By Sym Posey
The Birmingham Times
U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell (AL-07) on Tuesday announced a $1 million Department of Justice (DOJ) grant to help prevent school violence in Birmingham City Schools.
Sewell, who made the announcement at Wenonah High School in Birmingham, said the funding is part of a $86.9 million investment from the DOJs Bureau of Justice Assistance STOP School Violence Grant Program.
The congresswoman said she represents over 100,000 children in her 7th Congressional District and it’s among her highest priorities to reduce violent crime in and around K-12 schools and provide a great education.
“Too many of our youth have suffered the trauma of violence both in school and at home, but as elected officials we have to be responsible for not only addressing the symptoms but also addressing the root causes,” said Sewell.
The program is about equipping schools with the resources needed to combat violence and prevent it from happening, she said. “We have to be able to equip our students with the information and training they need to hopefully prevent tragedies from ever happening. It’s about educating our children on mediation skills and conflict skills … the primary goal is prevention.”
Superintendent Mark Sullivan said 20 Birmingham City Schools students have lost their lives to gun violence over the past two years, he said.
“Every day about 20,000 students enter Birmingham City Schools buildings and our goal is to educate our students so that they may achieve their highest of potential, [and] to achieve this goal we must face the reality that our children live in communities where they sometimes encounter violence,” said the superintendent. “How they deal with these issues can literally change their lives forever. That’s why I am pleased that the federal government has provided funding for a very important initiative.”
Sullivan said the STOP funding is one of many steps to reduce violence.
“[Youth violence] is a real issue and it is something that we are trying to not just have this program but many programs to address and meet the needs of all of our students,” said Sullivan, “… we have to be sure that we are providing a plethora of programs to address students.”
Funding will be provided over a span of three years to six city high schools and three middle schools. Created in 2018, STOP provides essential money for training and education to teachers, students, and school personnel to recognize, prevent, and response to threats of violence.
