Atlanta recording artist Djuan Hart, known as Young Dro, hopes his “guns down initiative” will help keep Black kids in Georgia safe.
The rapper visited students in Hampton on Wednesday to discuss the high rate of Black youths involved with violence and crime.
Young Dro’s “guns down initiative” is an educational tour with open discussions and speeches about his past experiences. The tour also has resources for students, like a mentorship program that encourages creativity through music.
Dr. Ciara Elle is a part of Young Dro’s management team. She says the increased violence is one of the reasons for starting the tour.
“The truth of the matter is, a lot of the reason that we even started this is because of the gun violence,” Elle said. “[The] gun violence is so high among youth; it’s crazy.”
Dr. Angles Horrison-Collier is the Director of Student Services at CCPS. She says events like these open doors for young Black men.
“This is our attempt to reach those young men at a critical point in their lives, to hopefully change the trajectory of their lives,” Horrison-Collier said.
The tour is one example of what’s to come from CCPS. School officials say a new “Yes Program” is in place to create safe and creative spaces for their students.
Over forty students from Clayton schools like Jonesboro High and Elite Scholars Academy joined the conversation on what matters most to them and their peers. Young Dro says “it still takes a village” to raise the younger generations.
“Make the right choices, you feel me? I do not get to where I am, you know, by slacking or not doing what I’m supposed to do,” Young Dro said. “If they’re in your village and they want to make sure you get to where you’re going in life, that’s the village you choose.”
