Every school is home to exceptional individuals dedicated to making a positive impact on their community. Whether it's through class initiatives, service projects, or independent efforts, students are constantly striving to improve the world around them.
At The Village School, these initiatives shine brightly as students embrace opportunities to lead with empathy and purpose. One such example is a project started by Milan Drummond, a 12th grader with a passion for justice and community well-being. Through her initiative, Harmony Highways, Milan is working to improve relations between the public and law enforcement, reflecting both her desire to make a difference and her career aspirations.
Imagine a routine traffic stop where tensions run high, assumptions are made, and a simple miscommunication escalates. Now, picture a way to ease that tension before a word is spoken. That’s where Harmony Highways comes in, to help build trust and cooperation between drivers and police officers.
What is Harmony Highways?
Harmony Highways is a community-driven initiative designed to foster trust between drivers and law enforcement during traffic stops. The signature bumper stickers signal a driver is committed to cooperation, transparency, and mutual respect.
Why a bumper sticker? Its simplicity is its strength. By displaying the sticker, the driver makes a statement: they value safety, communication, and peace.
Why did you start the project?
The inspiration for Harmony Highways is deeply personal. My brother, like many, resembles individuals we see in the news—victims of police brutality. It’s frightening to think someone you love could be perceived as a threat simply because of their appearance.
The project is also driven by my career goals. It’s hard to know where life will take you, but I hope Harmony Highways is a first step towards making an impact on these issues. I’ve tried to be engaged with as many extracurricular activities as possible, whether volunteering with school projects, delivering service hours or supporting student clubs, The Village School has helped me grow and encouraged me to pursue my passions.
What are your goals for Harmony Highways?
My non-profit seeks to establish better relationships between civilians and police officers, especially during traffic stops. It’s about making each encounter less about fear and more about human connection.
We’re also committed to broader impacts. A portion of the proceeds from each bumper sticker sold supports four crucial causes: two focused on police training and reform (Institute for Criminal Justice Training Reform and NAACP) and two aiding families affected by police brutality (Families United) or the loss of a loved one in law enforcement (Texas Fallen Officers Foundation). We’re also currently working to register the initiative through TCOLE as a police-mandated training to ensure officers understand community expectations and approach traffic stops with greater empathy.
What steps have you taken to achieve your aims?
We’ve worked hard to spread the word about Harmony Highways. We’ve created social media campaigns and reached out to community members, local businesses, law enforcement, law makers, and organizations like Crime Stoppers of Houston. We’ve distributed flyers at driving schools in Missouri City and Sugar Land; met with local police precincts; and discussed improvements with Lieutenant Guinn and Donald Harvey at Precinct 5. I’ve also had the honor to speak at Restorative Justice nonprofit events and appeared on CW News to promote the project.
How can people get involved?
You can purchase a Harmony Highways bumper sticker from our website and display it on your vehicle. Research the organizations your money goes towards and make sure you are having conversations with people in your community about these issues.
Together, we can change how the public and law enforcement interact and drive positive change on our highways and in our hearts.
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