The sixth annual La Raza Park Day celebration in Sunnyside focused on more than just community and cruising. This is the first year there was a theme: youth violence prevention.
“Violence is down in the city and county of Denver, but youth violence is up again,” said Ben Chavez, the event’s lead organizer. “We chose youth violence as a theme for La Raza Park Day and had nonprofits come in and give resources to the community. It was wonderful to be there for them, to provide parents with resources on school programs, after-school programs, and simply pro-social behaviors, and to create a space where young people can thrive, exist and grow.”
During a podcast with Bucket List Community Cafe earlier this year, Beth McCann, Denver District Attorney, said youth violence was a huge problem for the city. “One of the things I’m most focused on right now is juveniles and the level of crime [in which] juveniles are involved, particularly violent crimes and cases that involve guns,” McCann said.
Common Sense reported that violent juvenile crime has risen. Further research from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment found that Black youth under 18 make up 46% of youth deaths caused by firearms. Alarming to note that only 14% of the state population is Black. Generally, people of color are more commonly the victims of youth violence due to socioeconomic factors.
“We’re continually going to young people’s funerals,” Chavez said. “These are our future leaders. Due to budget cuts or other reasons, we’ve seen resources removed from the community that they definitely need. When we speak to the youth and ask what they need, they’re like, ‘A place to be.’”
Chavez explained the influx of youth violence in Denver can be influenced by a lack of resources, safe spaces for youth and social pressure. Steps towards prevention and interruption begin with access to safe spaces, resources, and community. La Raza Park Day has established itself as an event that provides both education and entertainment to our community.
There are several organizations in Denver working on youth violence including GRASP, Gang Rescue and Support Project. Its support/healing circles aim to create a space for individuals to discuss issues within their personal and sometimes gang-affiliated lives.
Felipe Perez, program manager at GRASP, explained their method of combating social pressures. He recognizes people will make mistakes and eventually learn from them, so GRASP arms the youth with tools to take a step back and give them time to evaluate their choices through an “imaginary toolbox.”
“I tell the kids that I can sit here and tell them all my mistakes, but you’re not going to learn until it happens to you,” Perez said. “So let me give you a toolbox, an imaginary toolbox; this toolbox we’re gonna put different lessons, different skills, so when you’re being pressured, when you feel like you know you can’t handle something, or you’re about to do something, you’re going to pull it out. It gives them a second to rethink.”
GRASP also works towards building a strong sense of identity for the youth by learning about their culture. They dismantle stereotypes and introduce positive, often historical, community members. GRASP utilizes La Raza Park frequently to teach Chicano youth about the rich history, and they sometimes host their programs there.
GRASP also focuses on getting youth out into the community and engaging with people. The gradual upsurge of gentrification in many Denver neighborhoods rich with Chicano culture had led to the stereotyping of the youth, much like it has the pastime of cruising.
The GRASP Youth Park Guides get the kids to clean up parks and set up information booths about the natural aspects of the area. This allows Denver residents to meet one another. The simple act of an introduction and brief conversation humanizes the people who are often seen in a negative light.
La Raza Park Day hosted the organization Words to Power which teaches youth poetry through workshops. Founder Ara Cruz noted his motivation for starting the organization was from witnessing youth find their voice and gaining the confidence to use it.
“It’s beyond the poetry,” Cruz said. “We’re not asking kids to be poets; we’re asking them to be powerful, to advocate for themselves and realize that poetry can be an outlet to cope with life struggles.”
Words to Power ties in cultural importance in their teachings as well. For example, using the metaphor of a corn plant as a graphic visualizer to discuss the emotion and purpose of a poem, allows students to generate ideas. Students create two poems during their lesson with Word to Power: one tackles their identity and the other tackles community.
La Raza Park Day featured resources for individuals and their families ranging from after-school programs to mental health services. Chavez noted how there will be a focus moving forward, with next year’s theme being sustainability. The topic of sustainability will be viewed through an Indigenous lens.
“Next year, it’s going to be the whole Indigenous lens of Mother Earth and sustainability and taking care of our environment,” Chavez said. “We’re going to be introducing recycling, composting and trash. If we say we’re truly about our environment and being advocates for sustainability, we need to make sure we’re being the stewards of our land.”
Additionally, Chavez explained the desire to incorporate more youth leadership in the organization of La Raza Park Day. “We’re going to engage young people by putting them on their own planning committee,” Chavez said. “We want this to be youth-driven by creating a space for them to be engaged and have a purpose. It’s their neighborhood.”
