN HIS OWN WORDS.

DEBRELL CARR:

I GO BY DEBRELL OR AJANI. MY SCHOOL IS VERONA AREA HIGH SCHOOL BUT I ATTEND EXPLORATION ACADEMY. IT’S BASICALLY PERSONALIZED LEARNING, SO EVERYTHING THAT I WANT TO DO OR THAT I THINK IS REALLY EXCITING TO ME, I CAN USE IT FOR LEARNING. I’M IN 9TH GRADE. I STARTED AN ORGANIZATION A LITTLE BIT AGO. I GOT IT INCORPORATED MAYBE THREE, FOUR WEEKS AGO. IT’S CALLED BUILDING BOSSES. WHAT WE DO IS WE TEACH THE YOUTH HOW TO BE ENTREPRENEURS. HOW TO SOLVE THINGS IN THEIR COMMUNITIES ON THEIR OWN AND COME TOGETHER ON THINGS AND HOW TO KNOW WHAT THEY CAN DO BY THEIR SELF AND AT A YOUNG AGE. BECAUSE I THINK THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT ARE YOUNG ARE VERY SMART. AND IF PEOPLE AREN’T TAUGHT WHAT THEY CAN DO, HOW ARE THEY SUPPOSED TO TRY TO DO SOMETHING WITH THEIR LIFE, YOU KNOW? SO THAT’S WHAT WE’RE DOING WITH BUILDING BOSSES. AND THERE’S AN EVENT THAT WE’RE DOING THIS SUNDAY, ON THE 25TH. IT’S GOING TO BE REALLY BIG BECAUSE, AS YOU KNOW, THERE’S BEEN A LOT OF VIOLENCE BETWEEN THE POLICE AND THE COMMUNITY, MOSTLY BLACK AND LATINO. SO WHAT WE WANT TO DO IS WE WANT TO BRING THE POLICE AND THE COMMUNITY TOGETHER AT THIS EVENT. IT’S BASICALLY GOING TO BE LIKE A FUN DAY, YOU KNOW, JUST A LOT OF PLAYING AROUND AND JUST HAVING FUN. SO IT CAN BE A BONDING EXPERIENCE BETWEEN THE TWO, YOU KNOW. AND EVERYBODY THAT COMES HOPEFULLY WILL BRING AN ITEM FOR THE HOMELESS. SO AFTER THE EVENT WE’LL JUST GIVE ALL THE ITEMS TO THE HOMELESS BECAUSE THAT’S ALWAYS BEEN A BIG THING TO ME SINCE, YOU KNOW, WE WERE HOMELESS BEFORE. AND WE NEVER REALLY HAD A LOT WHEN I WAS GROWING UP.