Youth Ambassadors Joshua Wheeldon and Melodie Slaughter Champion Peace on The Pop-Up!
In a recent episode of The Pop-Up, the raw and urgent perspectives of two young leaders dedicated to ending gun violence filled the Black Media Matters Studio. Joshua Wheeldon and Melodie Slaughter joined host The Big O to share their experiences as Youth Ambassadors for the King County Regional Office of Gun Violence Prevention.
A Program Built on Lived Experience
Both Wheeldon and Slaughter are part of a four-month program where they study the root causes of gun violence and develop legislative priorities to present to community leaders. For 19-year-old Wheeldon, the mission is deeply personal. He survived being shot in January 2025, an experience he described as a "reality check" that forced him to shift toward a path of peace and positivity.
"It saved me out of the gutter that I was in," he said, noting that the program helped him channel thoughts of revenge into community advocacy.
Slaughter, 20, joined the program after witnessing her generation being heavily impacted by violence. She recounted the painful loss of a close cousin who was killed at a party the previous year. Her motivation was simple: "I want to see a better future for us.”
The Power of Youth Voices
The duo emphasized that traditional top-down communication from adults often fails because it doesn't account for the modern layers of trauma youth face. Slaughter noted that peers are more likely to listen to one another when discussing change.
Wheeldon added that involving youth in this work gives them something to wake up to, serving as an alternative to the streets. He argued that addressing the root causes of violence is essential to creating a safer future.
Calls to Action: Kindness and Accountability
When asked for their calls to action for the community, the ambassadors offered both systemic and individual solutions:
Individual Impact: Slaughter urged community members to "be the change that you want to see" and to practice simple kindness, such as acknowledging others with a smile or a greeting.
Consistency: Wheeldon suggested that large-scale change starts with small habits, referencing the book Make Your Bed as an example of how personal discipline translates to life.
Community Support: Both emphasized that ending gun violence requires a collective effort to support those in need, ensuring that no one is left behind to face the circumstances that lead to violence.
The Big O praised the pair for their leadership, calling them "phenomenal" representatives of their program. As Wheeldon put it, the goal is simple: "Come together as brothers and sisters... and stand together.”
Learn more about the King County Regional Office of Gun Violence Prevention here.
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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