How Community Violence Intervention (CVI) and Data Save Lives: Dr. Shani Buggs

Written By Jonathan McMillan

Dr. Shani Buggs on Community Violence Intervention (CVI) and the Public Health Approach to Gun Violence Prevention

Dr. Shani Buggs is a leading researcher in community violence intervention (CVI) and a vital advocate for a public health approach to gun violence prevention. In this episode, she joins host Jonathan McMillan to discuss why she left a corporate career to live in Baltimore and study why some lives are treated as tragedies while others are mere statistics.

What you’ll learn in this masterclass on community safety:

  • The Federal Fight for CVI Funding: How Dr. Buggs and a coalition of leaders advocated for billions in federal funding from the White House.

  • Data-Driven Violence Prevention: Why using science to elevate the voices of street outreach workers is the key to effective policy.

  • Restoring Hope as a Safety Strategy: The direct link between a lack of opportunity and "reckless" behavior in marginalized communities.

  • Next-Gen Leadership: Why "leadership is like milk" and how the Black and Brown Collective is training the next generation of scholars.

  • Overcoming Imposter Syndrome: Navigating conventional academic spaces while maintaining an authentic connection to the front lines.

  • The Power of Proximity: Shani shares her journey from corporate Atlanta to the front lines of Baltimore, explaining why true leadership requires getting "proximate" to the pain and the people most impacted by policy

  • Investing in Hope, Not Just Programs: A deep dive into why "recklessness" is often the byproduct of hopelessness, and why the most effective public safety strategy is investing in a tangible future for young Black men and boys.

Resource Links:

  • The Black and Brown Collective for Community Solutions to Gun Violence: A multidisciplinary network that centers equity and community-led research to address firearm violence.

  • The HAVI (Health Alliance for Violence Intervention): A national organization supporting hospital-based violence intervention programs (HVIPs).

  • REDI Chicago (Rapid Employment and Development Initiative): A large-scale initiative providing subsidized jobs and cognitive-behavioral programming to those at highest risk of gun violence.

  • Cure Violence Global: An organization that treats violence as a health epidemic and utilizes "violence interrupters" to stop its spread.

  • Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Solutions: A leading academic center that conducts scientific research to identify and advocate for gun violence prevention policies.

  • UC Davis Centers for Violence Prevention: An interdisciplinary research hub focused on the causes and prevention of violence.

  • Direct Contact Information

Jonathan McMillan https://www.jonathanmcmillan.com
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