Our journey began on January 4, 2000, at M. B. Smiley High School in Houston’s North Forest Independent School District. The first class was voluntary and open to students who met the program’s criteria. Twelve students attended on the first day; within three weeks, participation had grown to 30 students. As the program continued to expand, more than 100 students became involved, and No More Victims was given the largest classroom on campus.

From the beginning, our students helped shape the heart and direction of the program. They guided daily discussions and soon began to view themselves as members of a family—not simply participants in a program. Together, they established rules, developed questions for prospective members, created an oath, and introduced a formal swearing-in ceremony. That ceremony remains a cherished tradition more than 26 years later.

 

Each decade of our history has been given a generational name that reflects the young people who carried our mission forward:

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• Generation I: The Originals — 2000–2009

• Generation II: The Significant — 2010–2019

• Generation III: The Chosen — 2020–2029

 

During our third decade, founder Marilyn K. Gambrell made the decision to honor the original students who helped establish the program at M. B. Smiley High School. Those young people—only 14 years old when the program began—are now adults in their forties. Their courage, commitment, and sense of family created the foundation for the longevity and impact we continue to experience today.

In 2022, No More Victims—the organization from which our work began—gave birth to Legends and Legacies Houston, Inc. This transition reflects the growth of our Originals, our “Day Ones,” from childhood into adulthood. They are now Legends who are building lasting Legacies by breaking cycles of generational incarceration within their families and communities.

Today, our Legends are business owners, homeowners, college graduates, vocational certificate holders, military service members, parents, mentors, advocates, and community leaders. Most importantly, they continue to give back to the family that helped shape them and to the communities they proudly serve.

 

They began as children determined to change their stories.

Today, they are Legends building Legacies.