AG Racine Announces FY21 Cure the Streets Grantees and Debuts New Logo for Program

Three Community Partners Will Continue Violence Interruption Work, Winners of District-Wide Logo Contest Announced

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Attorney General Karl A. Racine today announced grant awards to three community partners that will continue to implement the Cure the Streets violence interruption program in Fiscal Year 2021 (FY21) and the winners of a District-wide contest to design a new logo for the program. The Office of the Attorney General’s (OAG) Cure the Streets program, launched in 2018, is a community-driven public safety pilot program that works to reduce gun violence in the District. The Alliance for Concerned Men, Father Factor Inc., and the National Association for the Advancement of Returning Citizens were re-selected through a competitive grant-making process to continue implementing the program in FY21. The logo contest winners selected were Christopher Cole and Jedidiah Bowlding, both residents of Ward 8. Today at 6:00pm ET, OAG will debut the logo and recognize community creatives and champions working to stop gun violence at a virtual National Night Out event (register at oag.dc.gov/NNO).

“I’m proud to see Cure the Streets’ violence interruption work in Wards 5, 7, and 8 continue under the leadership of these dedicated community partners,” said AG Racine. “Congratulations to Christopher Cole and Jedidiah Bowlding for contributing their time, talent, and creativity to design a fantastic logo for the program. The Office of the Attorney General is committed to data-driven and community-led public safety programs, and is thankful for the Council’s continued support of Cure the Streets.”

Cure the Streets
Launched in 2018 with the D.C. Council’s support, OAG’s Cure the Streets program uses a data-driven, public health approach to combat gun violence by detecting and interrupting conflicts, identifying and treating the highest risk individuals, and changing social norms. The program now operates in six sites across Wards 5, 7, 8, with some of the highest rates of gun violence in the District.

OAG awards grants to nonprofit Community-Based Organizations (CBOs) to implement a violence interruption program based on the national CURE Violence model. The CBOs are selected through a competitive application process that evaluates their relationships and credibility with high-risk individuals in the target areas and their ability to continue successful management of the program. OAG re-selected the following District-based CBOs to continue operating Cure the Streets sites in FY21:

  • The Alliance for Concerned Men (ACM): ACM promotes understanding and peace by providing intervention, substances abuse, re-entry support, and other services that reduce crime, mistreatment of inmates, and recidivism. ACM will continue operating the Washington Highlands site (Ward 8).
     
  • Father Factor Inc. (Father Factor): Father Factor is a non-profit focused on fatherhood, parental training, substance abuse, and violence prevention efforts providing counseling, education, referral, and training services to empower families and strengthen communities. It will continue operating the Bellevue site (Ward 8) and will now also operate the Marshall Heights and Benning Heights site (Ward 7).
     
  • The National Association for the Advancement of Returning Citizens (NAARC): NAARC works to improve the quality of life of returning citizens, their families, and communities by addressing a broad range of social and economic issues. NAARC was the first CBO selected in 2018 to launch the program. It will continue operating in Trinidad (Ward 5) and Washington Highlands and Congress Heights (Ward 8), and will also operate the Eckington and Truxton Circle site (Ward 5).

Logo Contest Winners
In July, OAG and Cure the Streets held a community-based competition for local artists to submit designs for a new logo for the program. The primary requirements were that the logo symbolize the District and the Cure the Streets program and incorporate the color orange to represent gun violence awareness. The winning logo, selected by a panel of judges, was a collaboration between two community members, Christopher Cole and Jedidiah Bowlding who contributed a joint submission.

Christopher Cole is a fourth generation District resident who grew up in Congress Heights (Ward 8). He was the creative inspiration behind the logo and wanted a design that represented the work the program does to change hearts.

“Winning this competition is really exciting, coming from an area that has been disengaged and disenfranchised. If we look at the emotional, psychological, and social well-being of the community and show them that it’s about their hearts, then we can start effecting change.”

Jedidiah Bowlding was born and raised in D.C., and lives in Ward 8. He was the chief designer for the logo and is passionate about uplifting youth in the community, and hosts classes to teach them how to use photoshop.

“This model is very important for the neighborhoods in this area. It starts with the younger generation, that’s the best and most important place to start – those are the hearts that need to be touched in order to make a change.”

RSVP for the National Night Out event: OAG will reveal the logo design at its virtual National Night Out event highlighting community members and creatives working to stop gun violence. Register to attend Tuesday, October 6, at 6:00pm ET at oag.dc.gov/NNO.

With the Council’s authorization, Cure the Streets is funded through OAG’s Litigation Support Fund, which are funds recovered through OAG litigation. This year, OAG announced settlements with DCHA and the owners of Forest Ridge and The Vista Apartments in which defendants agreed to provide a combined $1.5 million in funding to the Litigation Support Fund for violence interruption work.

AG Racine is committed to data- and community-driven solutions that enhance public safety in the District. Learn more about OAG’s public safety efforts, including restorative justice and Cure the Streets, and get information about D.C.’s Red Flag Law to remove firearms and ammunition from people who might be a danger to themselves or others.