So thank you Dean Parker. Good morning. It's always *** good day when the work we do at Miles College aligns so clearly with our mission to educate, uplift, and empower the communities we serve. Though our campus resides in Fairfield, our reach and our responsibility extend far beyond city lines. That's why it's not only appropriate but deeply meaningful that the city of Birmingham's safe summer series initiatives are being held right here on our campus. Our classrooms and campus grounds have long been places of transformation, and today they become places of prevention, protection, and possibility. At Miles College we have never seen ourselves as just *** college. We are *** launch pad for leaders, *** home for hope, and *** place where real transformation begins. It is truly our honor to open our campus to initiatives that pour into young people together with the city and our partners, we'll help we're helping to build bridges from potential to purpose and preparing the next generation of change makers to step into their calling. I want to thank personally Mayor Randall Whitson for his leadership and his unwavering investment in our youth. I also want to acknowledge Doctor Jamila T. Davis of the Institute of Research and Social Justice in Action and our own Doctor Gerald and AG, senior vice president of strategic Initiatives for their vision and collaboration in bringing this initiative to life. This work reflects the very soul of who we are at Miles. Education in our view isn't confined to lectures or labs. It's woven into lived experience, and it takes courage to shift the conversation from punishment to possibility, from problems to potential. That's exactly why we're what we're doing here today. And while I have the mic, allow me *** moment of presidential privilege to celebrate one of our own, Miles College alumnus, Raymond Cochran, on his appointment as interim deputy chief of patrol operations for the city of Birmingham Police Department. We're 2 for 2, so we're proud of that. We like to say that Miles produces leaders, but clearly we're also producing some of the finest protectors this city has to offer. I'm not surprised. That's what happens when purpose meets preparation. Thank you all for being here. Thank you for believing in the power of prevention of partnership, and most of all of people we're proud to open our gates to this work and even prouder to know that the seeds planted here will help shape *** safer and stronger Birmingham community. Thank you so much. And I, I think now I bring the mayor up, is that what I do? Mayor Randall Woodman, who's like my son. Thank you, Mayor. Madam President, thank you so much for who you are, uh, for your leadership steadfast leadership here at the at this amazing historically black college, Miles College. We're grateful uh that you allow us to be with you this morning as well as this collaborative partnership. Um, I also, I too want to start off by getting some acknowledgments and some thank yous, um, verses to my colleague Councilor Latonya Tate, uh, for her steadfast work in the space of, of social justice and public safety, uh, to Doctor Jamila Davis, Angelo Pinto, and the Institute of Research for Social Justice in Action. Of course I see our friends here who are in the streets, in the neighborhoods, on our city blocks, one hood, thank you for. Everything you do every single day as well as Uche Bean who leads the office of Community Safe safety initiatives listen everyone, city of Birmingham, as you know, we are continuing to take bold community centered actions to reduce violence in our communities in our city. Um, it is *** special emphasis this summer through this innovative program that will one empower youth but as well as adults as well as our grassroots leaders like here, um, one hood. I think it's clear to say that these efforts are part of the city's larger community violence intervention framework one, as Doctor Knight said, invest in people, prevention and partnerships to create lasting safety. *** couple of notes I want to make. One is that this collaborative approach and partnership between Miles College and the Institute of Research for Socialjection and action is *** prime example of what can happen when people come together. Birmingham is investing in education empowerment. It's not enough that we just arrest our way out of this and this these things that are happening in our community, but we have to focus on prevention as well. We also have to create economic opportunity, particularly for our young black men. And so I want to talk about 3 programs that are taking place right here this summer. One is Rise Up Birmingham. Which will be *** 5 week pay leadership and violence prevention program for 50 teens and youth participants will earn $12 an hour while gaining real world experiences in making our community safer. 2, it's titled Flipping the Game from hustle to Enterprise again flipping the game from hustle to enterprise. It is designed for adults ready to transition from informal hustles to sustainable legal businesses. This program offers mentorships, training, and *** $2000 in startup startup capital. Both of these programs will run from June 30th to August 1st. And you don't wanna talk about community practitioner and residents. This is *** transformative opportunity for adults, residents, and grassroots leaders to receive training and engage in our continued field work. Now this will build *** network of peace builders and equity advocates committed to citywide transformation. The word I wanna focus on is peace builders. Peace builders They're more needed now than never. But I also want to make this point. These are not just programs. This is *** pathway to purpose. You heard Bobby Knight, Doctor Knight, that is, President Bobby Knight say earlier about purpose. We're investing in people who have the power to transform. Their communities which are our communities. Each of these efforts is aligned with recommendations from the Birmingham Crime Commission, which called for an expansion of community violence intervention programs like the ones I've just mentioned and more street outreach teams. In closing, I just want to say together we are addressing the root causes of violence. We're taking *** long term lens. We're focusing on education, mentorships, financial opportunity. And civic and community engagement. I also want to share that there's more information you can learn at Birmingham AL.gov/CSI. As I close out and before I bring on Councilwoman Tate to come up here, I simply say, Uh, in the way I started, this doesn't work without partnerships, so again. To President Knight, thank you, thank you for everything and thank you for your leadership. Yeah. And