ENTERTAINERS 4 EDUCATION ALLIANCE- I WILL GRADUATE PROGRAM RELEASES PSA FEATURING THE PARENTS OF POP SMOKE ENTITLED:

“GUN VIOLENCE DESTROYS FAMILIES” 

To include an 8-week program for middle & high school students to combat gun violence in their communities.

Gun Violence Destroys Families Banner.jpg

New York, New York – In response to recent shootings in NYC the Entertainers For Education Alliance - I WILL GRADUATE PROGRAM  has teamed up with the parents of slain rapper Bashar Barakah “Pop Smoke” Jackson The PSA features Audrey and Greg Jackson, mother, and father of rapper Pop Smoke to release a powerful PSA entitled “Gun Violence Destroys Families” to discourage youth from shooting each other.  

Since the beginning of 2020, there have been over 1,000 shootings and almost 300 murders, in New York City.  The idea for the PSA came from the Executive Director and co-founder of The Entertainers 4 Education Alliance - I WILL GRADUATE Tonya Lewis Taylor who was distraught after seeing another news story about a teen being shot.  “We needed to get our youth’s attention fast and Pop Smoke polarizing music, life, and his untimely death helped us.   We reached out to his parents who wanted to honor their son’s legacy by participating in the video.  We want the youth to weigh the cost of their actions.  You can't go back after that trigger is pulled.  One moment of anger is a lifetime of pain for the loved ones left behind”.

The goal of the Gun Violence Destroys Families PSA is to bring media attention and awareness to the most recent shootings, killings, and violence that has been increasing rapidly in New York City since the COVID-19 pandemic.

The “Gun Violence Destroys Families” PSA has spawned an 8-week program geared toward educating the youth about anti-gun violence called the “Stop The Violence” program. Middle & High school participants will create and implement different solutions to combat gun violence in their communities.

Program Goal: To provide new solutions to combat gun violence in New York City we want to make sure

  • To help reduce gun-related crimes and violence committed by and against youth in underserved communities throughout New York City.

  • Make sure NYC youth have positive ways to spend their spare time, through organized recreation, tutoring programs, mentoring programs, part-time work, and volunteer opportunities.

  • To provide support to families and spotlight the devastating effects of gun violence on families. 

  • Discourage the carrying and use of illegal guns by NYC youth. 

  • Interrupting the cycle of retaliatory violence. 

  • To provide conflict resolution strategies that arise from miscommunication. 

  • Coordinate community and law enforcement efforts to ensure the safety of our youth in our community. 

  • Promote resiliency, emotional healing, and healthy response to trauma.



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Watch: Gun Violence Destroys Families PSA

Gun Violence Destroys Families PSA Download Link

Primary Hashtags: #IWILLGRADUATE and #GunViolenceDestroysFamilies

Watch Now: https://vimeo.com/497974861

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About us:  Entertainers 4 Education Alliance, Inc. (501c3) organization is headquartered in New York City. Our award-winning I WILL GRADUATE CAMPAIGN is our drop-out prevention initiative and call to action for students, parents, and the entire community to increase educational achievement in youth. Our goal is to provide powerful messages to youth and parents about the importance of educational excellence. We accomplish this through youth development programs, parent engagement, community outreach, exciting events, various forms of multi-media, and corporate partnerships. We enlist the talents, resources of the music and entertainment industry along with prominent high-profile individuals to stress the importance and coolness of being educated - "Smart is the New Cool."