>> AS SOMEONE WHO CARED DEEPLY,
I FELT A GLIMMER OF HOPE LAST
YEAR WHEN I INTERVIEWED LITTLE
GREG.
A YOUNG MAN I OFFERED TO GET A
JOB, HE WOULD GET OUT OF THE
LIFE OF CRIME, VIOLENCE, DRUGS
GANG BANGING, HE ACCEPTED.
>> IF SOMEBODY GAVE YOU A JOB,
WOULD YOU GET OUT OF THE LIFE?
I HAVE JOBS AND OPPORTUNITIES
AND RESOURCES.
IF YOU GET A JOB, YOU WOULD GET
OUT OF THE LIFE AND NO LONGER BE
INVOLVE IN THE GANGS?
100%.
LIVE NATIONAL TELEVISION.
YOU SAID YOU'LL GET OUT OF THE
GANG IF YOU HAVE THAT
OPPORTUNITY?
>> I WOULD.
>> WE'RE GOING TO MAKE IT
HAPPEN.
>> I STAYED IN TOUCH WITH HIM
VIA CALLS AND TEXT MESSAGES.
THEN I COULDN'T REACH HIM
ANYMORE.
THEN I FOUND OUT VIA MEDIA
REPORTING THAT LITTLE GREG WAS
GUNNED DOWN RIGHT HERE BEHIND
ME.
TWO MEN WALKED UP AND SHOT HIM
IN COLD BLOOD AT 4:30 IN THE
AFTERNOON.
LITTLE GREG IS LOST BUT HE'S
NEVER FORGOTTEN.
>> Laura: THAT WAS FOX
CONTRIBUTOR AND CHICAGO NATIVE
GIANO CALDWELL BRINGING A TRAGIC
UPDATE ON A YOUNG MAN WE
FEATURED AS YOU CAN SEE ON LAST
YEAR'S TOWN HALL.
ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF HOW HARD IT
CAN BE TO ESCAPE THE CYCLE OF
VIOLENCE ONCE YOU'RE IN IT HERE
IN CHICAGO.
WITHOUT STRONG MALE LEADERSHIP
THAT'S SO CRITICAL IN THEIR
LIVES, YOUNG MEN IN THE INNER
CITY ARE INCREASINGLY
SUSCEPTIBLE TO BEING PULLED INTO
THE GANG LIFE.
ONE MAN HERE WITH US TONIGHT HAS
MADE IT HIS MISSION TO HELP
YOUNG PEOPLE CREATE A BETTER
FUTURE FOR THEMSELVES.
HERE NOW WITH ME IS DR. DEVIN
HORTON, FORMER PRINCIPAL OF
PHILLIPS ACADEMY HIGH SCHOOL.
AND JOINING HIM ARE TWO SUCCESS
STORIES, BRANDON LANGE, A
PHILLIPS ACADEMY GRADUATE WHO
HAS GANG MEMBERS IN HIS FAMILY
AND A FORMER MEN TEE OF DR.
HORTON AND A VICTIM HIMSELF OF
GUN VIOLENCE.
YOU SAW THAT YOUNG MAN ALMOST
PLEADING FOR AN OPPORTUNITY TO
LEAVE THE GANG LIFE.
AND ONE YEAR LATER, HE'S DEAD.
HOW DO WE SOLVE THIS?
>> IT'S A -- IT'S A MULTIPLE
LAYER APPROACH THAT WE HAVE
TO -- IN ORDER TO REACH THESE
YOUNG MEN.
AND I'M -- I'M GOING TO SPEAK
REALLY FROM AN EDUCATIONAL LENS.
AND I REALLY FAIL IN THAT,
WORKING HERE IN CHICAGO FOR 14
YEARS, LEAVING SIX YEARS AGO,
THERE WAS A -- THERE WAS A -- WE
HAVE TO -- WE HAVE TO GIVE THE
STUDENTS A SENSE OF HOPE.
AND IT'S NOT ABOUT READING AND
MATH AS MUCH AS IT'S ABOUT
GIVING THEM HOW TO SURVIVE IN
LIFE IN GENERAL.
