Headline News

Delahanty Leaves Kentucky Child Now for Guyana
9/23/08
When walking though Kentucky Child Now, visitors will see an eclectic group of devoted professionals passionate about Kentucky’s youth, but one may be surprised to find a gold miner. Yes, T.J. Delahanty, our veteran youth development guru has decided to leave Kentucky Child Now to follow a dream and start a gold mining business in Guyana. Ironically, it was almost a decade ago when Kentucky Child Now felt as if they had struck it rich in finding T.J.

The agency, then named Kentucky Child 2000, was still in its infancy as a non-profit and had a big vision for Kentucky’s children. Though, they had just cut their teeth with the KIDS NOW Initiative they recognized a void. There was a critical need for services and supports for youth ages 8-24.

Kentucky Child 2000 identified positive youth development as an alternative approach to the general perspective that youth were problems that needed to be “fixed.” In 2000, Kentucky Child Now partnered with the Department of Juvenile Justice and the University of Kentucky to form the Kentucky Youth Development Partnership and to bring T.J. on board full-time to advocate for Kentucky’s young people.

And advocate he did. Though the concept is not all that radical, youth development offered a holistic approach – an approach that was not an industry standard at the time.

“Back then, it was a struggle to get people to listen and agree that youth development was the best way to prevent young people from engaging risky behaviors,” said T.J. “The focus was on intervention and prevention. Unfortunately, these programs tend to be piecemeal and fail to address the whole child. Youth development is a totally different approach. It focuses on giving young people opportunities, engaging them in meaningful roles, providing strong support systems. In doing so, young people are less likely to participate in risky behaviors.”

T.J.’s work at Kentucky Child Now has helped to develop a trend across the state. Over T.J.’s career with Kentucky Child Now, tens of thousands of people have been trained by Kentucky Child Now’s expert trainers and specialists in the fundamental principles of positive youth development.

During T.J.’s time with Kentucky Child Now, he was also able to build the Kentucky Youth Development Partnership, a public/private coalition of more than twenty-five state and local youth-serving organizations who are dedicated to helping young people reach their full potential.

The work of the partnership was groundbreaking! It positioned Kentucky as a leader nationally in the statewide support for young people. Their work also led to two important milestones in helping Kentucky’s youth –the Youth Policy Assessment and the Kentucky Youth Development Coordinating Council.

The 2005 assessment provided a statewide snapshot of Kentucky’s youth (8-24) exposing what services and supports were available to them out-side of their class room time. “The assessment really marked the defining moment in youth development for Kentucky and Kentucky Child Now,” notes T.J. “With the information gained, Kentucky Child Now was able to build capacity and collaboration for youth development in the state. The assessment also gained national attention and funding from both the private and governmental sectors which has led to additional supports for Kentucky’s young people. “

The Kentucky Youth Development Coordinating Council (KYDC) is a legislated body charged with maximizing our existing resources and increasing the efficiency and effectiveness of youth services and programs.

There is still a long way to go. Kentucky’s young people face big challenges. “In reality 7 out of 10 are doing well,” said T.J. “It is finding ways that the remaining 3 out of 10 have the supports and opportunities they need to be successful. 30% of Kentucky’s kids don’t have this help – and that’s a lot of kids.”

“I am confident that Kentucky Child Now and the KYDC will keep the issues affecting Kentucky’s youth in the forefront by focusing on the quality of services involving young people and maximizing resources to support the programs,” said T.J. “By offering a pathway for youth serving professionals to learn more about youth development, Kentucky can improve the outcomes for those 30% of young people.”

“We are very proud of T.J.’s work,” said Mary Kate Poling, Executive Director for Kentucky Child Now. “He should be proud of his work that has impacted youth and adults in Kentucky. We wish him well…strike it rich T.J.!”

Please join us in celebrating T.J.’s work and the continued commitment to youth development on Monday, September 29, 2008.

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Mark your calendars for the two-day
i-JAM Conference.
9/15/08
Lexington, KY - November 24th & 25th
Designed to help Kentuckians understand and take charge of their virtual lives! Join Kentucky Child Now, the Kentucky Attorney General's Office and the Kentucky Department of Education for a highly engaging and interactive experience geared toward educating, empowering and engaging adults who work with youth. Through a collaboration of presentations and workshops, participants will leave with a variety of tools and principles to aide in training and supporting youth as they learn to live in this blended physical and virtual environment. The conference is a kick-off and celebration of the i-Jam Initiative, a three-year project designed to deliver a comprehensive, consistent and cohesive message that helps Kentuckians to embrace technology without generating risk to themselves, their families and their communities.

A Career Committed to Children Continues with Kentucky Child Now!
3/10/08
Mary Kate Poling has joined Kentucky Child Now as Executive Director, continuing a career committed to the health and welfare of children. Her selection was the result of a nationwide search conducted by the Kentucky Child Now Board of Directors and Board Chair and Founder, Dr. Thomas Young, M.D. “We are so proud to have such a nationally respected professional to lead Kentucky Child Now as we approach our 10 year anniversary and continued commitment to Kentucky’s young people,” said Young.

