Silence is Violence: Creating A Safe & Equitable New Orleans

Authors: Mason Levitsky, Charlotte Ertmann, Lorena Fons Dotson, Maggie Holloway, Christiann Cannon

New Orleans’ violent crime rate is double the national average for the United States. Victims of crime can suffer from an array of social and psychological injuries. They may experience feelings of fear, anger, isolation, low self-esteem, anxiety, and depression. Victim support services aid victims by providing an environment and services to make them feel heard, helped, supported, and above all, safe. Victim services are not exclusive to the victims themselves. They welcome families and friends too, as they recognize that they too are victims of crime. These services are crucial in enabling the healing of individuals and the overall community itself.

Silence is Violence is a New Orleans-based organization whose mission statement is “to create a safe and equitable city for all.” Founded in 2007 following the tragic deaths of musician Dinerral Shavers and filmmaker Helen Hill, Silence is Violence creates a space to help and support community members affected by these and similar events. Stationed in one of the top ten cities with the highest murder rates in the U.S., the organization calls upon city officials to address and take action against violent crimes in New Orleans. Their services are free of charge and tailored to victims of violence and their friends and family, creating a safer and more tight-knit community. Providing case management, mental health support, grief and trauma counseling, funeral support, justice education, and advocacy, among other critical victim support programs. They are a pillar of support for over 250 families each year. Their goal is to successfully achieve a just and safe community that will provide a voice and a safe space for victims and help them and the community thrive. 

Silence is Violence offers financial support and help for those who need it. In a study conducted to assess victim services entitled “Psychological Distress, Formal Help-Seeking Behavior, and the Role of Victim Services Among Violent Crime Victims,” authors Tasha Youstin and Julie Siddique examine both types of services and reports from those who request them. They show that the total financial burden in the U.S. for violent crimes, for victims’ physical and mental treatments alone, is over $750 billion. By providing financial services and creating more financial stability in these families’ lives, Silence is Violence assists victims in maneuvering their often costly treatments and further aids the victim in finding the right services. 

One of the organization’s most notable programs is tailored towards helping enrich the lives of children in the New Orleans community through free music classes. This program gives children a safe place to come together, make friends, and learn a creative and positive outlet for stress. Working with children helps end the cycle of violence in the city by providing a space that enables them to learn and grow into creative, kind, community-centered individuals. And throughout the year, the organization hosts concerts for parents, friends, and guardians, creating a space to gather and watch the amazing music their children make. In a study about youth engagement in similar programs, authors Martínez, Loyola, and Cumsille find that such community organizations provide creative enrichment, a sense of community, and personal growth in children’s development. In providing these safe and pleasant youth programs, Silence is Violence betters the community as a whole, helping prevent future problems among these at-risk populations.

The services that Silence Is Violence provides the city of New Orleans are crucial in helping end the crime cycle affecting the city for many years. Their services restore victims’ agencies and their feeling of safety, assist in children’s development, encourage positive stress outlets through art, and provide a safe space for every community member to seek help and feel heard. The organization is an essential component of New Orleans’ healing. Silence Is Violence, as a whole, accentuates the love that the people of New Orleans have for their city and the characteristics that compose it: love for music, art, and above all, a deeply-rooted love for their community.

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