ELIZABETH — Nia Manning, 14, and Ishmael Heggs, 17, have both experienced the violent deaths of friends. For Manning, it was about seven months ago when her childhood friend was gunned down on the street where she lives in Elizabeth. "I don’t want anybody else to experience that. That was somebody I saw every day," she said, referring to...
ELIZABETH — Nia Manning, 14, and Ishmael Heggs, 17, have both experienced the violent deaths of friends. For Manning, it was about seven months ago when her childhood friend was gunned down on the street where she lives in Elizabeth.
"I don’t want anybody else to experience that. That was somebody I saw every day," she said, referring to John Juan Davis, 16, who was killed Aug. 2. Manning’s older brother was also shot during the incident, but he survived a leg injury.
"It was really hard going through that," she said.
To combat a culture of street violence, Manning is part of a new group of STREETS cadets formed by the United Youth Council, an organization in Elizabeth that has long advocated against gangs and violence. The longtime group, Striving To Re-Educate Each and Everyone in the Streets, has kept to its mission while changing its strategy.
Since forming 29 years ago, the council has held countless rallies, marches and prayer vigils — all on the heels of violent events or to honor victims. But increased violence has called for a more proactive, more aggressive approach, according to director and founder Salaam Ismial.
"The violence is more vicious. It’s not just punch-a-guy-in-the-nose anymore. It’s a knife or a gun," he said.
In one recent week, the cadets handed out fliers at the Mravlag Manor housing project to recruit local youths, with each committing to reject drugs and gangs.
"All they see is thugs, drugs and body bags," said Ismial. "These young people understand that. They go through it every day."
Several cadets were recruited from YouthBuild, an alternative school that targets former dropouts ages 16 to 24.
It aims to redirect their paths into earning a GED and getting licensed in a trade.
Joining the group hands teens a new role, said Adam Jackson, a teacher at Elizabeth YouthBuild. "It gives them responsibility for their own existence. That’s the difference between protesting (and) demonstrating. This is actually playing a role model and actively engaging their peers."
STREETS meets weekly at the Elizabeth recreation center on Richmond Street. Cadets wear uniforms, practice marching drills and recite pledges such as "Respect yourself, honor others and obey the law" and "Know your rights and the authority of the police."
"If you don’t have these kids doing something, they’re either going to be selling drugs or becoming violent," said Sgt. Joseph "Malik" Shell, a State Police trooper and volunteer mentor with the cadets who grew up in Elizabeth.
"It’s showing these kids that their life is about the choices that they make right now," he said.
During a recent neighborhood patrol, Heggs said the group got some strange looks.
"There are going to be people who make catcalls; there are going to be people who laugh," Ismial had warned.
But others were receptive and asked questions, Heggs said.
"Stuff like this doesn’t happen every day," he said.
"It’s good to get the kids off the street. We need stuff like this," resident Jose Ortiz, 31, said as he watched the cadets, wearing their uniform green sweat shirts and hats, walk by his apartment. "They need to be shown the light instead of the darkness. All you see here is darkness."
Ismial aims to have 50 cadets by the end of the month and to start more groups in other urban areas.
"This is a commitment. This is part of a real serious effort you all are going to have to take a part in," he told the seven who attended the first meeting.
In a few weeks, the roster grew to 25 members. Plainfield already has 15 cadets, said group leader Tina Davis.
The teens plan to do service projects like cleaning up parks, said Ismial. Mentors also coach them on how to plan for college.
"All the great movements started with young people igniting themselves and involving other young people," Ismial said.
"You got to be a responsible part of remedying the problem."