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.

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