Dean Dexter Voisin talks to PBS Chicago about his new book: America the Beautiful and Violent

In his new book America the Beautiful and Violent: Black Youth & Neighbourhood Trauma in Chicago, Dean Dexter Voisin pulls back the curtain on American social policies that have contributed to violence in American cities. He also explores policy solutions and community-based measures that could address the problem. In doing so, he highlights the voices of youth and their families directly affected by violence in their neighbourhoods.

Chicago, he argues, provide a case study for other communities across the globe.

He spoke to PBS about the impact that a lack of social investment, under-resourced schools, high prison rates, and unemployment, among other structural issues, have on communities.

“The story of some neighborhoods is often coming from law enforcement,” Voisin told PBS. “The voices of the kids and how they were dealing with violence were not being told.”

> Click here to watch the full interview

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