LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — Anti-violence advocates are mobilizing community members to wear orange and show up at this weekend's 36th Annual Roots & Heritage Festival in Lexington to help prevent youth conflicts and build positive relationships.
Devine Carama, director of ONE Lexington, is asking for 100 men and women to join the effort Saturday night between 9 p.m. and midnight on Elm Tree Lane, where many young people are expected to gather.
"Let's engage these young people at roots. Let's be the village we always talk about," Carama said.
The initiative focuses on wearing orange — the color of peace and serenity — to create a visible community presence.
Carama said large gatherings like the festival can sometimes become venues where young people with existing disputes choose to confront each other. However, he believes positive adult engagement can make a significant difference.
"You would be surprised at how many young people are yearning for that positive interaction with adults, and so that's all we want to provide," Carama said. "We're not out there to police them, we're not out there to give them a hard time. We're out there building relationships, and we want the rest of the community to be there too, because you don't know how fruitful those relationships will be."
The effort is completely informal, requiring no training or advance registration. Community members can participate for as little as 30 minutes and are encouraged to simply show up in orange shirts and engage with young people they encounter.
While police and sheriff departments will handle patrol and enforcement duties, Carama sees the community presence as complementary support that can help avoid potential conflicts while strengthening connections between adults and young people.
In a Facebook post promoting the initiative, Carama emphasized this represents the type of grassroots community action that can make a real difference in youth engagement and conflict prevention.
According to data from ONE Lexington, the city has seen a 60% reduction in gun violence and 55% reduction in gun homicide over the past three years. Last year, the city saw the lowest number of African American and overall shooting victims in Lexington in over a decade. Read the agency's latest report here.
For those interested in ongoing involvement with ONE Lexington, Community Outreach Coordinator Larry Lamont Johnson can be reached at LJohnson@lexingtonky.gov.
