‘I promise to be a bridge’ Lexington taps Devine Carama for violence prevention job
Lexington has hired a familiar face as its new violence prevention coordinator.
Devine Carama has been hired as the new director of ONE Lexington, the city’s main violence prevention program geared toward teens and young adults.
Carama is a Lexington native, hip-hop artist and activist whose work centers on youth.
“His outreach takes many forms,” said Lexington Mayor Linda Gorton at a press conference on Wednesday. “He encourages collaboration and improvement within under-served areas of our community.”
Carama replaces Laura Hatfield, the former director of ONE Lexington, who took a position with the city’s parks and recreation department in April.
ONE Lexington was created in 2017 to help coordinate and elevate violence prevention programs in Lexington, particularly among youth.
Homicides and non-fatal shootings are up across the country and Kentucky.
According to Lexington Police Department statistics, there have been 39 non-fatal shootings from Jan. 1 to May 15. There have been 16 homicides so far this year. Many of the people involved in those shootings and homicides have been in their teens or early 20s.
“We have the community resources to help,” Gorton said. “Devine is going to help us do that. We need to work together to help these young people.”
“I am ready to work,” Carama said.
Carama said he struggled in his younger years as a young father of two kids. He met David Cozart, the executive director of the Fayette County Fatherhood Initiative, who helped change his life.
“Intersection, community has changed my life,” Carama said.
Carama said he will spend the first few weeks in his job making connections with the various government and nonprofit groups that are already working on various violence prevention initiatives.
“I may not get everything right,” Carama said. “I promise to be a bridge.”
Carama said he will continue with his hip-hop career and work for ONE Lexington.
This story was originally published May 19, 2021 at 12:59 PM.
