On August 15, 2026, a shooting at Lexington’s East End Day celebration left a young man dead, several others injured and families across the community searching for answers.

In this special episode of Conversations With Q, Q is joined by Ike, Derek & Quidi for a respectful, honest and sometimes uncomfortable conversation about what happens before community violence—and what must happen after the news cameras leave.

This is not an attempt to exploit a tragedy, speculate about an active criminal case or reduce the people affected to names and numbers.

It is a conversation about what we mean when we repeatedly say:

“We have to do better.”

The roundtable discusses:

• ​How social media turns conflict into public entertainment
• ​Competition, status, respect and fear within the Black community
• ​The difference between being friendly with your child and being their parent

There may not be one policy, one program or one person capable of preventing every tragedy.

Real change requires families, fathers, mothers, mentors, schools, churches, community leaders, law enforcement, elected officials and young people working together.

The most important question is not simply whether Lexington needs to do better.

It is:

What are each of us personally willing to do differently?

This episode is dedicated to everyone affected by the East End Day shooting, including the family and loved who were injured and the East End community.

Content advisory: This episode contains a serious discussion of gun violence, death, injured children, grief and community trauma.