Do the Write Thing: Students Share Powerful Experiences with Youth Violence

Congratulations to the many Charlotte-Mecklenburg middle school students who took part and were recognized in Mecklenburg County’s annual “Do the Write Thing” (DTWT) writing contest. A student from Northeast Middle School was selected as Mecklenburg County’s National Ambassador.

Haven Williams, a 7th grader at Northeast Middle, is invited to represent her peers during the National Campaign to Stop Violence Recognition Week in Washington, D.C. this summer. Her teacher, Northeast Middle School educator Mai-Lan Lewis, was also recognized and is invited to take part. The local recognition ceremony was held May 5 at the Charlotte Police and Fire Training Academy.

An initiative of the National Campaign to Stop Violence, Do the Write Thing is a writing program for middle school students that engages students to think about how youth violence has affected their lives and to consider what they can do about it. As the National Ambassador of Mecklenburg County, Haven, her parent or guardian, and Ms. Lewis are invited to Washington for an all-expenses-paid trip in July. Haven will see her work placed in the Library of Congress, visit national landmarks, learn more about the nation’s capital, and attend the national Do the Write Thing recognition dinner.

Do the Write Thing is a partnership between Mecklenburg County Community Support Services’ Prevention and Intervention Services division and the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department. The program is targeted to middle school students because they are old enough to have experience that is shaping their lives, yet not too old to be stuck in detrimental patterns. At a very vulnerable age, just when they are becoming teens, Mecklenburg County hopes to connect with them, advancing a commitment to valuing their words.  

Haven wrote of the pain and the impact of domestic and youth violence on her life and how it has changed how she views people around her.

Bullying is a big reason why some students resort to gun violence or even suicide. Social media and cyberbullying may cause teens to compare themselves to other people, thinking “I want to look like them” and that can cause insecurities. On top of the bullying, it can lead to suicide or even cause a school shooting. Some people might want to “get revenge” on the peers that bully them or torment them.  

Students from 14 Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools submitted 587 essays this year. For the writing challenge, students may use any form of written expression, such as essays, poems, plays, or songs, with most entries approximately 500 to 1,000 words in length. The most common types of violence addressed by the students this year included domestic violence, bullying and cyberbullying, physical assaults, alcoholism, exposure to violent media content, and more. Northeast Middle School won the “Most Essays” award with 159 submissions and will receive $300 worth of school supplies.

For many students, it is the first time that they have expressed themselves about how violence affects them. Writing becomes a cathartic and therapeutic experience. They take a very personal and sometimes painful experience, put it on paper, and move forward. No one likes to be marginalized. These young students have experiences, thoughts, and insights that they want to share.  

Mecklenburg County’s partners in the Do the Write Thing contest include Communities in Schools, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department, and Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools.  

View the photo gallery from the Do the Write Thing recognition ceremony.