In this powerful final episode of this season of Living For We: Keep Ya Head Up , co-hosts Marlene Harris-Taylor and Myesha Watkins turn their focus to Akron, Ohio — a Northeast Ohio city grappling with the harsh realities of gun and police violence. They sit down with community advocate Courtney Brown, founder of Winners and Leaders, and Taylin Ray, a high school freshman who was personally impacted by the violence. Taylin reflects on the loss of his good friend, 15‑year‑old Jazmir Tucker, who was shot and killed on Thanksgiving Day by police. There was an outcry of concern over the controversial incident, but the case is still being reviewed by local officials. Together, they also discuss how Courtney’s after-school program, including a transformative component called Man in the Mirror, is helping young Black boys see brighter paths forward.

Later, the conversation expands to include Minister Stephen Muhammad and Marcel McDaniel of Akron's Street Teams initiative, which uses Credible Messengers — individuals with lived experience — to mentor youth and interrupt cycles of violence.

This episode wraps up a season of emotional, raw, and affirming conversations with Black men and women across Northeast Ohio. Marlene and Myesha reflect on the themes of trauma, resilience, grace, and community power — and share how local heroes are stepping up, even when no one else is coming to save us.

View our full list of resources here. 

Have you or someone you know been impacted by gun violence? Or do you have any thoughts about what was shared in today’s episode? Share your story for a chance to be featured on the show!

The summer before her senior year, Makayla Barlow had just gotten her driver’s license. While driving home from work through East Cleveland, her life was turned upside down—a stray bullet tore through her car window and hit her. She ended up in a coma for a month, fighting to survive.

In this episode, Makayla and her mom, Natasha Lovelace, open up about that terrifying day in 2021 and how an off-duty police officer jumped in to help save her life. Even though Makayla still has bullet fragments in her head and deals with ongoing neurological issues, she’s not letting that stop her—she’s now in college and pushing forward.

Hosts Marlene Harris-Taylor and Myesha Watkins also sit down with Dr. Edward Barksdale, a top children’s surgeon who recently left Cleveland’s UH Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital to become the Chief Surgical Officer for Chicagoland Children’s Health Alliance.

Dr. Barksdale shares what led him to start an anti-violence program back in 2019. After seeing too many kids and teens come into the hospital with gunshot wounds—and realizing no one was coming to fix the root causes—he decided to take action himself. His program, called Antifragility, helps young gunshot survivors deal with the mental and emotional aftermath, offering therapy and support once they’re out of the hospital. It was created in response to research showing that many young victims are re-injured within a year of being shot.

Dr. Barksdale talks candidly about how hard it’s been to build something that addresses not just the physical wounds, but the deep trauma caused by community violence.

Gun violence doesn’t care about city limits—and Lorain, a small town on the shores of Lake Erie, about 25 miles west of Cleveland, knows that all too well. For teens growing up there, guns are easy to get, and conflict resolution? Not exactly something people are taught.

In this episode, we hear from Amir Whitehead, a high school student who lost one of his closest friends in a shooting on Lorain’s south side. His friend was caught in the middle of gang violence—a devastating reality for many young people in the area.

Amir is part of a local program called ACES (Achievement through Community Education & Support). It’s not your typical anti-violence program—it’s more like a lifeline. It offers mentoring, counseling, and a way out for teens who might otherwise get pulled into the streets.

One day, Amir was just walking to lunch when the associate director from ACES stopped him and said, “Hey, want a summer job?” That moment changed everything.

ACES was started by Michael Ferrer, who’s always worked with youth. But when the Lorain police chief sent a letter to all the nonprofits in town basically saying, “We can’t keep the community safe unless something changes,” Michael knew he had to act. ACES doesn’t wait for kids to come to them—it goes out and finds the ones who need help most.

Jessicka Castro, the associate director, gets it on a personal level. The program helped her when she was a teen, and now—even though she’s a registered nurse—she’s back, paying it forward. “This is my calling,” she says.

And it’s working. 90% of teens in ACES go on to graduate. That’s not just a stat—it’s a sign of hope.

Young Black men often don’t get second chances in the U.S. criminal justice system—but a new pilot program in Cuyahoga County is trying to change that.

Take Andrew Hogan, for example. He was just 20 when he and his date were approached by the police. There was an illegal gun in his car, and that got him locked up. Andrew admits he knew he wasn’t old enough to legally have a gun, but he felt like he needed it to protect himself. After the arrest, he started to lose hope—he was facing serious charges and even lost his job.