SO SOMETHING THAT WE CURRENTLY
DO AS CHIEF OF SCHOOLS IN
LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY, WE
ACTUALLY HAVE CAREER EDUCATION
PROGRAMS WHERE, WE HAVE THEM
HERE.
BUT WHAT'S UNIQUE ABOUT WHAT'S
HAPPENING THERE, STUDENTS ARE
GETTING TRAINED AND FOR UPS WORK
FOR GENERAL ELECTRIC WORK.
AND THEY HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO
GET THE CERTIFICATIONS REQUIRED
TO GET ON TO THE FIELD WHEN THEY
HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY.
>> THESE ARE LIFE SKILLS.
THESE ARE SKILLS TO GET OUT AND
WORK.
>> WORK.
>> WORK, GET A JOB.
WHERE YOU CAN MAKE -- A FRIEND
OF MINE IS A FEDEX DRIVER, MAKES
A LOT OF MUST BE, BEEN THERE FOR
TEN YEARS.
BIG MONEY.
>> ABSOLUTELY.
>> Laura: BE THERE ON TIME, SHOW
UP, TUCK YOUR SHIRT IN.
LOOK AT SOMEONE.
THESE ARE COMMON SENSE.
NOT TO EVERYONE.
WE ALL HAVE TO LEARN THEM.
>> AND YES, I THINK FROM THE
EDUCATION SIDE, WE UNDERSTAND --
WE TOUCH THESE STUDENTS EVERY
DAY.
SO MORE THAN THE POLICE, MORE
THAN ANY OTHER COMMUNITY
ORGANIZATION, WE HAVE THEM IN
OUR BUILDINGS.
AND WE HAVE TO FIND A WAY TO
COLLECTIVELY WRAP OUR HANDS
AROUND ADDS A GROUP AND AS A
TEAM TO SUPPORT THEM.
>> Laura: HOPE AND KNOWING
SOMEONE CARES ABOUT WHAT HAPPENS
TO YOU IN THE NEXT 24 HOURS.
WE WANT YOU BACK IN SCHOOL THE
NEXT DAY.
IN 2016, YOU WERE SHOT 13 TIMES
OUTSIDE OF A HOSPITAL.
IT WAS A RANDOM ATTACK.
YOU SAY THIS MOMENT COMPLETELY
CHANGED YOUR OUTLOOK ON LIFE.
OBVIOUSLY, YOU'RE IN A
WHEELCHAIR AS A RESULT OF THIS.
WHAT IS YOUR MESSAGE TO YOUNG
KIDS TOYING WITH THE IDEA OF
JOINING GANG?
>> IT AIN'T -- IT AIN'T FUN.
IT AIN'T AS FUN AS IT'S CRACKED
UP TO BE OR YOU THINK IT IS.
IT DON'T GET YOU FAR.
YOU EITHER GOING TO GET --
SOMETHING GOING TO HAPPEN TO YOU
OR YOU'RE GOING TO BE LOCKED UP.
THAT'S ABOUT IT.
SO JUST -- JUST TRY TO KEEP
THEIR HEAD UP, KEEP THEIR TRUST
IN THEMSELVES.
DON'T TRUST ANYBODY ELSE.
DON'T BELIEVE WHAT OTHER PEOPLE
SAY.
BELIEVE WHAT YOU SEE AND WHAT
YOU KNOW.
THAT'S WHAT I TELL THEM.
>> Laura: BRANDON, MEMBERS OF
YOUR FAMILY HAVE THEMSELVES
GOTTEN COMPLETELY SUCKED INTO
THE GANG LIFE.
YOU AVOIDED IT.
THERE'S A CYCLE IN FAMILIES,
THERE'S A CYCLE IN A LOT OF
THINGS, ALCOHOLISM TOUCHES ALL
FAMILIES, DRUG ABUSE, IT'S PART
OF THIS PROBLEM WE'LL GET INTO.
YOU MANAGED TO PULL YOURSELF OUT
OF THAT.
YOU HAD A MENTOR.
SEDRICK, YOU ALSO ENDED UP
HAVING A MENTOR.
