RACINE, Wis. — Racine County is teaming up with a nationwide violence prevention group to help curb growing violence in the county.
Racine County Executive Jonathan Delagrave announced Friday that the county’s Community Violence Prevention efforts will work with Voices of Black Mothers United.
Voices of Black Mother’s United state lead Nakeyda Haymer had already been working on efforts to bridge the gap between members of the community and law enforcement with a community basketball game in late April.
Haymer brings a unique perspective to curbing violence. Her brother was shot and killed in 2017.
RELATED COVERAGE:
- Racine woman works to stop violence by bringing youth and officers together for basketball
- 2 women injured in Racine cemetery shooting, no suspects in custody
“Nakeyda is able to bring that healing towards family members, towards those directly or indirectly impacted by this senseless violence” said Delagrave.
As Haymer moves into her new role working with the county, she hopes to take her anti-violence message directly into the community.
“There’s a negative and positive way to respond to violence. But if you don’t know anything else, you just do what you see. Hurt people, hurt people,” says Haymer
Voices of Black Mother’s Unite will work with the county’s already established violence prevention programs such as "Summer Jobs for At Risk Youth" and the "Credible Messenger Initiative."
The announcement comes after two people were shot at a funeral Thursday, and gun violence has been on the rise in Racine County and the City of Racine.
