Youth in Raleigh are the promise not the problem. On July 4, 2026, as part of the nationwide “teen takeover,” young people (under the age of eighteen) gathered at night and into the early morning on Glenwood Avenue. Unfortunately, in Raleigh, several people were shot and there were a number of injuries. A few days after the “takeover,” the city council dedicated a large portion of its meeting to understanding the problem and seeking solutions. As part of the discussion, the police chief did most of the talking and proposed that the city council adopt a curfew to prevent another “takeover.” A curfew, however, does not address the problem, it overlooks it and is a narrow response to a complex issue. A curfew, as we have seen in the past, will lead to the further criminalization of Black and Brown youth in Raleigh. More than anything, it has no legitimacy and ignores the real problem.
We need a holistic, factual, and thorough response to the events of July 4 in Raleigh. While the police chief stood before council and asked for a curfew, the information he offered did not support such an action. According to the police chief, all of the arrests made that day were young people over 18 and those they arrested were not from Raleigh. In other words, those that will experience the consequences of a curfew, were not the problem on July 4. If this is the case, why would a curfew occur in Raleigh? Young people in our city are being punished for something they did not do. Solutions to our problems have to be rooted in context. “Teen takeovers” were not calls from young people to be violent, it was a call for young people to get together and socialize. In our view, teen takeovers were a cry for support, help, for investment, for social programs. Our young people need more than what Raleigh and our (world) is offering. A curfew is punishing our youth for a world that is failing them and that they did not create.
No Curfew? So what’s the solution?
There is no easy solution to what took place on July 4. There are multiple steps that need to be taken. First, we believe that young people and parents have to be at the center of any conversation. Oftentimes, young people are talked about and not talked with— young people have ideas, needs, and wants, we have to listen. Clearly, a need is not being met. Second, we need more than feedback or listening sessions for young people and parents. That is, we must go from our obsession with just listening sessions and move toward initiatives that allow for involvement from students and parents in the implementation process. Young people and parents need to be key actors in making decisions about their own safety and future. Third, we are in an economic crisis and we need jobs for our youth and parents. It’s hard to take care of your child if you are forced to work 2-3 jobs and the cost of living is going up but not our wages. Fourth, we need investment in our young people that is relevant to our current circumstances. The world is changing so how we do things has to change too. Fifth and final, is that guns have been made too accessible to young people both culturally and physically. We live in a culture that normalizes guns with easy access and very little regulation.
The issues we are dealing with are local, statewide, and national. Investing in our young people are the solution, not a curfew.
Written By,
Ajamu Dillahunt Jr., erin dale mcclellan, and Letha Muhammad
