COUNTER NARRATIVES / NARRATIVES REWRITTEN
A documentary public health project connected to NYC’s Cure Violence initiative and the Department of Youth & Community Development. “Counter Narratives / Narratives Rewritten” documents community-led violence prevention through the voices of those closest to the work. Connected to New York City’s Crisis Management System, the project frames violence as a public health issue shaped by proximity, trust, interruption, and repair.
Built through interviews, lived testimony, and grounded observation, the work reflects the restorative labor of reshaping how communities are seen and how their stories are carried. It holds space for prevention workers, young people, and neighborhood leaders whose presence complicates the familiar narratives of harm, survival, and public safety.
SHELTER features Shakeya Witherspoon of Man Up! Inc. in Brooklyn, offering a portrait of care, protection, and the everyday labor of holding space for community.
TWIN PARKS centers Shaheed Robinson and John Dunnell of BronxConnect / Release The Grip, tracing how trust, mentorship, and proximity become tools for violence prevention in the Bronx.
THE RENAISSANCE follows Omar Jackson of Stand Against Violence East Harlem as he reflects on community presence, interruption, and the work of restoring safety from within the neighborhood.
Counter Narratives hears from DYCD Commissioner Keith Howard, framing New York City’s Crisis Management System as a public health response rooted in prevention, partnership, and community leadership.
MY BROTHER’S KEEPER follows Lance Hurtado and King of Kings in Queens, grounding public safety in brotherhood, accountability, and the relationships that help young people choose another path.