(Warning, this story contains strong descriptions of violence and trauma. You may want to keep young children away until the story ends.)
Zae: I was probably about like nine or ten. I was downstairs on the couch watching TV, and all of a sudden there was like a whole bunch of banging on the front door. So I ran upstairs and told my mom. She came down the stairs, open the door, and my uncle just collapsed into the front room with blood everywhere because he had been shot. I remember each detail. I remember everything as if it happened yesterday, like, it's weird. My name is Zae. I am 16 years old. I'm a junior at the School of Innovation in Springfield, Ohio. I'm going to be doing an interview with Dion Greene about gun violence. What happened to you on August 4th, 2019?
Dion Green: August 4th, 2019 was a day that changed my life forever. Me, my fiancée, my father and my sister and her husband. We went to the Oregon district while we was at the club, we was having a good time. We decided to leave and as we exit the building a white male comes walking down the side of the building. He had a full body armor suit on. He has a AR-15 style rifle when he was ready to come and kill any and everybody that was on the street that night. He started firing. He killed nine people. One of them was my father, Derrick Fudge, that was shot five times. His sister was killed in front of me, along with 22 other people injured in a matter of 32 seconds. It was the biggest mass shooting that happened here in Ohio, and so I don't know how the bullets did not hit me.
Zae: Of all the subjects I could have done for Youth Radio, why I did this one? Because I've been impacted so heavily not only by my uncle, but I've also lost friends due to gun violence. So it's sad. How did you deal with the violence you witnessed in the grief you had to go through?
Dion: For me not to die that night. I carry his voice, but also all the other voices that was taken. So I speak for them, you know, and I stand for doing.
Zae: You created the Fudge Foundation. So what is the Fudge Foundation?
Dion: My foundation helps survivors with mental health advocate on a local, state and national platform. You know, stand against these ammunition companies, against these gun manufacturers and push for background checks for the mental health, helping survivors navigate through their journey. Because nobody should have to lose someone like that, but then also have to worry about how to bury them.
Zae: That you need to pay to bury them? Like, that's just mind boggling to me.
Dion: I wanna know a little bit more about you. How do you deal with your drama?
Zae: I wouldn't say it's easy for me. It's hard to deal with. But once you do get to the situation where you're talking, it feels so much better instead of holding it in.
Dion: And that can be hard, but it's powerful at the same time because people need to see the pain, you know, and if you can, and if you are able to share it, you know, let it out. There's nothing wrong with crying because we're hurt you. And sometimes that pain can create change.
Zae: Why do you think so many people are protective to the right of carrying a gun in America?
Dion: The whole constitution can be burned down and rewritten to me. You know, I don't feel the need that people need 100 rounds of ammo if you're not in the military. It's not my opinion, I live through it. Here in America, we value guns over life. Just get engaged, get involved whether it has voting, being on the board of education, whatever that is. Get involved. Be be be a part of the solution instead of the voice. Be a part of it.
Zae: I actually did learn and grow and learn something from today's story. Once I heard about the Ford Foundation in which you're doing, it has like occurred to me to like, try to help Springfield. And I feel like we can orchestrate the laws a lot better than what they are as well.
Dion: There's a better way than just taking a life, you know, I just want to see the best because y'all are our future leaders.
Zae: But we're going to be wrapping up today's interview. I am Zae with Dayton Youth Radio.
Dion: Dion Green from the Fudge Foundation.
Zae: And we would like to say for y'all to have a blessed day.
Zae Victoria is a student at the School of Innovation in Springfield. Special thanks to Beth Dixon at Wellspringfield.org. Learn more about Dion Green's work to support individuals healing from trauma and grief at www.FudgeFoundation.org. Dayton Youth Radio is supported by the Virginia W. Kettering Foundation and the Ohio Arts Council.