A new book called "You Got To Be of the People: Peacekeepers at the Heart of Public Safety in Louisville" is bringing together the first-person stories of twelve Louisvillians working to interrupt cycles of violence in their own communities.
The project is a collaboration between the Louisville Story Program and Cities United and features people with deep personal ties to the work of violence prevention sharing what it really takes to keep communities safe.
LPM's Ayisha Jaffer spoke with Anthony Smith, Executive Director of Cities United about the project.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Ayisha Jaffer: What was the inspiration for this project, and how did the idea take shape into a book?
Anthony Smith: Yeah, so this came about a while ago. I was working in the mayor's office, running the Office for Safe and Healthy Neighborhoods, and working with a bunch of folks who do peacemaking in our community. They are the ones people don't see. People don't know that they're there, people who are saving lives everyday.
And then [Bud] Dorsey and his team over at the Louisville Story Program put out the Shawnee book ["Our Shawnee"]. And that Shawnee book was telling stories of young people in Shawnee and their lives. And it was just, how do we get that story out? So I started having conversations with Dorsey and his team, and then we finally came together I think at the end of 2023 and just said, what would it look like to start putting this together?
So we just found good energy and good synergy. And I think it's good storytelling, and not only good storytelling, but helping people really see that there's new ways to do public safety, not only in Louisville, but across this country.
AJ: You talk about the peacekeepers. So who are the peacekeepers and what kinds of work are they doing in Louisville right now?
AS: Yeah, so peacekeepers are men and women who wake up everyday trying to make sure that those who are most at risk, who have been impacted by community violence, gun violence, get home safely.
So these men and women are men and women who have strong relationships in communities, who know deescalation, know how to defuse situations, know mitigation, and really just have strong relationships. They're credible messengers. They're folks who people trust. They have relationships all throughout the community, not just in neighborhoods, but through systems, and are able to move and navigate in ways that a lot of us can’t.
AJ: What do you hope people will take away from this book, both here in Louisville and in other cities facing similar challenges?
AS: The hope is that people understand and recognize these men and women, celebrate these men and women and see them as part of the public safety ecosystem. These are first responders. They show up at scenes, they show up at hospitals, they show up at houses, and they're helping the community heal.
So hopefully for us is that with this project, that people actually get to see Dr. Woods, see Mr. Norman, see Miss Kim, see Miss Debra as who they are, and understand how to then better support them. But then also understand that we do have a broader ecosystem when it comes to public safety, and it's not just police, it's just not fire, it's just not EMS. It’s a lot of other people who keep communities safe, and they need the same recognition, support and love that we give to other first responders.
AJ: And just out of curiosity, why did you choose the form of a book to tell this story?
AJ: It's just one of those things that will live on for a long time—we hope forever. And folks will be able to pick this up and see themselves, but then also, young folks are able to be inspired to be a part of it and see that this is a career pathway that I can take to help make my community safe, healthy and hopeful.
AJ: Where are you guys at in the project?
AS: The 12 writers have finished up their projects. I'm working on the introduction. We have a Kickstarter campaign out right now that folks can go out and support. We're trying to raise $15,000 to make sure that the book gets finalized and completed.
The book will be released October the 23rd at an event here in Louisville, but we're also going to have it at Cities United Annual Convening that we're also hosting here in Louisville, October the 29th through the 31st. Folks can go on Cities United website and check that out. So we're coming to a place where the book is coming together and will be released and be in people's hands by October.
