growing up in the impoverished community of South Jamaica Queens was not easy at
of South Jamaica Queens was not easy at
of South Jamaica Queens was not easy at the early age of 17 I realized that in
the early age of 17 I realized that in
the early age of 17 I realized that in order to better my life I had to put all
order to better my life I had to put all
order to better my life I had to put all of my hopes into the one thing that I
of my hopes into the one thing that I
of my hopes into the one thing that I cared about the most my education
cared about the most my education
cared about the most my education however in my community the
however in my community the
however in my community the opportunities were stacked against me
opportunities were stacked against me
opportunities were stacked against me especially as a black male in South
especially as a black male in South
especially as a black male in South Jamaica the idea of graduating from high
Jamaica the idea of graduating from high
Jamaica the idea of graduating from high school was considered more of a dream
school was considered more of a dream
school was considered more of a dream than a reality the more common reality
than a reality the more common reality
than a reality the more common reality of prison and death in fact the more
of prison and death in fact the more
of prison and death in fact the more tangible than that of obtaining a
tangible than that of obtaining a
tangible than that of obtaining a diploma while I managed to escape the
diploma while I managed to escape the
diploma while I managed to escape the inner workings of the prison system and
inner workings of the prison system and
inner workings of the prison system and the prevalence of gun violence in my
the prevalence of gun violence in my
the prevalence of gun violence in my community they both shaped my life
community they both shaped my life
community they both shaped my life experiences unfortunately three of my
experiences unfortunately three of my
experiences unfortunately three of my closest friends were drawn into the very
closest friends were drawn into the very
closest friends were drawn into the very trap that I had managed to escape one I
trap that I had managed to escape one I
trap that I had managed to escape one I lost one to the prison system and the
lost one to the prison system and the
lost one to the prison system and the other two were met with more permanent
other two were met with more permanent
other two were met with more permanent fates they were victims of a homicide
fates they were victims of a homicide
fates they were victims of a homicide which made the idea of graduating from
which made the idea of graduating from
which made the idea of graduating from high school even more or less tangible
high school even more or less tangible
high school even more or less tangible after some deep reflection I decided and
after some deep reflection I decided and
after some deep reflection I decided and about that I would do everything in my
about that I would do everything in my
about that I would do everything in my power to ensure that my life turned out
power to ensure that my life turned out
power to ensure that my life turned out differently and I will use my success to
differently and I will use my success to
differently and I will use my success to inspire others fortunately that same
inspire others fortunately that same
inspire others fortunately that same year I was given the opportunity to
year I was given the opportunity to
year I was given the opportunity to attend a prominent boarding school
attend a prominent boarding school
attend a prominent boarding school called Tabor Academy attending table
called Tabor Academy attending table
called Tabor Academy attending table helped me realize that all young people
helped me realize that all young people
helped me realize that all young people need support on the path to success and
need support on the path to success and
need support on the path to success and that young men specifically would be
that young men specifically would be
that young men specifically would be involved in a process where they would
involved in a process where they would
involved in a process where they would experiment with risk-taking and also as
experiment with risk-taking and also as
experiment with risk-taking and also as they found their way to developing their
they found their way to developing their
they found their way to developing their self-identity and exerting the
self-identity and exerting the
self-identity and exerting the independence despite progress on many
independence despite progress on many
independence despite progress on many fronts young boys of color continued to
fronts young boys of color continued to
fronts young boys of color continued to face many obstacles towards success in
face many obstacles towards success in
face many obstacles towards success in American society and in some cases many
American society and in some cases many
American society and in some cases many suffer disproportionately from economic
suffer disproportionately from economic
suffer disproportionately from economic and social disadvantages given these
and social disadvantages given these
and social disadvantages given these facts one often questions what can be
facts one often questions what can be
facts one often questions what can be done what must be done
done what must be done
done what must be done is this a lost generation or are there
is this a lost generation or are there
is this a lost generation or are there interventions that can be put in place
interventions that can be put in place
interventions that can be put in place to bring real hope and real results
to bring real hope and real results
to bring real hope and real results there are many institutional systems
there are many institutional systems
there are many institutional systems that play a key role in the long-term
that play a key role in the long-term
that play a key role in the long-term success of young boys of color one
success of young boys of color one
success of young boys of color one bringing Americans juvenile justice
bringing Americans juvenile justice
