Bringing our Message—Violence Can be Prevented—to the Congressional Black Caucus Summit

On Friday, Managing Director Rachel Davis will take PI’s message on preventing violence to the annual legislative conference of the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation in Washington, DC. She’ll describe the work of our CDC-funded UNITY Initiative and our partners in Minneapolis and Seattle, and highlight other projects such as the Summer Night Lights effort in LA and the CureViolence project in Chicago that are making a real impact. The bottom line: Violence IS preventable when it’s treated as a public health problem. We know what works; it’s time to ramp up these efforts nationally.

Violence exacts a terrible burden on young people, families, neighborhoods and cities. It increases the costs of emergency care and the criminal justice system, boosts school absences, and fuels economic divestment and job loss. On the other hand, research shows that investing in prevention improves safety and health and that, in turn, stimulates economic development. With the CDC’s support, the cities in our UNITY network have described what it takes to succeed in efforts to prevent violence.

Put simply, it takes real strategic planning that engages community members, including youth, in every aspect. It requires a balanced approach, mixing early intervention, prevention and enforcement—all with an aim to stop violence before it occurs and recurs. If you’re in Washington, stop by the Convention Center and catch Rachel and other speakers at the summit.