Miami—The Overtown Youth Center (OYC)  will celebrate its 8th Annual Save Our Sons Summit (SOS). The event is designed to address issues that impact the trajectory of the lives of young men growing up in urban areas. SOS is a hallmark initiative that was developed to enhance the lives of young men in Overtown and surrounding communities. SOS was established with an immediate emphasis on addressing low male achievement factors by linking mentoring and training programs with male youth and their families. The event will be hosted at the Overtown Youth Center, located at 450 NW 14th Street Miami, FL 33136. The event is scheduled from 9:00 am – 3:00 pm.

The theme of this year’s SOS Summit is Gun Violence and Gun Control.  The event will explore recent school shootings and the debate around gun control that has re-energized and galvanized young people to take a stand against gun violence in their communities. The cross- generational activities will serve as a gathering of community in support of community youth and a statement on the impact of gun violence in the lives of urban youth on a daily basis. The day will feature a keynote address delivered by Matthew A. Pigatt, City of Opa-Locka Commissioner and participants will join Judge William Thomas of the Eleventh Judicial Circuit Court for the intergenerational Bridging the Gap panel discussion. There will also be breakout sessions on Gun Violence and Culture for all ages, a Living Museum exploring gun violence, and the popular The Ties that Bind Us necktie sessions that bring together adult men of the community and young males for necktie tying lessons and one-on-one conversations. 

The Overtown Youth Center promotes the tenets of empowerment, inspiration and enrichment in the lives of the children and families we serve. OYC would like to thank its sponsoring organizations, Allegany Franciscan Ministries, Ashbritt, Bank of America, Booker T. Washington High School, Carnival Foundation, Jewish Community Services, Le Fragole, Miami-Dade County Public Schools, New Horizons Community Mental Health Center, Stroock, Stroock and Lavan, Target, The Children’s Trust, United Way of Miami-Dade, and Ver Ploeg & Lumpkin P.A.