But then Andrew was referred to the Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court Violence Intervention Program—aka VIP. It’s a new program designed to help young people caught with a gun that hasn’t been used in a crime. Instead of punishment, the program offers a shot at redemption: support, a path to clear their record, and a fresh start.

VIP was launched by Judge Brendan J. Sheehan, who also oversees it. In this episode, he explains that the goal is to keep young, nonviolent offenders from ending up as gun violence or homicide statistics. The program brings in peer mentors, trauma counselors, and job placement help—all focused on helping young men, ages 18 to 26, from Cleveland neighborhoods hit hardest by gun violence.

The program runs on a three-year, $750,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Justice. While many violence intervention programs across the country have seen their funding cut recently, VIP has been lucky—its funding is still intact. That said, some of its key partners are facing cuts, including the Cleveland Peacemakers Alliance, which is run by our podcast co-host Myesha Watkins.

View our full list of resources here. 

Have you or someone you know been impacted by gun violence? Or do you have any thoughts about what was shared in today’s episode? Share your story for a chance to be featured on the show!

Lorenzo Roberson is a typical 10-year-old in a lot of ways. But like so many kids affected by gun violence, he’s carrying a heavy burden. In this episode, Lorenzo opens up about living in fear after losing his best friend to a shooting. He and his older brother, Angelo, talk about how unsafe they feel just walking the dog or going to the corner store in their neighborhood.

The loss hit Lorenzo hard — so hard that he decided to speak up at a community meeting held by the mayor. Dressed in a navy-blue suit, he walked to the front of the room and shared what’s on his mind.

“Will I have a chance to survive?” he asked. “Will my life be cut short too?”

The mayor hugged him and urged the community to step up. Sonya Prior-Jones, Cleveland’s Chief of Youth & Family Success, also joined the conversation. She pointed out that the mayor can’t solve this alone — it’s going to take everyone. That includes folks, businesses, and organizations in the “other” Cleveland — the one where kids can walk around safely — to come together and help build real, lasting change.

View our full list of resources here. 

Have you or someone you know been impacted by gun violence? Or do you have any thoughts about what was shared in today’s episode? Share your story for a chance to be featured on the show! 

Chairman Fahiem, known to some as Antoine Tolbert, is a well-loved figure in parts of Cleveland — but right now, he’s fighting to stay out of prison. As the leader of New Era Cleveland, Fahiem works to empower communities hit hard by gun violence. He and his team are known for patrolling neighborhoods, often armed, hoping their presence can help keep the peace.

City leaders have praised Fahiem’s work, and a major Cleveland foundation recently awarded his group $150,000 to support their violence intervention efforts and train an 11-member Trauma Response Team.

But at the same time, Fahiem is facing serious charges. The Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s Office has accused him of extortion, claiming he threatened a local convenience store owner and asked him to pay for “protection.” Fahiem strongly denies the allegation and speaks out about it on the podcast, sharing his side of the story and promising to keep leading his organization — even as he *faces the possibility of 15 to 20 years behind bars. The Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s office declined an invitation to share their perspective on the court case. A  spokesperson said they do not comment on current cases and their indictment of Fahiem is their statement.

We’ll also hear from a Cleveland State University student and a Newburgh Heights high schooler about how gun violence casts a constant shadow over teens' lives, whether they’re in the classroom or simply trying to enjoy themselves.

View our full list of resources here. 

Have you or someone you know been impacted by gun violence? Or do you have any thoughts about what was shared in today’s episode? Share your story for a chance to be featured on the show!

Through pain, resilience, and unwavering love, mothers carry the weight of loss in ways the world can never fully understand. This episode of Living For We: Keep Ya Head Up shares the voices of mothers who have lost a child to gun violence. It is a testament to their strength, a reflection of the love they continue to hold, and a call for change in communities torn apart by tragedy.

We meet Marshawnette Daniels, the mother of nine-year-old Saniyah Nicholson, who was hit by a stray bullet while sitting in a car eating an ice cream cone. We also hear from Shanika Jackson, who lost her 20-year-old son Demetrius. Worried that he was falling in with the wrong crowd, Shanika continues to seek justice for her son’s murder.

Grief counselor and founder of Not Another Child, Oresa Napper-Williams, understands the profound pain of losing a child to gun violence. Having experienced this loss firsthand, she shares how she found a way forward and offers strategies for navigating the grief process.

These are stories of heartbreak and healing, of women who raised their children with love, only to have them taken too soon. They speak of memories, of dreams left unfulfilled, and of the fight to ensure no other mother endures the same pain.

