By Rachel Kalina
In 2000, at age 21, Argueta was inspired to start STRONG Youth Inc., which held its annual peace rally on Oct. 29 in Hempstead. About 350 people crowded the gym at Kennedy Park for the annual event, which has struck a chord with a growing number of people: The latest rally filled the gym until there was standing room only.
Although Argueta said the rally was not in direct response to the recent death of another anti-gang activist, Hykiem Coney of Roosevelt, who died from gunshot wounds on Oct. 25, it did convey the same message both former gang members strived to get across to teenagers. Both STRONG, which stands for Struggling To Reunite Our New Generation, and Coney's group, the Help End Violence Now Coalition (HEVN), attempt to help kids leave gang lives and make better ones.
STRONG, whose office is in Hempstead, is the first multi-ethnic group on Long Island that offers young people alternatives to gang violence. Argueta, the organization's executive director, founded it six years ago after a Uniondale resident named Eric Rivera was beaten to death by members of a gang in what Argueta said was a case of mistaken identity. Although at that point he was already in his 20s and out of gang life, the incident resonated with Argueta, who had been in a gang from age 13 to 18. He had encountered Rivera on the day he died, and Argueta felt he had to do something to prevent anyone else from meeting the same fate.
"STRONG¹s mission is to provide alternatives to street life," Argueta said, explaining that the group aims to bring about a reduction in gang involvement among those in their teens to late 20s. Argueta has spoken throughout Nassau and Suffolk counties as well as New York state, spreading his message of ³intervention and prevention" in schools and elsewhere.
He said that STRONG doesn't just warn kids about their lives ending in prison cells or about the damage bullets do. It offers them perspective on life skills and integrating into society. He knows that teens are attracted to gang life in part because of the camaraderie it seems to provide, so he offers this same experience to STRONG members in a more positive way through field trips and projects ‹ including the growth of chapters of the group in schools and universities.
"We provide that camaraderie people look for on the streets in a positive way," Argueta said, adding that rival gang members are encouraged to work together at STRONG, while continuing their education and picking up valuable life skills along the way.
"When we talk about gang violence, it's a one-sided issue," Argueta said. "People just want punishment, as opposed to solving the social issue. We can't just lock these people up, because they come back to the same communities afterwards and have no skills." He wants to prevent this cycle by reaching out to as many kids as possible. So far, STRONG has recruited about 100 members, and events like the peace rally are effective ways the group spreads its anti-violence message.
"It¹s just about bringing attention to the issue," Argueta said. "We think this is an issue that's been ignored for too long."
Speakers at the event talked about the young people they have lost to gang violence and how important it is to steer them away from that path.
Ironically, Coney had left gang life behind. The 24-year-old had been shot before, at age 17, in an act of gang violence. He had spent time in prison, and at one point was planning to retaliate against someone who had killed a friend of his.
But Coney was eventually convinced by HEVN's leader, the Rev. J. Raymond Mackey of Uniondale, to leave his life of violence behind ‹ and help others do the same. Coney accepted the offer and spent the rest of his days talking to youth involved in gangs or those considering joining one. He also studied at Nassau Community College, and was training to be a minister.
Even a week before his death, Coney was at the high school in Hempstead talking to students. At 4 a.m. on Oct. 21, he was shot in the head and back while leaving a bar in Uniondale. It is still unclear whether he was the intended target, and police have yet to make any arrests in the case.
The death was a blow to those who knew Coney and had heard him speak, including Argueta.
"It was definitely a loss to the community," Argueta said. "But the only way we can make any sense of this is he gave it his all and he believed in our mission of peace. We have to stay focused and work that much harder to accomplish and finish what he couldn't."
Comments about this story? RKalina@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 282.
