INDIANAPOLIS — Many voices have offered opinions on how to keep Indianapolis teenagers away from violence and gangs, but a 14-year-old decided to take the conversation into his own hands.
JP McMillian founded Young Minds Indianapolis, which he calls a "designated youth group to keep kids out of the streets."
"It's called Young Minds of Indianapolis, but YMI means something," McMillian said. "It's really, 'Why am I trying to stop the violence? Why am I in the streets?' It's YMI with a question mark."
McMillian recruited more teenagers into his group on Saturday. The teenagers talk about ways to keep themselves and their friends out of trouble both in-person and through a group chat.
He said he got the spark to start YMI after one of his friends died.
"I lost somebody and it was enough. I said, 'I've got to do something,'" McMillian said. "I have to. It's not a maybe, it's not a no. This is something I have to do."
McMillian said he is planning a YMI-branded rally for peace on Friday, Feb. 2 at an undetermined time and location.
He hopes the conversation between his classmates continues so that they can build a safe community together.
"I feel like everybody should be able to talk about what they want to talk about and not feel like somebody is mean mugging them," McMillian said. "Everybody should have an opinion, and everybody should have a voice."
If you are interested in joining YMI, send an e-mail to youngmindsindianapolis@gmail.com.
