Thank you Sacramento Press!

It is an honor and I am truly grateful to receive second place when so many talented, insightful and knowledgeable contributors such as William Burg, Ali Tabatabai, Marion Millin, Michael Zwahlen, Kate Traci, Ryan Kinsel, Sue Wilson, Anne Lowe and so many others wrote wonderful and informative articles. I never expected to win.

I truly appreciate an opportunity to allow the voice of so many of us to be heard. I truly appreciate Sacramento Press for allowing me to pay homage to the youth who have lost their lives as a result of youth violence.

On behalf of those who have lost their lives and on behalf of all the friends, siblings, parents and grandparents affected by the loss of a loved one, I truly appreciate Sacramento Press for hearing our cries which echo from one neighborhood to another.

In 2002, I lived on Valley Hi Drive when an 18-year-old girl was driving on Valley Hi with friends. A passenger in the vehicle yelled out to someone walking on Valley Hi Drive and gunshots erupted. The girl was shot in the back and lost control of her car. Her friend, a passenger, attempted to grab the wheel as the girl sat in the driver's seat dying. The bullet someone intended for the passenger struck and killed the 18-year-old girl.

I know a bullet has no name, but the deceased - a beautiful girl- had a name, a life, a family. Her name was Christine Cheatman. I never met her family but I mourned the passing of their daughter. I think it's important I mention that "Our cries echo from one Sacramento neighborhood to another" is not solely regarding African American youth. The young girl who drove down Valley Hi Drive, shot, lost control of her car, wrecked, dead from a gunshot wound was Caucasian. I pay homage to Caucasian youth murdered as a result of youth violence.

20-year-old Adam - gunshot wound to the back is Caucasian. 17-year-old Paul - gunshot wound to the back is Caucasian. 19-year-old Jeremy - multiple gunshot wounds is Caucasian. 19-year-old Mathew - gunshot wounds head and chest is Caucasian. 18-year-old Joshua - gunshot wounds to the head is Caucasian. 17-year-old Amber - multiple gunshot wounds is Caucasian.

I wrote of the mother awakening to find her son James dying in his brother's arms, and I have to respect the families I wrote about and I have to respect the ethnic backgrounds and loss of life of all. Young James, who also died a premature death, is Latino.

The father, who called me and whose son I visited in the morgue, is Latino. The mother, Debbie, carried to her son's grave, is Latino. 19-year-old Richard, whose aunt works in public safety, is Latino. 19-year-old Ismael, shot in the torso, is Latino. 18-year-old Oscar, who died of multiple gunshot wounds, is Latino.

On May 30, 2005, then-Police Chief Najera (in passing, when complaints were made toward an alleged police brutality case) stated, "A black young man between the ages of 16-24, in the city of Sacramento has a 50-percent chance to die and he is dying at the hands of another black young man." I read in a Sacramento County African American youth had a 47-percent chance of incarceration. 

Each year I read the Sacramento County Child Death Review Team report and learned African American babies died at an alarming rate of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.(SIDS) I was outraged and wondered could infant death and teen homicide death be the reason African American youth only represented 7 percent of the youth population? I attended several workshops and I learned the County department of Health , organizations and many residents were addressing the SIDS deaths but so few addressed youth death and youth arrest.

I was outraged in 2006 when the chief stood before then-Mayor Fargo at a special meeting relating to youth violence and appeared shocked of the mounting deaths and arrests and stated, "I didn't see this coming," when media attention toward the deaths/arrest of area youth began to surface. Surely the District Attorney and the Police Chief would have access to information to know youth of all ethnic backgrounds between the ages of 13 and 24 were dying as a result of youth violence. I knew, due to his 2005 statement, the police chief was aware African American teens had a 50-percent chance to die and at that time SPD had a 92-percent arrest rate. I saw death and arrest as the only solution for youth violence. I was outraged.

I was outraged when I attended the Annual County Child Death Review Team hearing and learned of the significant efforts to address youth taking the lives of themselves, (teen suicide) youth killed by adults (child abuse-child neglect) and insignificant efforts toward youth-on-youth violence.

I was outraged when I learned of the efforts of the District Attorney's grant-funded program GIFT (Gun Impact For Teens) and knowing the GIFT of life and freedom never reached a community (schools in underprivileged neighborhoods) directly affected and exposed to violence.

I was outraged when I attended the annual victims assistance rally and saw photos of crime victims whose families could not receive victims assistance since their loved one had a questionable past but their photos would be paraded in what I saw as a crime victims-CDCR-political agenda.

When 13-year-old Lenny was shot and killed, I mourned his passing. He was shot while standing outside with friends less than a mile from where I lived.

I attended the Hmong, Mien, Lao task force meeting where city, county, state officials, SCUSD officials and community members were present to address violence after Lenny's death. Prior to Lenny's death a Hmong youth was shot and killed on Florin Road in broad daylight. Days apart a black youth was also shot and killed in broad daylight on Mack Road. Several articles ran in the daily paper regarding Hmong gangs need swift broad response, Hmong gang situation urgent... One person stated in an article, "Hmong gangs came into existence due to pre-existing African American and Hispanic gangs to protect themselves." I was outraged. If African American and Latino gangs were "pre-existing" why simply address Hmong gangs with swift broad response? If the gangs were to protect themselves from African American and Latino gangs why were Hmong youth killed by other Hmong youth?

