We were lucky to catch up with Shneaqua Purvis recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Shneaqua, thanks for joining us today. We’d love to have you retell us the story behind how you came up with the idea for your business, I think our audience would really enjoy hearing the backstory.

My name is Shneaqua “Coco” Purvis I am from Bedford-Stuyvesant Brooklyn NY. I grew up in New York City Housing Development called Tompkins Houses. In 2002 my sister Maisha “Pumpkin” Hubbard was murdered by a stray bullet on December 28th.

My family was devasted and I started working in my community helping to stop violence. As I started working with our high risk youth I had to realized through therapy that I needed to make amends with her killer when he reached out. After talking to him I realized that perpetrators are victims too. I need to change the framework of working with families in our communities.

That is when Both Sides of the Violence
Inc was born. We help families of victims and perpetrators in a way that it descreases violence in our community.

Shneaqua, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

My family are victims of violence. My uncle, my Dad, and countless friends were murdered. I grew up creating ways to change the narrative of our young people. I was 17 years old taking them out if the area to show them different things.

I worked in my neighborhood for my Congressman and Senator to see how politicians play apart of making these changes.

I worked for anti gun violence organizations like S.O.S. ( Save our Streets) and Man Up Inc. I saw the operational side of what it takes to create resources and safe spaces for our youth.

I started a girl’s group for high risk young women because people are not paying attention to part that our young ladies play in most of this senseless violence.

I helped create a program along with the Brooklyn DAs office called Project Restore Bedstuy where we paid and gave life skills and resources to 30 gang
members. I went as far as serving the girlfriends and children’s mothers in this group simultaneously.

Right now Im holding Peace Circles for our youth to come and talk and be themselves so they dont direct their anger into anything violent.

I am also a mother of 4 and grandmother one 13 year old. I am on a mission to become a Doula to help stop the crisis right now with our women are dying during childbirth.

I do alot but it has to be done. Someone has to stand up for our lives!!

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

A lesson I had to unlearn is an eye for an eye. We grew up in our culture in public housing that you live by this saying and you are looked at like you are crazy if you forgive.

As I lived by this saying, it has bought me no peace. I learned that in oreder for our youthto listen and want to understand you is living the life you desire for them. I dont know what I would say or do if one of my participants were to have the same situation. What would be able to say or do if Im living this eye for an eye mentality?

I had to get help from therapy and GOD and it made me stronger and it also gave me this incredible amount of peace after talking to him. I mentor him now and its a journey that we are both can find peace from.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

My organization services high risk youth in NYC Housing Developments. I only have a few contract that allows me to do the work. My children have to volunteer and help most times because its not enough to be able to pay anyone.

I service families without pay. My work takes me to grief counseling and I travel to help families without pay. I will sit with a grieving family or show up to a school incident and I know I will not get paid for it but I still do.it.

I give food, clothes, supplies to families without any money coming in. I use my resources and make it happen.

Contact Info:

• Website: Bsvinc.org
• Instagram: @Bothsidesoftheviolenceinc
• Facebook: Both Sides of the Violence Inc
• Youtube: Both Sides of the Violence Inc