Everyday there is another city youth that is being arrested, denied from college, selling drugs, or just plain set up for failure. As a community and a society, it is our responsibility to make sure the children of tomorrow are provided with an opportunity to succeed.
We can walk down any city street and see plenty of buildings that have been vandalized by graffiti. Well 90% of the graffiti you see is done by young men and woman in our community. These children are being arrested, given probation, and sentenced to community service. So far, it hasn’t worked because they do it again anyway.
I think its time we take a different approach and internalize their talents. Why don’t we open art schools is these communities. Teach these children how to use their talents to the best of their abilities as well as in a legal form. Build music studios in the school for our upcoming musicians, dance floors for our dancers. Why don’t we put on art shows at local auditoriums, charge a $2 cover fee to enter. Use the money and buy the winner art supplies to continue.
There’s no reason why we have more youth that can’t vote than we do graduating high school. There’s no reason why we have more youth that can’t construct a sophisticated sentence than we do applying for college. There’s no reason why the schools we send our children to everyday to learn has books that are decades old. Times change. Our children are being set farther behind by learning the wrong material. The schools in our communities should stay up to date for the sake of advancement. Of course money is the issue, however, don’t let that be the excuse. There is money out there to be made. There are government grants waiting to be given away. We can hold local fund raisers and dinner sales to get the money needed. Attend the parent teacher committee meetings at your child’s schools. Ask questions, find out what they need.
Being a single parent myself, I know how hard it is to be the perfect role model at all times. But as a parent it is our responsibility to instill in our children that they can become anything they want to regardless of the barriers that are set up to distract them. Its up to us to rebuild our communities and educate our children. We can’t wait for the politicians to do what’s right. We can’t wait for the government to give us the tools we need to be better educators. Its up to us and always has been. Let’s take the initiative to do what’s right both for our families and our communities.
