Charles Lee, That's My Child Developer, discusses his motive for the youth of Montgomery.

Two Jefferson Davis High School students were asked “How do you feel about the violence, in Montgomery, affecting your peers and the communities that you live in?” Both replied, without hesitation, that violence is nothing new to them and they have, in a way become numb to the emotion connected to losing friends and family, due to violence.

“I’ve had multiple friends, especially since I’ve been in high school pass away… I care, but it doesn’t come as a surprise anymore because it happens so much here.” This child is only 17-years-old and has already accepted the fact that death, connected to youth violence, is a norm in the river region of Montgomery.

Jefferson Davis is a predominantly black high school, being 94 percent, that is in a community that is predominately black and surrounded by poverty-stricken neighborhoods. Just like several other public high schools in the Montgomery.

Youth violence in the city of Montgomery, River region has become an extreme issue that has continued to increase at a rate of 22 percent year after year, according to the Montgomery Advertiser.

Violent crime does not only include murder, but theft and rape, as well.

Although, Youth violence can be the result of many things, there happens to be one main effect, in this specific city, that causes a domino effect. That effect being Poverty.

With little income creates an effect on education, community, activity, mentorship and so much more, which can easily result in violence, to get by or provide for one’s family.

Montgomery is the birth place of the civil rights movement, that occurred over 50 years ago. Since then not much of the cities structure has changed. There are few updated homes and communities, leisure activities, etc. Montgomery, in all, has been left behind financially and the youth is who suffers in the end.

The average home income is about $40,000, according to the most recent census data.

There is no incident that with the low income and lack of youth outlets, that there has been an increase of violence over the years.

“For Montgomery, we found that the violent crime rate is one of the highest in the nation, across communities of all sizes (both large and small). Violent offenses tracked included rape, murder and non-negligent manslaughter, armed robbery, and aggravated assault, including assault with a deadly weapon” (Neighborhoodscout.com) There were 341 violent crimes reported in 2018; 38 of those being murder, 52 rape, and all others being theft. According to neighborhood scout Montgomery is only safer than 5 percent of US cities. Making Montgomery one of the most unsafe places in Montgomery. Neighborhood scout also stated that by being a resident gives you a 1 of 191 chance of becoming a victim.

With youth violence being a continuous issue in poverty-stricken, black neighborhoods, many have created solutions and initiatives to help.

One prominent organization is That’s my child, created by Chicago Native, Charles Lee.

Lee is one who has his own past as a youth n a violent community whose life could have normally spiraled down. He took his childhood memories from Chicago,Ill and turned it into a passion to make the youth of Montgomery see that there is more to life. He has been recognized by many media outlets for his community initiative and has even recognized by the Montgomery Advertiser as a “community hero.”

This organization is placed in downtown and offers tutoring, mentor programs, dance programs, and all together a safe alternative for kids, especially in low-income communities, to turn to after school rather than having minimal options that can easily turn into violence, due to lack of activity.

Lee developed this idea by first understanding that there was a problem in the city of Montgomery, being youth violence or “teens in the streets.” With knowing that youth violence he discovered that the rate of violence may be so high because teens don’t have a place to go or hang out.

Teens from all over Montgomery are welcomed as this initiative has been proven to be effective to majority of those who stick with it.

In the year of 2018 there was a recorded attendance of 138 students in the program, 16 of those students graduated high school and 17 of those moved to either college, military, or the workforce.

TMC serves youth ages 9-19 and includes multiple programs like a barbershop book club, Gents to Gentlemen Male Mentoring Program, Teens to Work job readiness program and Teen Marketplace youth entrepreneurship program. Creative director Jonathon Peterson says that the different programs help make their organization “whole when wanting to satisfy the kids who come visit.”

Within the Gents to Gentlemen program TMC has served 31 students, so far. This program focuses on young men and exposes them to different areas that the young men could choose. This includes live trials, different career visits, and college tours. “This program shows the guys that there’s more to life,” TMC intern said. Out of the 31 students served 24 were promoted to their corrected grade and 8 became high school graduates.

The TMC intern explained the other programs within TMC, the Barbershop book club allows participants to receive haircuts by reading books. This increases intellect, reading comprehension, and basic knowledge. There are 14 barbershops, in Montgomery, that participate and has served over 1,000 teens.

One of TMC’s newest programs, along with That’s my dog Jr. is the teens to work program. This program assists teens in finding proper employment that allows them to earn their own funds in an environment that will not result in trouble or penalty. In the first year there have been 57 teens a part of the program and 32 have been able to find jobs. To make the program even more beneficial 7 of them been promoted as managers.

Peterson said that data shows that over 90% of the kids, attending the program come from single parent homes and fall below federal poverty guidelines. All who apart of the program are required to show reports of their attendance and behavior in school, along with a personal statement from the guardian describing the child's behavior.

Since 2012 the program has grown at about 40 percent. Allowing results to be bigger, dropout rates to be less and the program to have a bigger impact. In 2018 TMC had 138 members, only 11 of them dropped out, and 64 made A/B honor roll, “With the help of our tutoring program Monday through Friday.” Peterson said.

Although this organization can not physically stop the intense rate of youth violence in Montgomery, it can assist in decreasing the percentage. With organizations and programs directly targeting low-income families and poverty-stricken neighborhoods it allows youth to feel cared for and gives them alternatives to what usually seem to be a norm i.e. gangs, violence, etc. This specific one gives teens a place to hang out in their leisure time, work for funds, and gives them an insight to so much more than what they would, normally, not come across in their common neighborhoods.