91³Ô¹ÏÍø

William Electric Black

According to the American Public Health Association, guns are a leading cause of premature death in the United States. This affects people of all ages and races in the U.S., but has a disproportionate impact on young adults, males and racial/ethnic minorities. Over 90,000 people a year are affected by injury and death combined. How can we address this? On Tuesday, February 23, 2016, the will host a Rapid Response Event: Changing Youth Gun Culture in One Generation, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. in the Angello Alumni House, 154 Cambridge Avenue, Garden City, NY.

The event will feature Ian Ellis James, a.k.a. William Electric Black, as the keynote speaker. Other distinguished speakers include Robert Troiano of the Town of North Hempstead and Village of Hempstead Mayor Wayne J. Hall Sr., among others. The keynote will be followed by a panel discussion of different approaches to addressing this issue with our youth.

Ian Ellis James is a seven-timeÌýEmmy Award-winning writer and former writer for Sesame Street.ÌýJames has been writing in the family entertainment television industry for more than 15 years with credits fromÌýSesame Workshop, Nickelodeon, Scholastic Productions, Warner Cable, Winchester TV & Film in London, and more. He recently published a children’s book series to combat gunÌýviolence. The first book, A GUN IS NOT FUN, is an illustrated book geared toward Pre-K programs through second grade to discuss gun culture among young people and save lives in cities across America.

His theatre projects, under his stage name William ElectricÌýBlack, have been seen across the country. For the past seven years, he has been writing, directing,Ìýand producing plays at La MaMa ETC in New York City where heÌýpresently runsÌýthe Poetry Electric Series. James’ first play aiming toÌýcombat inner city gun violence, Welcome Home Sonny T,Ìýopened in December 2013 at Theater for the New City. His secondÌýplay in the series, When Black Boys Die, recentlyÌýclosed, and his next play, The Death of a BlackÌýMan (A Walk By,)Ìýopens in June 2016. James has received several Best Play Awards, been published by BenchmarkÌýEducation, The Dramatic Publishing Co., Smith & Krauss, and received aÌýBronze Apple for directing.ÌýÌý

This event is free and open to the public, but space is limited. All attendees will receive a free copy of A GUN IS NOT FUN, a new book for children by Ian Ellis James.

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About 91³Ô¹ÏÍø Center for Health Innovation

is the primary resource in our region for innovative, multidisciplinary, evidence-based responses to improving health, healthcare systems, and public health. CHI creates and fosters community-focused, interdisciplinary academic programming, applied research, community partnerships, and leadership—all with the goal of meeting current and emergent health needs of Long Island and our region.