LIVE FREE USA

⚡️ According to the U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy’s Advisory on Firearm Violence, firearm violence is a public health crisis in America, disproportionately impacting Black communities. Key findings include: Leading Cause of Death: Since 2020, firearm-related injury has been the leading cause of death for U.S. children and adolescents (ages 1–19). High Firearm-Related Death Rates: In 2022, 48,204 people died from firearm-related injuries. Disproportionate Impacts: Black individuals have the highest age-adjusted firearm homicide rates, and Black children and adolescents account for about half of all firearm-related deaths among U.S. children and adolescents. Community Exposure: Exposure to firearm violence elevates stress levels and mental health challenges within entire communities. Community violence interventions (CVI) are essential public health solutions, especially in Black communities where firearm homicide rates are disproportionately high. CVI strategies disrupt cycles of violence and connect individuals at risk with services addressing trauma and improving social and economic circumstances. We are credible messengers, with tailored strategies based on our connection to our communities. We will continue to advocate for community-led solutions and address the systems perpetuating this crisis. This work is part of a public health approach, and it's time everyone takes action. Ask yourself, from your position, what can you do to join us in ending gun violence so we all can live free? Thank you to Pastor michael mcbride, Executive Director of LIVE FREE USA, Thomas Bowen, Senior Advisor for Public Engagement, and Gregory Jackson Jr., Deputy Director of the White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention, for your leadership. We look forward to continued inclusion and action until we all can be safe and live free. Faith leaders, join us by taking action and joining our network: https://lnkd.in/eHjVtZgF Read the U.S. Surgeon General Advisory on Firearm Violence by visiting: https://lnkd.in/gvimjjsR Film producer: Matt Anderson Ciera Bates-Chamberlain, Tiffany Peppers Antonio Cediel Hannah Naomi Jones #EndGunViolence #LiveFreeUSA #PublicHealth #FaithLeaders #CommunityLeaders #CVI

🚨 Join us for the July Live Free Family Check-in! 🚨 This month, we’re focusing on two critical issues: Police violence in America and the mass criminalization of communities. REGISTER NOW: bit.ly/livefreefam

Thank you to Rev. Dr. Starsky D. Wilson and the Children's Defense Fund for hosting LIVE FREE USA faith and community leaders from across the country shared powerful stories, provided updates on our work, and discussed national policy and gun violence prevention and CVI strategies while prepping for our meeting with the The White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention in Washington, DC. Faith leaders, join us by taking action and joining our network. https://lnkd.in/eHjVtZgF PC: Matt Anderson #EndGunViolence #LiveFreeUSA #FaithLeaders #CommunityLeaders #PublicHealth #CVI Antonio Cediel Hannah Naomi Jones michael mcbride Ciera Bates-Chamberlain Rosie Bryant

I'm excited to speak at the @giffords_org 2024 Community Violence Intervention Conference on behalf of my organization, @livefreeusa . I will be co-leading a training on how I was able to use the cost of violence data from NICJR to further emphasize the need to invest in CVI strategies. These strategies continue to save lives, which is why my home city has a reduction of 35% in their gun violence. #livefreeusa #speaker #conference #advocates #communitychange #savinglives #cvi2024 #winningstrategies #livefree #changemakers

We are proud to announce that Jabee Williams, the dedicated leader of Live Free OKC and a key figure at Live Free USA, has been recognized as one of the 2024 Grio Heroes.

Join Pastor Mike McBride, Live Free USA, and the Black Church Action Fund family in this multigenerational and denominational coalition of Black faith leaders and interfaith partners across the nation committed to building communities where we live, work, and worship that are safe, healed, and free.

Last week I had the pleasure of going back to the #whitehouse for a Faith Leaders Convening! I had the opportunity to speak on the work I do with LIVE FREE USA across the country & how the organizing work being done with the black church has been instrumental in getting policy changed & money to the ground! Thank you to the Whitehouse Office of Public Engagement & Office of Gun Violence Prevention for hosting us!

🚀⚡️ Live Free's Jabee Honored as a Grio Hero 2024 ⚡️🚀 We are thrilled to announce that @mynameisjabee, our incredible leader at @LiveFreeUSA and the founder of @LiveFreeOKC, has been recognized as one of @theGrio Heroes of 2024! Following the tragic loss of his brother to gun violence in 2001, Jabee has been tirelessly working to bring peace and healing to his community in northeast Oklahoma City. He founded Live Free OKC, the city’s first initiative dedicated to reducing gun violence and building peace. Through targeted intervention programming, Live Free OKC employs four full-time violence interrupters, known as “peacemakers,” who work to prevent violence and address community needs like housing, employment, and mental health. Jabee’s commitment to community activism is unwavering. He’s hosted the annual Hip Hop Give Back Gift Raps event, offering toys, food, clothes, and more to those in need. When his Eastside Pizza House was robbed, he even offered jobs to those who stole from him, showing his deep he compassion and dedication to change. As Jabee reminds us with Martin Luther King Jr.'s words, “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?’” "Jabee is worth this honor and many more. He is an incredible messenger of gun violence prevention and community-led intervention, a survivor who has turned his pain into power to improve his community and build a legacy. He continues to be among the many heroes doing this phenomenal work." - @impastormike_ Thank you @realbyronallen for recognizing Jabee’s impactful work. Congratulations, Jabee! Your work inspires us all. #LiveFreeUSA #CommunityLeader #EndGunViolence #TheGrioHeroes

⚡️ LIVE FREE USA frontline gun violence prevention, CVI, faith, and community leaders have gathered from all over the country for the Faith Leaders to End Gun Violence event at the White House with White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention. Amplifying the work and voices! In the words of Pastor Mike, #letscook #EndGunViolence #FaithBased #PublicSafety #CVI #LiveFree

️During Gun Violence Prevention Month, LIVE FREE USA faith and community leaders gathered at the The White House to uplift our work and evidence-based solutions in reducing, intervening, and preventing gun violence. We also promoted community-led public safety, criminal justice reform, and trauma-informed healing. The meeting followed just 24 hours after U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy's advisory declaring firearm violence a public health crisis. We will continue to remind our leaders of the importance of community and CVI efforts in public health solutions. We are at the epicenter of this epidemic. Thank you to Thomas Bowen, Senior Advisor for Public Engagement, and Greg Jackson, Deputy Director of the White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention, for your leadership. We look forward to continued inclusion and action until we all can be safe and live free. Faith leaders, join us by taking action and joining our network. https://lnkd.in/eHjVtZgF PC:Matt Anderson michael mcbride