The Crisis
A State of Emergency
We live in a state of emergency that has not been declared. In the last three school years, over 260 children and youth (18 and younger) have been killed by violence. Approximately 4000 additional children have survived a shooting – many with severe injury and disability – and countless others daily live in fear of violence. Entire communities have been traumatized.
Urban Dolorosa is an emerging movement – a citywide voice of faith and moral concern – declaring that this devastating loss is unacceptable. Almost all of these children are African-American or Hispanic. They are from our poorest neighborhoods. They live and die in fear, and yet because they are poor, because they have no voice, they are easily forgotten. This is inexcusable.
Urban Dolorosa calls upon the people of faith and conscience in our city to stand up for our children, to notice this tragedy, and to work together to address the root causes of violence and to reclaim urban childhood for all our children.
