West end residents walk together to end youth violence in Louisville

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — West end neighborhoods are coming together to try and end violence in Louisville one step at a time.

Saturday evening a group of people from different organizations came together in the Portland neighborhood to "Walk with a Purpose." The purpose — try and put an end to the uptick in violence across the city.

"The greatest solution to counteract that crime and that violence is simply by coming together," Betty Bailey, co-founder of Purpose Over Profit, said. "It's time that we uplift our community."

Bailey said if neighborhoods like Shawnee, Portland, Chickasaw, Russell and other communities come together, they'll create links between each area.

"It's up to us to take the initiative to get to know one another so if one of our kids is misbehaving or missing, now we can just simply pick up the phone and say 'hey, I have your kid right here with me,'" Bailey said.

The walk started at Kroger on 35th Street in Portland and ended at the Good Shepherd Fall Festival just down the street. Bailey said the walk was also a great way to highlight the festival that's been in the community for decades.

The main goal though, was to try to put an end to violence in the community, particularly youth violence, which has been making headlines in Louisville.

Two 16-year-olds, who said they aren't a part of that violence, but have seen it in their circle, said they're taking a stand.

"Once it got put on the youth, it's everybody now, it's not just one person, they look at us all like that, so now we can't walk around wearing hoodies," Jaden Garner, 16, said.

"If I'm going to be out here every day spreading good in the community, I would like to be able to see someone and be like 'oh, how are you doing' without someone coming with a bad reaction," Arthur Alexander, 16, said.

After the walk and festival Bailey plans to take the next steps.

"I would like to see more organizations and more community leaders coming together and not being so divided because the division is another component to the violence that's been taking place. It's time that we come together," Bailey said.

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