This program is made possible in part by the generous support of Toledo Public Works collaborative seeking, community engagement through community storytelling with additional support from madhouse, providing a distinctly human approach to creative solutions and thoughtful storytelling.

And by viewers like you.

Thank you.

Hello.

Mark.

I don't know what to say.

Your brother.

My baby.

I'm at the hospital now.

Hes gone Mark.

I didn't know what to do, so I just started planning their take him to miss days and a few hours.

At some point today, you think you could.

Mom, I don't.

Maybe I can have ma do it do it.

My baby.

Please.

Okay.

I'll be through after I shut the and reach out to miss day.

Thank you, baby.

Gonna be okay?

You know me.

I'm good.

I'll see you tonight.

Love you mom.

Love you too, baby.

Im good.

So what's your plan?

What's your plan?

I got an offer from Toledo Legal Aid.

So I'm going to apply to a few more places.

My dog.

My dog.

You know what I am saying.

Hey.

That mood in there?

Mood?

A balloon.

They're going away right now.

That they don't know.

That.

I'm gonna let them slide today.

That I know we're going.

To be coming home, but man is not.

You know it.

I think people got a misconception, too, because when you hear from out the murder, a lot of people think it's strictly Toledo.

You can be from out the mud from anywhere in general.

But it really I mean, we're really trying to put, you know, a step further because we you know, we got the mud hens you know what I mean, I'm kind of got that whole situation You know, I think that's why we really embody coming from the mud.

You know, the underdog.

You know, I believe that when we get a jail sentence.

Short of we have, you know, about a minute there.

Thats what the mother tell him.

Man, he too friendly to people h Though *Inaudible * Hey!

I dont know bro.

I aint never s somebody play in mud like that Color though.

Well, hey, yeah, but I feel.

Like coming from that that grinding mentality, you know, you have to face anything.

You come to Toledo you can make it anywhere you go.

Anywhere in anywhere.

And right If yall can shine in the glass you can shine anywhere.

*Inaudible * We are the lifeline of Toledo.

Wehave been you know what I am sying.

is every is everything.

The shop is Sports Center, the Weather Channel you feel me, entertainment, everything you need.

You going to come in here and you know, that's why I, I personally that's what I mean obviously it is my uncles shop but thats w draws me here, you feel me.

and it has been around here because we just be chillin.

It's just a vibe.

I come in here get my haircut and sit here for 10 hours.

What they see here they take out on the street you know, They see five men get together, right?

Yeah.

Cool.

They take down the street, You know, that's a good for that.

Basically, if you fans of Romeo, not just what he's here does with Roman out of town with our mouth pieces the way we live in a way we represent ourselves in front of them.

My sons man, You know, I'm raising two young black man, you know, kings, you know, And and this in this day and age and with everything going on, you know, I want wanting to know and be confident, oh, they can be whatever they want to be and they don't have to worry be be worried about, you know, getting shot by not just somebody in the street, but the police, you know, you know, I want them to be confident, you know, that they can trust.

I said, I heard what you're saying.

You know, I'm still thinking man the church and all that.

You're saying that, like the boys act like they scared sometimes.

Who?

The boys keep saying bro.

Ok I will sing.

*Singing * Okay.

Oh.

Okay?

Yeah.

Yeah.

*Singing * I hear that again.

Some days I feel like I number one.

So I will.

Make home for you.

I willprepare for you, So you don't feel that you Cant live with They stay with me.

Yeah.

Hey, man What yall want to do?

Okay?

*Laughing * Yeah.

Oh, man.

We have some new people come in the shop, man looking like Jesus Barefoot Sure no shoes, no service.

Yeah, Yeah, we are here.

Hey, last year was.

Are you hard to get marked up?

No.

Remember we had.

What was it?

A matter.

Of word?

(Music) (Music) I'll take a combo too, but I really need a Diet Coke.

Oh, you know what?

I'll take a coke please.

Please.

Ah.

Perfect.

And mild sauce for me too.

There you go.

Thanks.

My mild?

Yes.

Hi.

May I have the black bean burrito please?

Sure.

Thank you.

Have a nice day.

You too.

You know how Alison speaking.

Hi Miss day.

Mark.

I'm so sad to hear about parents.

He's ready if he'd like to come by Now.

The barbershop kind of packed right now, so I was thinking maybe about 7, 7:30.

That'll work.

I'll see you tonight.

Thank you.

And it's not just the parents we have to think about.

We lost a generation.

We lost a generation with the crack epidemic.

And because we lost that generation, we got kids who didn't have parents raising their kids on.

Top of their parents.

And look at.

The death rates.

Look at all of this.

We had the most.

Murders in 2020 during the pandemic when nobody was in school.

Right now, we aren't the kids are starting to get back into school, but we're on track to that 60 number, which is a record here in Toledo where you got 36 today.

A lot of times they say we don't have a funding, we got funding, but everything goes, everything goes.

They won't.

But we got you know, they find.

Fund or recovered from the stock market.

Now, Mark, You alright?

Ready for you.

Its got to stop man.

Real enough becomes enough.

Kids, man.

But kids love kids.

Not here anymore, you know.

But the thing is, is not just it's not just kids, you know, it's adults.

You know, we have to look at what.

We're doing.

Or not doing, what we should be saying and not saying.

Yeah.

I think the biggest thing that I'm saying is that individuals that perpetrate acts of violence are younger.

When I was growing up, those more 17, 18 and older now is 15, 14, 13 and younger.

There's just a disconnect.

But we you know, we want to find solutions to a problem that is systemic.

Like this didn't happen overnight in our communities, been marginalized for for so long and those that are marginalized are at the highest risk.

So when you don't have a voice and you don't feel like you have an outlet or you don't feel like you have a choice and you can't identify resources you left to your devices.

Is difficult because, I mean, as an older guy, I grew up with a lot of love.

I grew up with a lot of love in the neighborhood.

I grew up with a lot of love in the community.

Exactly.

In the city.

That's just what it was.

You know, my mom and dad are still married.

They're both 87 years old.

So I grew up with a ton of love.

And it's just unfortunate that you could see a kid nowadays and he's quick to say or he's fending for himself or herself buying toothpaste at the age of nine or stealing i And I never had to live like that.

And it's so multifaceted.

It's not just gangs.

It's not just drug related.

You've got suicide, you've got accidental shootings, you have domestic violence shootings.

And so the the answers and solutions have to be just as comprehensive as the problem.

We got to bring the mud back to the mud.

put the glass and the mud together.

We got I don't know, we got.

But we can do better.

Yeah, I know Toledo, we one at one point in time.

We as a best city live in.

We can bring it back to this city.

I know we can.

I will move for you.

I will prepare for you.

So you don't feel that you.

Cant live please live with me.

Sure you dont want me to ride with you bro.

I will make room for you I will Prepare for 2.

So you don't feel that you can't in, please live i I will make room for you.

I will prepare for 2. so you don't feel that you cant live here Please live in me.

For more information about storytelling, visit publicworkscollaborative.org This program is made possible in part by the generous support of Toledo Public Works collaborative seeking community engagement through community storytelling with additional support from Madhouse providing a distinctly humane approach to creative solutions and thoughtful storytelling and by viewers like you.

Thank you.