LEXINGTON, Ky. — The city of Lexington is continuing to discuss how racial issues play into fighting gun violence, as its justice and equity commission held a virtual meeting Aug. 12 with ONE Lexington, its youth outreach initiative. 

ONE Lexington discussed its strategic plan for addressing gun violence in the city. It was developed with more than 40 different stakeholders including schools, public safety, former gang members and faith leaders.

“After we extracted all of this information, we were able to see what the city had at its disposal, what it was doing well and, frankly, what it wasn’t doing well," said Devine Carama, director of ONE Lexington. 

Carama said its plan is tailored to fit issues unique to Lexington, including the lack of a centralized underserved population.

“Our housing projects were torn down, and in a lot of cities, some of your most vulnerable populations are centered in one or two places," Carama said. "In a place like Lexington, it’s all over the place.”

ONE Lexington has mentorship programs in 16 different Fayette County schools focused on conflict resolution, social media, dating violence and identifying trauma. It also focuses on intervention, walking through neighborhoods where incidents take place in its 13-to-29-year-old age service bracket.

“Through those interactions, we’re able to see what issues are happening in the homes and, also, it informs us on we need to do better as an organization," said Kenneth Payne, ONE Lexington crisis response coordinator. 

ONE Lexington also has a "Be the Change" scholarship for a senior of color at Bryan Station High School intending to go into a criminal justice field. It was founded in 2017.