AND DR. HORTON, HOW DID YOU DO
IT?
>> SO, JUST LIKE YOU SAID,
MENTOR, DR. HORTON AND I HAVE
OTHER MENTORS, JOHN AND CORY.
JUST THOSE GUYS REALLY BELIEVING
IN ME.
I SAID GIVING GUYS HOPE.
HE WAS A PRINCIPAL, BUT HE WAS A
FATHER FIGURE, A BROTHER, A
FRIEND.
HE ACTUALLY CONTACTED ME EVERY
DAY WHEN I WAS IN -- I
GRADUATED, WHAT, TWO YEARS AGO.
MY MASTER'S DEGREE NOW.
STILL CONTACTS ME TO THIS DAY.
SO BASICALLY, YOU KNOW, NOT JUST
TALK, TAKING ACTION, ACTUALLY
HELP THESE KIDS AND NOT JUST
SAYING I BELIEVE IN YOU.
SHOW YOU BELIEVE IN THEM.
GIVE THEM SOMETHING TO BELIEVE
IN.
>> Laura: HOW IMPORTANT ARE MALE
ROLE MODELS, DR. HORTON,
ESPECIAL WILL I IN SITUATIONS
WHERE YOUNG MEN ARE IN
FATHERLESS HOMES.
MOMS ARE DOING THEIR BEST.
I'M A SINGLE MOTHER.
BUT I HAVE RESOURCES.
A LOT OF MOMS DON'T.
HOW HARD IS A FATHERLESS
SITUATION FOR ANY PERSON FROM
ANY BACKGROUND.
>> I WILL SAY THIS.
I WAS RAISED BY A SINGLE MOTHER.
IN THE ROBERT HILLS HOUSING
PROJECTS IN THE HOME.
AND THAT'S WHAT IT WAS CALLED.
BUT I WOULD SAY OFTENTIMES OUR
YOUNG MEN ARE OVERMOTHERED AND
UNDERFATHERED.
SO, BECAUSE OF OUR WORK, IT.
>>S SO IMPORTANT TO DRIVE -- I
TALK TO BRANDON ALL THE TIME AND
EVEN SEDRICK ABOUT HOW DO WE
GIVE BACK AND GET BACK TO THE
CLASSROOM AND BEING EDUCATORS.
SO THAT'S A DIRECT PIPELINE TO
THESE YOUNG MEN.
IT'S SO MANY YOUNG MEN I HAD
INTERACTIONS WITH OVER MY
20-YEAR CAREER.
IT'S IMPERATIVE, THERE'S CERTAIN
THINGS THAT MOMS WILL CALL ME
AND SAY, MR. HORTON, CAN YOU
TALK TO BRANDON ABOUT X, Y, Z,
OR WHATEVER IT MAY BE.
AND I CAN HAVE CERTAIN
CONVERSATIONS THAT MOTHERS --
THEY TRY, THEY DO A GREAT JOB,
BUT IT'S TOUGH
>> Laura: I HAVE THAT PROBLEM
WITH MY TWO BOYS.
AGAIN, I HAVE RESOURCES.
I'M ETERNALLY BLESSED.
BUT I HAVE TO BRING IN MALE ROLE
MODELS, FATHER FIGURES,
GODFATHERS.
SEDRICK, HOW IMPORTANT?
>> IT'S VERY IMPORTANT.
YOU GOT TO -- YOU GOT TO HAVE
THE RIGHT MAN TO KNOW WHAT TYPE
OF MAN YOU CAN BE.
IF YOU DON'T HAVE THAT ROLE
MODEL THEN THAT'S JUST GOING TO
BE ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT YOU
JUST GET LOST IN TRYING TO FIND
OUT YOURSELF, WHICH IS REAL HARD
WITHOUT A FATHER OR -- I DON'T
KNOW -- I DON'T KNOW THAT -- NO
OTHER WAY, WHICH OTHER WAY YOU
CAN BECOME A MAN WITHOUT
ACTUALLY SEEING IT.
>> Laura: BECOMING A MAN, WHAT
IT MEANS TO BECOME A MAN TODAY.