GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Youth crime and violence has been on the rise here in West Michigan. Recently, handguns were confiscated in four different incidents from students at Grand Rapids Public Schools.
Oftentimes, we don’t know what goes through a kid's mind when they decide to do something as dangerous as bringing a gun to school. However, a Grand Rapids man shared his story with FOX 17 of the time when he made that same mistake at 15-years-old and then overcame it.
“I definitely grew up low-income, social security, SSI, so I really come from poverty, and it was just honestly terrible,” said Dee Jones.
He didn’t choose the cards he was dealt. He moved to Grand Rapids from Chicago when he was just six years old and remembers his childhood as fun, but challenging.
“Lack of opportunity, lack of resources, lack of opportunities for youth, so it wasn't good,” explained Jones.
Resources like community centers, youth-based programs, and a chance to see what was beyond his neighborhood that was plagued with poverty just weren't available, and his circumstances led him to make poor decisions.
“I had a cousin who had a gun, and he ended up bringing it to my house,” said Jones.
He took that loaded gun and brought it to East Kentwood High School in April of 2010. He says he never intended to hurt anyone, but just wanted to let people know he had it. He was doing what he thought was cool, what he was exposed to growing up. An anonymous tip to Silent Observer changed Jones’ life.
“I spent ten months of my life, almost a year just locked up, like my freedom is gone,” said Jones.
He served time in a juvenile detention center and a residential care program for boys. It was a wake-up call for 16-year-old Jones. He remembers walking through the juvenile detention hallways determined to do better when he got out — and that’s exactly what he did.
Today marks 10 years since Jones graduated from high school. Since then, he’s taken those cards and changed the game: becoming a well-known community activist, a board member of the West Grand Neighborhood Organization and the founder and CEO of Jump Ahead. Jones works towards giving kids the opportunities he didn’t have, improving the community overall through financial workshops, community cleanups, job training and e-sports gaming.
He’s thankful that he’s able to provide opportunities, education and outlets for people in the city, because it’s desperately needed. However, he believes what’s also needed is investment into communities like the one he grew up in.
He says change won’t happen without grass root efforts from city and local officials, adding that the key to achieving equity is through unity.
Dee Jones wants his story to serve as a reminder to others that you don’t have to be a product of your environment. For more information on his non-profit Jump Ahead, click here.
Check out our list of community resources available to help in West Michigan.