Because a mother’s love never fades—it transforms into a force for justice.

View our full list of resources here. 



Have you or someone you know been impacted by gun violence? Or do you have any thoughts about what was shared in today’s episode? Share your story for a chance to be featured on the show!

In this episode, we’re heading to church with three men who once got caught up in street life, landed behind bars, and found a new purpose. Now, they’re using their experiences to reach others who are struggling with what it really means to be a man.

Stanley Frankart shares a powerful story about a moment when his life could have gone in a completely different direction—one where he might have faced a murder charge. But he believes divine intervention stepped in. It was in prison that he was introduced to Jesus, and today, he’s one of the founders of Young Christian Professionals, a Canton, Ohio-based community organization that started behind bars and now helps others transition back into life after prison.

We also talk with Bobby Johnson, a man who became a spiritual mentor to both Stanley and our third guest, Deshawn Johnson, while they were incarcerated. Bobby had a rough childhood, but at just 8 years old, someone told him he had something greater inside of him. It wasn’t until he went to prison that he fully stepped into that calling—mentoring and ministering to other men.

Deshawn Johnson joins us, too, sharing how he’s thriving as a business owner. He runs The Experience Barber and Beauty Shop in Akron, a place where men can relax, connect, and have real conversations in a safe space. He’s also paying it forward by providing jobs for formerly incarcerated men.

The impact of Young Christian Professionals is growing—their mentoring program now reaches five prisons across Ohio. This is an inspiring conversation about redemption, purpose, and second chances.

View our full list of resources here. 



Have you or someone you know been impacted by gun violence? Or do you have any thoughts about what was shared in today’s episode? Share your story for a chance to be featured on the show!

Something as simple as the smallest slight or embarrassment like losing a pickup basketball game, can lead to gun violence. Young people reacting in the moment and not taking half of a second to think, combined with easy access to guns is a deadly combination. Too often these interpersonal conflicts are leading to a loss of life or to prison time for young Black men. 

In this episode, we speak with two Cleveland teens about the stress of avoiding violence at school, and in their neighborhoods. Community advocate Walter Patton, founder of the award-winning mental health program Ghetto Therapy™️, also speaks with us. Walter started Ghetto therapy ™️in Cleveland’s Outhwaite public housing community in 2018, and it now serves 1600 people every year with free weekly therapy meetings. He’s joined on the couch by Cleveland Peacemaker’s outreach worker Vincent Evans. Author of Self-Care for Black Men, therapist Jor-El Caraballo returns to share advice on how to handle interpersonal conflicts

View our full list of resources here. 

Have you or someone you know been impacted by gun violence? Or do you have any thoughts about what was shared in today’s episode? Share your story for a chance to be featured on the show!

What happens when a regular day at school turns into the worst day of your life? Teens in Northeast Ohio are facing gun violence or the threat of gun violence in what should be a safe space. Living For We hosts Marlene Harris-Taylor and Myesha Watkins speak with Garfield Heights High School student Travis Page who found himself running for his life the first time he attended a football game as a freshman. A shooter interrupted the football game and sent students, parents and players scrambling to escape. We also meet a mom and a daughter, Reina Gomez and Francine Torres, who are still reeling from an incident at a Lorain County High School. Students and teachers were terrified when a student brought a gun into the building and the school went on lockdown – with everyone thinking there was a shooter on the loose. It was bad information, but students were traumatized and desperate to escape. We also talk to Dr. Terrance Menefee, a long-time administrator and principal in the Cleveland Metropolitan School District. He lost 17 students he was mentoring to gun violence in a five-year period. Menefee shares the challenges involved in keeping kids safe when arguments that begin on social media can end in gun violence near school buildings.

Have you or someone you know been impacted by gun violence? Or do you have any thoughts about what was shared in today’s episode? Share your story for a chance to be featured on the show!

-

Moms Demand Action:

Moms Demand Action is a grassroots movement of Americans fighting for public safety measures that can protect people from gun violence.

In an average year, 1,602 people die and ​​3,753 people are wounded by guns in Ohio. Gun violence costs Ohio $22.3 billion each year, of which $493.7 million is paid by taxpayers. Learn more about gun violence in Ohio here. 

Students Demand Action:

“We’re young activists committed to ending gun violence in our communities.

We’ve grown up in the midst of America’s gun violence crisis. In fact, we’ve been called the ‘school shooting generation.’ Now we’re rising up and organizing in our high schools, colleges, and communities across the country to demand action to end gun violence.’