On January 4, 2013, Raphael Sadonte Ward, a bright-eyed 16 year-old son, brother, friend, and promising athlete became a victim of gun-violence at the hands of another teenager, who more than likely lacked positive influences and exposure to diversity. In honor of Sadonte's life, we have come together to build The Sadonte Foundation - committed to:
S - Stopping
A - Assault
D - and Destruction
O - in Our
N - Neighborhoods
T - Today
E - and Everyday
The sad truth is that homicide victims and offenders have gotten younger. Teen violence/homicide is the second leading cause of death among teenagers. According to statistics obtained from the NYPD Crime and Enforcement Activity (2012), murder and non-negligent manslaughter victims are most frequently African-American (64.1%) or Hispanic (25.0%). Not surprisingly, the race/ethnicity of known murder and non-negligent manslaughter suspects mirrors the victim population with Black (55.1%) and Hispanic (30.8%) accounting for the majority of percentage. In the midst of tragedy and sorrow, Sadonte remains the music in our souls and we are determined to ensure that his legacy lasts as more than a tragic statistic while we positively impact one young person at a time - ultimately ending violence amongst our leaders of tomorrow.