bringing Americans juvenile justice system
system
system young boys of color are more than likely
young boys of color are more than likely
young boys of color are more than likely to have time spent in the juvenile
to have time spent in the juvenile
to have time spent in the juvenile justice system for factors that are
justice system for factors that are
justice system for factors that are outside of their control
outside of their control
outside of their control for example attending schools with harsh
for example attending schools with harsh
for example attending schools with harsh disciplinary policies or living in
disciplinary policies or living in
disciplinary policies or living in communities with no after-school
communities with no after-school
communities with no after-school programs or resources to help young
programs or resources to help young
programs or resources to help young people stay out of trouble at an early
people stay out of trouble at an early
people stay out of trouble at an early age to change the odds for young boys of
age to change the odds for young boys of
age to change the odds for young boys of color it is very important that we move
color it is very important that we move
color it is very important that we move beyond looking at the risk factors and
beyond looking at the risk factors and
beyond looking at the risk factors and focus more on the opportunity factors
focus more on the opportunity factors
focus more on the opportunity factors that help our young men to grow up
that help our young men to grow up
that help our young men to grow up healthy educated and employed one of the
healthy educated and employed one of the
healthy educated and employed one of the ways that we can begin to do this and
ways that we can begin to do this and
ways that we can begin to do this and move in this direction is by dismantling
move in this direction is by dismantling
move in this direction is by dismantling what we call the school to Prison
what we call the school to Prison
what we call the school to Prison Pipeline by creating alternative
Pipeline by creating alternative
Pipeline by creating alternative measures to addressing in school
measures to addressing in school
measures to addressing in school behaviors and also reducing the
behaviors and also reducing the
behaviors and also reducing the over-policing
over-policing
over-policing that we see in many of our schools
that we see in many of our schools
that we see in many of our schools secondly is closing what many consider
secondly is closing what many consider
secondly is closing what many consider to be the opportunity gap by giving our
to be the opportunity gap by giving our
to be the opportunity gap by giving our boys the opportunity to experience
boys the opportunity to experience
boys the opportunity to experience things outside of their communities
things outside of their communities
things outside of their communities which in terms helps them to develop a
which in terms helps them to develop a
which in terms helps them to develop a very critical life skill the ability to
very critical life skill the ability to
very critical life skill the ability to dream pass what they see in their
dream pass what they see in their
dream pass what they see in their community every day thirdly is by
community every day thirdly is by
community every day thirdly is by focusing on best practices around mental
focusing on best practices around mental
focusing on best practices around mental health and helping us find tailored
health and helping us find tailored
health and helping us find tailored approaches to work with young men of
approaches to work with young men of
approaches to work with young men of color who have experienced trauma and
color who have experienced trauma and
color who have experienced trauma and violence at an early age and lastly
violence at an early age and lastly
violence at an early age and lastly investing and supporting our young men
investing and supporting our young men
investing and supporting our young men in empro enrolling in career training
in empro enrolling in career training
in empro enrolling in career training programs that blend workforce
programs that blend workforce
programs that blend workforce development and education so that we can
development and education so that we can
development and education so that we can provide them with more career
provide them with more career
provide them with more career opportunities upon graduation there is
opportunities upon graduation there is
opportunities upon graduation there is nothing more important to the future of
nothing more important to the future of
nothing more important to the future of our society and more so critically
our society and more so critically
our society and more so critically important to the future of our society
important to the future of our society
important to the future of our society then helping all young people find their
then helping all young people find their
then helping all young people find their reach find and reach their full
reach find and reach their full
reach find and reach their full potential for many of us that road is
potential for many of us that road is
potential for many of us that road is very difficult but for young men of
very difficult but for young men of
very difficult but for young men of color they often face many more
color they often face many more
color they often face many more challenges than we do and in often cases
challenges than we do and in often cases
challenges than we do and in often cases their challenges are even more harmful
their challenges are even more harmful
their challenges are even more harmful today I stand before you to challenge
today I stand before you to challenge
today I stand before you to challenge you not to just look beyond this issue
you not to just look beyond this issue
you not to just look beyond this issue but to accept the challenge to rewrite
but to accept the challenge to rewrite
but to accept the challenge to rewrite history for young boys of color
history for young boys of color
history for young boys of color thank you
”
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