School Bulletin: Youth advocate fighting to end gun violence in Milwaukee

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- A Rufus King High School junior is a humble crusader. Mia Moore is on a mission to make her community better and the entire city of Milwaukee better.

"A lot of the times people say there's nothing good that comes out of Milwaukee, or that Milwaukee is just such a terrible place," Moore says. "But in reality, Milwaukee is a great place."

Moore is the current Boys & Girls Clubs of Great Milwaukee Youth of the Year. The 16-year-old says she has been involved with the organization for years and that its programs have helped her find her voice.

"I feel like this win is not only for me," Moore says. "This is just one of the ways I can support other young people."

One of the ways is correct. Moore is Junior Class President at her school. She is also part of the Superintendent's Student Advisory Council (SSAC) for Milwaukee Public Schools and was recently appointed co-chair of the newly formed Milwaukee County Youth Commission.

For Moore, it's all about having a seat at the table.

"A lot of times people say young people are the future, but no, we're the right now," she says.

Moore says she is passionate about helping Milwaukee through its gun violence crisis. For a third year in a row, the city broke its own homicide record. According to data from the Milwaukee Police Department, 214 homicide cases were reported in 2022. That's an 11% increase from the previous year.

"There's a lot of gun violence that is impacting young people in general, and it's not just in the city of Milwaukee. It's everywhere," Moore says.

Moore teamed up with several other students through the Boys & Girls Club's G.I.R.L.S Leadership Cohort to create public service announcements calling attention to gun violence. In one scene, the girls heard gunshots outside but didn't react. In another, the group was on social media and found out a classmate was shot.

"That's a reality for young people in Milwaukee," Moore says, but it doesn't have to be that way. She says one way to help her peers is to remind them that there are safe places in the city to go, like the Boys & Girls Clubs. She also lends an ear to anyone with problems because just listening can help.

"Just having people come to me, if they have any ideas or solutions or issues," Moore says. "Just come to me about it so we can solve it."

Andre Douglas, the senior director of Graduation Plus and Leadership & Service at BCG of Greater Milwaukee, says Moore is "what's right" in this city.

"I don't believe anybody should be like anybody, but influence is a must," Douglas says. "If we can continue to tell the stories of the Mias of the world and the other amazing teenagers in our city, Milwaukee slowly but surely becomes a better place to live, a better place to work, a better place to give."

In March, Moore will give it her all competing in Madison to be the Boys & Girls Clubs of Wisconsin Youth of the Year. From there, she could advance to regionals and even nationals, and her mentors are confident she has what it takes.

"She has the qualities, she has the skills, she has the compassion and just the delivery to be the voice that our young people need now and, in the future," LaQuita Grinnage, the program manager for Leadership & Service at BGC of Greater Milwaukee, says.

Through the BGC competitions, Mia is able to collect scholarships that will help her plan for college. Moore says she wants to attend Howard University and study political science to hone her superpower: her voice.

"You need to hear us. You're going to listen to us because our voices are powerful," Moore says.

The Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee is hosting a Teen Summit, click HERE for more information.