For the most part everytime I learned of a death the victim was of the same ethnic background as the suspect.  I wondered if perhaps the youth didn't value the life of someone just like themselves when it appeared the city didn't value the lives or freedom of all youth. I wanted resources for Hmong youth but I was outraged seeing so many elected officials only looking for resources for Hmong youth. I was outraged seeing so much division. Everywhere I looked I saw gang-like mentality. I saw some dismissing "some of their own" if they had a questionable past. And some dismissing some who were not the same ethnic background just for not being the same ethnic background.

I will admit, initially, I was outraged when I sat in the Hmong Mien, Lao Taskforce meeting and a middle-aged leader said, "Anyone can help but this task force is only for Hmong, Mien, Lao youth."  However, I attended several Hmong, Mien and Lao taskforce meetings and I was impressed with the efforts of the task-force and their ability and willingness to guarantee life and freedom for their youth. I attended many community meetings, marches, rallies. In 2005 I held several townhall meetings. I worked with people of all ethnic backgrounds on a march/ rally to save the lives of all Sacramento youth, so I appreciate the efforts of everyone. 

Whenever I learned of a teen/ youth death I mourned regardless of area, regardless of economic, social and ethnic background. Death has no color. Prevention or mourning should not be conditional. I looked everywhere for unconditional love.   

I respect the fact that culture is also prevention. I pay homage to Hmong youth murdered as a result of youth violence. 18-year-old Cha - gunshot wound to the chest. 19-year-old Gao - gunshot wound to the head. 19-year-old Ker - gunshot wound to the head. 20-year-old Tommy - gunshot wound to the torso.

But the separation by ethnic background is prominent more among middle-aged folks than youth.
Every funeral I ever attended there were youth present of all different ethnic backgrounds. A black youth who died was not buried solely by black youth, there were many different ethnic backgrounds attending the funeral. At funerals I saw love has no color.

I've seen black youth at funerals of homicide victims who are not black. I saw friends of all ethnic backgrounds mourning the loss of a friend.  I fail to see how simply reaching out to "one of our own" will prevent much violence when youth violence is generally self-hate and youth hurting someone just like themselves, same ethnic, social, economic background. I failed to see how simply reaching out to one of our own will prevent much violence when youth are influenced, impressed, associated, affiliated, friends with so many other youth.

It appeared the youth didn't value lives of someone just like themselves, so I appreciate cultural empowerment. I wanted the youth to see community leadership in their ethnic background verses gang membership. I wanted to no longer see gang culture masguerade as youth culture. I learned to see the value in reaching out to "one of our own" to show love for self and culture. But I still believed a greater love was needed otherwise the youth are a reflection of some adults- divided by groups. I wondered how can we disarm gang violence with gang-mentality? The youth should see and know they are embraced and loved by people of all ethnic backgrounds.Perhaps then they would have a greater love for self.

To address youth violence, I strongly feel we need to go beyond our own race when youth and gangs are often divided within race and not often divided by race.

I pay homage to Russian youth whose bodies lay dead on Sacramento streets. 17-year-old Pavel - shot in the torso and killed. 22-year-old Igor - shot in the chest and killed. 21-year-old Dimitry - shot in the neck and chest and killed. I learned our cries echo in English and the voices of languages other than English. I learned our tears are colorless, our pain is colorless and our spirit is colorless.

I pay homage to Asian youth murdered: 19-year-old Vihn - gunshot wound, 23-year-old Nicki - gunshot wound to chest, 21-year-old Diane - gunshot wound to to the head. 18-year-old Tan - gunshot wound to head.

I pay homage to Pacific Islander youth murdered. 19-year-old Samuel - gunshot wound to chest. 23-year-old Rocky, a Samoan youth - gunshot wound to head. 21-year-old Kam, a Cambodian youth - gunshot wound to chest. I pay homage to East Indian youth murdered who died in Sacramento as a result of youth violence. 19-year-old Jarnail - dead. 17-year-old Navid shot in the back and hand, dying, in a car with his friend by his side. 21-year-old Neelesh shot in the head. 18-year-old Michael shot in the head.

I pay homage to Filipino youth shot and killed. 20-year-old Ryan shot in the head and neck. 18-year-old Rhea shot in the head...

I pay homage to Vietnamese youth shot and killed. 19-year-old Vinh - gunshot wound to the head...

I pay homage to Laotian youth shot and killed. 18-year-old Southalay shot and killed.

I pay homage to Chinese youth shot and killed. 17-year-old Quang shot in the head.

I pay homage to Korean youth shot and killed. 24-year-old Brittany shot in the head.

I pay homage to African American youth whose bodies have also lain dead on Sacramento streets. 18-year-old Jack, 16-year-old Curtis, 21-year-old Donald, 17-year-old Deantwean, 16-year-old Phillip, 16-year-old Rodney, 15-year-old Shavtavia.

To be fair Sacramento officials have discriminated on where services addressing youth violence would go but they have not discriminated on who dies or who is sentenced to a life in prison. A 14-year-old girl was arrested and faced life without parole and she was not black. Two 16-year-old's were arrested for murder and faced life in prison and they were not black. An 18-year-old sentenced to life in prison and he was not black. Another 16-year-old arrested and facing life in prison for murder and he is not black. A 14-year-old black teen arrested for murder. Many have taken their last breath on Sacramento streets and many more will live and breathe in a California prison.

The dead on our streets and the walking dead - as a result of youth violence - in California State Prisons are also of all different ethnic backgrounds. Many of them not possessing prejudice or hate of different ethnic backgrounds until they enter one of California prisons where gangs are then divided by race. Some have gone from self-hate to hating others of different ethnic backgrounds once entering a California prison.

See Part 2 of this story here