It Still Takes a Village
This is a speech I delivered at Auburn University. I thought it may prove relevant for a discussion. – Marcus
Good morning! It’s a pleasure for me to be here today. I am honored and humbled by the opportunity to speak at such an esteemed university, in front of such a distinguished audience. When I was asked to speak at this event, I wondered what I, at 25 years old, could share of value amidst the myriad of MD’s, PhD’s, and JD’s that will speak throughout the day. Then I thought that this was my opportunity to express my views to the masses, on the issues plaguing our communities.
I am Marcus Carson, a founder and executive director of Growing Kings, Inc. – a non-profit organization that provides innovative enrichment and mentoring programs to adolescent males. The major differentiating factor of our organization is our approach to enhancing the lives of our most “at-promise,” not “at-risk” youth. I say “at-promise” because through a young man’s involvement with our organization, he is more “at-promise” of being a high-performing scholar, “at-promise” of leading his peers and community towards a path of progress, and “at-promise” of growing into a strong, successful man, husband, and father. However to accomplish this, I realized the importance of civic engagement and the concept of it still taking a village to raise a child.
Now that you all know WHAT Growing Kings is, I’d like to take a moment to illustrate WHY Growing Kings is; and why our communities desperately need greater collaboration from the public and private sectors to take a more holistic approach at serving our many disadvantaged communities.
How many of you have taken a trip to the inner-city that wasn’t the result of a wrong turn? (pause, take a look around.) I ask this, not as an indictment of any of you. But as an illustration of the deep need for people like you and I to meet the youth WHERE THEY ARE.
While I have you all for a few minutes this morning, I’ll ask that you close your eyes and go with me to Inner City, USA. See the subpar housing. See the single mother trying to stretch meager wages. See the rampant drug abuse, the lack of home structure, of male role models, of quality education, see your big brother led in hand cuffs to the patrol car. See your younger sister left to continue the cycle of your mother. See the lack of hope. Now open your eyes.
Can you see how depressing just the imagination of such a life can be? THAT is why we’re here. For my audience members with imagination deficiency, here are some sobering statistics:
Two studies published recently by the Urban Institute have sounded the alarm on the plight of young men: Black Males Left Behind edited by Ronald Mincy, a professor of social work at Columbia University, and Reconnecting Disadvantaged Young Men, co-authored by Peter B. Edelman. The prospects that these researchers discovered facing many young Black males are bleak:
- The proportion of young black men without jobs is increasing. Between 2000 and 2004, the jobless rate among black male high school dropouts increased from 65 to 72 percent compared to 34 percent for white male dropouts and 19 percent for Hispanic male dropouts.
- During this same period there has been a rapid growth of this target population’s numbers under correctional supervision (incarcerated or on probation or parole). In 1995, 16 percent of black men in their 20s who did not attend college were in jail or prison; by 2004, the proportion had increased to 21 percent. By their mid 30s, six out of every ten black men who have dropped out of school have spent time in prison.
- Other measures of the quality of life of these dropouts, like health, marriage rate, family stability, and housing show similar trends of degradation.
- In the inner cities of the U.S., more than half of all black men never finish high school.
Numbers don’t lie, and neither do any of our eyes. We all see the need, but what are we doing to be apart of the solution?
So, yeah… Why Growing Kings?
When God provided me with the vision for Growing Kings, I was able to reflect on my times as an adolescent youth. I began to think about the hard times I gave my teachers, the gentle beatings I received as a result from my parents; I reflected on the day I let my grandmothers down the most.
And I also remembered how there were days after walking home from school, and there being no way for me to get in the house because I forgot my house key, that Mrs. Hrobuski or Mr. and Mrs. Henderson where across the street and next door, and I knew that I could go there and I still be expected to complete my homework before I was able to watch TV. I remember the 4-H club implementing programs in our school, the DARE officer speaking in your classrooms, and I remember all of my friends’ parents having the same expectations for me as my parents.
Then it hit me, less than two decades ago, in every community, every church, every recreation center, every office building there were signs, posters, pamphlets reiterating the point, that all of us have heard countless times, that “It takes a village to raise a child.”
Somewhere along the way, we seem to have forgotten that it still takes a village. Somewhere in our Google searches for our own name, we forget the names of the children next door. Somewhere in our quest to live above our means to purchase a house in an “exclusive” neighborhood to impress Sister Bettye from the women’s group, we forget that our child’s classmate doesn’t have a home at all to go to.
We complain about the how bad crime is in our city, but we fail to realize the hundreds of young men without fathers to instill the proper discipline in them, yes, it still takes a village. We talk about how the youth only want to be rappers and athletes, but we sit at weekly happy hours with our colleagues who consist of a doctor, lawyer, architect, and real estate developer; yes, it still takes a village. We blame the youth for their failures, without even fathoming the type of household they live in, the lack of parenting, or the drug addicted mother, the alcohol ridden father, the wanted older brother, and the drug-dealing cousin. It still takes a village to raise a child. How quickly we say that we wish we could do more if we only had the time; but we spend 10 hours a week on the golf course, but we can’t spend 4 hours a month having breakfast with a fatherless teenager. We can’t visit a classroom of 8th graders to speak about how we developed a profitable career as a mechanical engineer. But we can brag about our big bonus to the fellas at the frat house and country club.
So why Growing Kings? I got tired of talking about the issues plaguing our communities, and decided to be the change I wished to see. I realized that it wasn’t about me, and that I could do more for others than I could ever do for myself.
After a year of operating Growing Kings off sheer desire and tenacity, I began to understand that I didn’t have to go at it alone. I realized that in our infancy, it wasn’t very effective to be a jack of all trades and a king of none. After countless blessings bestowed upon the organization, many doors were opened that allowed me to see the benefits of civic engagement. The value gained from individuals and organizations working together to utilize the strengths of each other to effect the greater good are immeasurable.
So as we go on throughout our day, I want you to ask yourselves are you playing your role in a village to build better neighborhoods, grow stronger children, and establish a more sustainable nation for generations to come. Or are you merely talking about the problem instead of working towards a solution. I ask that you remember that the legacy you leave is the life you live. Be blessed, be safe. Thank you.