Living For We Podcast

Gun violence doesn’t care about city limits—and Lorain, a small town on the shores of Lake Erie, about 25 miles west of Cleveland, knows that all too well. For teens growing up there, guns are easy to get, and conflict resolution? Not exactly something people are taught.

In this episode, we hear from Amir Whitehead, a high school student who lost one of his closest friends in a shooting on Lorain’s south side. His friend was caught in the middle of gang violence—a devastating reality for many young people in the area.

Amir is part of a local program called ACES (Achievement through Community Education & Support). It’s not your typical anti-violence program—it’s more like a lifeline. It offers mentoring, counseling, and a way out for teens who might otherwise get pulled into the streets.

One day, Amir was just walking to lunch when the associate director from ACES stopped him and said, “Hey, want a summer job?” That moment changed everything.

ACES was started by Michael Ferrer, who’s always worked with youth. But when the Lorain police chief sent a letter to all the nonprofits in town basically saying, “We can’t keep the community safe unless something changes,” Michael knew he had to act. ACES doesn’t wait for kids to come to them—it goes out and finds the ones who need help most.

Jessicka Castro, the associate director, gets it on a personal level. The program helped her when she was a teen, and now—even though she’s a registered nurse—she’s back, paying it forward. “This is my calling,” she says.

And it’s working. 90% of teens in ACES go on to graduate. That’s not just a stat—it’s a sign of hope.

Young Black men often don’t get second chances in the U.S. criminal justice system—but a new pilot program in Cuyahoga County is trying to change that.

Take Andrew Hogan, for example. He was just 20 when he and his date were approached by the police. There was an illegal gun in his car, and that got him locked up. Andrew admits he knew he wasn’t old enough to legally have a gun, but he felt like he needed it to protect himself. After the arrest, he started to lose hope—he was facing serious charges and even lost his job.

But then Andrew was referred to the Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court Violence Intervention Program—aka VIP. It’s a new program designed to help young people caught with a gun that hasn’t been used in a crime. Instead of punishment, the program offers a shot at redemption: support, a path to clear their record, and a fresh start.

VIP was launched by Judge Brendan J. Sheehan, who also oversees it. In this episode, he explains that the goal is to keep young, nonviolent offenders from ending up as gun violence or homicide statistics. The program brings in peer mentors, trauma counselors, and job placement help—all focused on helping young men, ages 18 to 26, from Cleveland neighborhoods hit hardest by gun violence.

The program runs on a three-year, $750,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Justice. While many violence intervention programs across the country have seen their funding cut recently, VIP has been lucky—its funding is still intact. That said, some of its key partners are facing cuts, including the Cleveland Peacemakers Alliance, which is run by our podcast co-host Myesha Watkins.

View our full list of resources here. 

Have you or someone you know been impacted by gun violence? Or do you have any thoughts about what was shared in today’s episode? Share your story for a chance to be featured on the show!

Lorenzo Roberson is a typical 10-year-old in a lot of ways. But like so many kids affected by gun violence, he’s carrying a heavy burden. In this episode, Lorenzo opens up about living in fear after losing his best friend to a shooting. He and his older brother, Angelo, talk about how unsafe they feel just walking the dog or going to the corner store in their neighborhood.

The loss hit Lorenzo hard — so hard that he decided to speak up at a community meeting held by the mayor. Dressed in a navy-blue suit, he walked to the front of the room and shared what’s on his mind.

“Will I have a chance to survive?” he asked. “Will my life be cut short too?”

The mayor hugged him and urged the community to step up. Sonya Prior-Jones, Cleveland’s Chief of Youth & Family Success, also joined the conversation. She pointed out that the mayor can’t solve this alone — it’s going to take everyone. That includes folks, businesses, and organizations in the “other” Cleveland — the one where kids can walk around safely — to come together and help build real, lasting change.

View our full list of resources here. 

Have you or someone you know been impacted by gun violence? Or do you have any thoughts about what was shared in today’s episode? Share your story for a chance to be featured on the show! 

Chairman Fahiem, known to some as Antoine Tolbert, is a well-loved figure in parts of Cleveland — but right now, he’s fighting to stay out of prison. As the leader of New Era Cleveland, Fahiem works to empower communities hit hard by gun violence. He and his team are known for patrolling neighborhoods, often armed, hoping their presence can help keep the peace.

City leaders have praised Fahiem’s work, and a major Cleveland foundation recently awarded his group $150,000 to support their violence intervention efforts and train an 11-member Trauma Response Team.

But at the same time, Fahiem is facing serious charges. The Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s Office has accused him of extortion, claiming he threatened a local convenience store owner and asked him to pay for “protection.” Fahiem strongly denies the allegation and speaks out about it on the podcast, sharing his side of the story and promising to keep leading his organization — even as he *faces the possibility of 15 to 20 years behind bars. The Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s office declined an invitation to share their perspective on the court case. A  spokesperson said they do not comment on current cases and their indictment of Fahiem is their statement.

We’ll also hear from a Cleveland State University student and a Newburgh Heights high schooler about how gun violence casts a constant shadow over teens' lives, whether they’re in the classroom or simply trying to enjoy themselves.

View our full list of resources here. 

Have you or someone you know been impacted by gun violence? Or do you have any thoughts about what was shared in today’s episode? Share your story for a chance to be featured on the show!

Through pain, resilience, and unwavering love, mothers carry the weight of loss in ways the world can never fully understand. This episode of Living For We: Keep Ya Head Up shares the voices of mothers who have lost a child to gun violence. It is a testament to their strength, a reflection of the love they continue to hold, and a call for change in communities torn apart by tragedy.

We meet Marshawnette Daniels, the mother of nine-year-old Saniyah Nicholson, who was hit by a stray bullet while sitting in a car eating an ice cream cone. We also hear from Shanika Jackson, who lost her 20-year-old son Demetrius. Worried that he was falling in with the wrong crowd, Shanika continues to seek justice for her son’s murder.

Grief counselor and founder of Not Another Child, Oresa Napper-Williams, understands the profound pain of losing a child to gun violence. Having experienced this loss firsthand, she shares how she found a way forward and offers strategies for navigating the grief process. These are stories of heartbreak and healing, of women who raised their children with love, only to have them taken too soon. They speak of memories, of dreams left unfulfilled, and of the fight to ensure no other mother endures the same pain.

Because a mother’s love never fades—it transforms into a force for justice.

View our full list of resources here.   Have you or someone you know been impacted by gun violence? Or do you have any thoughts about what was shared in today’s episode? Share your story for a chance to be featured on the show!