Eddie Purpose Highlights Community Empowerment and Greatness on The Pop-Up!
In a recent appearance on The Pop-Up, Eddie Purpose, the founder and executive director of Progress Pushers, shared a vision for community-led violence intervention and the importance of recognizing the "greatness" within every young person. Purpose joined host The Big O during "Together We End Gun Violence Week" to discuss the front-line work being done across King County.
Empowering Youth to "Save Themselves"
Founded in 2018, Progress Pushers is a nonprofit dedicated to guiding, educating, and empowering Black and Brown youth and young adults. Purpose emphasized that his organization’s role isn't necessarily to "save" people, but to provide the necessary tools for self-determination.
"We are in schools, we're in juvenile institutions, and of course, we're in communities—not saving young people, but giving them tools so they can in return save themselves," Purpose said. The organization serves individuals ages 12 to 24 in Federal Way, Burien, White Center, and West Seattle, connecting them with mentors and opportunities for housing, employment, and education.
Gun Safety and the "Front Lines"
A core part of Progress Pushers' current mission is gun safety. Purpose discussed recent events where his team distributed 100 to 150 gun lockboxes to community members. These giveaways are driven by a need to prevent accidental deaths and suicides.
"When we talk about gun safety, being able to secure your arms is very important," Purpose said, noting that his team held events in White Center and Federal Way to preach and teach safety to the community. He noted that Progress Pushers works with individuals on "both ends of the spectrum," supporting those who have been perpetrators as well as victims of violence.
Collective Action and the "Healthy Village"
When asked about the importance of collective action, Purpose invoked a traditional proverb with a modern twist. "There's an old statement that says it takes a community to raise a child, but then somebody else told me, 'No, it takes a healthy community to raise a child,'" Purpose said.
He stressed that ending gun violence requires everyone from community organizations, public health systems, and schools to work together toward a singular goal. "The question is: what are we doing collectively, individually, in order to address this problem?" Purpose asked. "Because you're either part of the solution or you are the problem.”
Learn more about Progress Pushers at progresspushers.org
Tune in to The Pop-Up! weeknights at 9 p.m. on the Converge Media YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/@ConvergeMedia.
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