Our guest for this episode is Dr. Talib Hudson, the Project Director for a new think tank called “The New Hood.” The think tank is Talib’s brainchild. For years he envisioned a think tank that focuses specifically on developing policies around violence reduction for the “hood.” And by the “hood” he means those metropolitan Black communities who are subjected to policies but rarely at the table when policy if being made. Although we’ve talked about HIV/AIDS policy in the past, we have not specifically looked at the issue of violence. Talib shares his ideas about Creating Policy for the Hood.
Why do we need violence prevention programs?
In the interview Talib talks about when he was a child, he noticed his neighborhood did not look the same as the neighborhood surrounding his school. He wondered why neighborhoods could look so different. Of course, after paying attention to this issue as he progressed into adulthood, he realized those differences were not accidental. But, rather came about through the states” intentional disinvestment in Black communities. Talib worked with community based organizations that worked on reducing violence. Street Corner Resources is one such program. Another that he mentioned was the Community Justice Action Fund which works to develop policy around gun violence.
Bringing the community to the table
In order to participate in developing policy community members need to know how policy is formulated. The New Hood helps communities learn to research and analyze policy. And equally as important, it helps them think about what policies are needed for the future they want to see for themselves. Thinking about the future is the hard part. So many of us are just concerned with day to day survival, we don’t always make the space to think beyond today’s needs. Talib is confident our communities are capable of Creating Policy For Our Hood if they get the tools to do it. We’ll close with his motto: “A new hood is possible with the space to dream it and the tools to achieve it.”
04/26/25