Mary Kate brings a wealth of national experience, leadership and success to the great state of Kentucky. For the last 18 months, Mary Kate has served as President/CEO for HomeBase Youth Services, a grassroots organization in Phoenix, Arizona which serves 18-21 year old homeless youth. HomeBase Youth Services included street and medical outreach, medical clinics, educational services, day center, and transitional and independent living programs.

Prior to HomeBase Youth Services, Mary Kate was a Director of Program Operations/Consultant for the famous Father Flanagan’s Boys Town USA working with 19 sites across the country. Her primary focus was on training and consulting CEO’s and the Development Directors on fund-raising, leadership, board selection and development, strategic planning, expansion, how to involve the community and running an effective 501c3. She also assisted with organizing and running special events.

From 2001-2006 Mary Kate served as President/CEO of Boys Town of Central Florida just outside of Orlando. She was responsible for the oversight and supervision of 120 staff serving more than 1,200 abused, abandoned, and neglected youth and families annually in four long term residential group homes, two short term Emergency Adolescent Shelters, the first Emergency Children’s Shelter established in Boys Town history, a family preservation and prevention program and common sense parenting classes in the community.

Mary Kate’s passion for the young people she served helped to make significant gains in financial stability in the 5 years she was in charge of the Central Florida Boys Town Campus. Walt Disney World and Seminole County Government officials knew that their investment was safe under Mary Kate’s leadership and committed to over two million dollars in funding for Boys Town! The funds were used to construct and fund a girl’s adolescent assessment center and an adolescent boy’s shelter. The center and the shelter continue to serve abused, abandoned and neglected children in the Central Florida region.

Prior to Girls and Boys Town, Mary Kate served as Quality Management Administrator for St. Vincent’s Home Facility in Massachusetts. She was responsible for the coordination, planning and development of a quality management program for a residential facility serving more than 150 abused, abandoned and neglected youth.

Mary Kate, a native of Millbury, Mass., holds a master’s degree in counseling psychology from Anna Maria College in Paxton, Massachusetts. She received a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from University of Lowell in Massachusetts, completed a human resource management certificate program from Bryant College in Warwich, Rhode Island and in 2005 received a Certificate in Fund Raising Management through Indiana University.

During her interview, it became clear that Mary Kate owns horses and played college and semi-pro basketball - a sure fit for the state of Kentucky! She has yet to select “blue” or “red” as her favorite team, however, Mary Kate and her husband Les are very excited to be moving to the Bluegrass area. Three horses, two dogs and a cat will be joining them in the cross-country move.

Mary Kate replaces founding and well-respected, executive director, Carol Blethen.

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Reading Teens: Bridging the Generation Gap
By Jackie Konen, Youth Development Training Intern
4/1/08
The generation gap: a timeless abyss, a deep fissure between the ages, a bottomless canyon. For decades, this breach has separated youth and adults from common ground, forbidding them from a world where teens and adults live in peaceful unison. On either side of the gap, different languages are spoken, different clothes are worn, and life’s general interpretation couldn’t be more polarized. These are just a few of the challenges faced by teens and adults that fuel the generation gap. The only perceived way to convert from one side to the other: aging. Until now. Across the state of Kentucky, librarians have courageously bound together to bridge this canyon of difference. They recognize that the infamous generation gap can be minimized by learning more about teens and ways to communicate with them. Who knew they were so brave?

Like most adults, many librarians throughout the state of Kentucky were puzzled as to how to build an influential relationship with a teenager. More and more teens are coming to the libraries after school, primarily to hang out with friends and use the computers. Yet, this teen audience was being overlooked within the library programs and services, which were geared more towards younger children. The librarians knew improvements and actions were needed to be taken in order to understand teens and engage them: bridging the generation gap. Recognizing this need, the Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives and Kentucky Child Now (KCN) worked together to devise a training program that addressed the challenges libraries faced in serving teens.

Representatives from the Department for Libraries and Archives, Carol Baughman and Nicole Wolfe, along with a team of librarians from around the state, immediately met with KCN to discuss training possibilities. After a pilot training session and some tweaking, thirteen library trainings were conducted throughout Kentucky, titled Reading Teens: Understanding and Working with Teens in Libraries. The curriculum, with a youth development focus, familiarized the librarians with teen culture, the stages of development and the teenage brain. Library staff were provided with the knowledge needed in order to better understand and work with teenagers. They also begin to break down barriers between teens and adults by discussing the negative perceptions that society holds about youth, which makes true engagement much more difficult. Not only did the trainings include nationally certified youth development trainers, but teenagers from the KCN Youth Trainer Program also participated. The teen trainers provided an enlightening perspective on what it’s like to be a teenager and what works best when approaching them.

These trainings extended from January - September of 2007. At their conclusion, positive feedback was received on the evaluations and the program was deemed a great success. However, it was apparent that further training was needed in how to engage teens in all aspects of the library setting. Thus, Phase Two of the trainings was born, which the librarians self-titled RT2, short for Reading Teens Two with a focus on how to Engage the Age. The pilot training of RT2, which is more distinctively targeted towards library staff who regularly work with teens on readers’ advisory, reference, programs and outreach, took place February 5th in Louisville with representation present from over 17 libraries.

The all-day RT2 training consists of engaging activities for the librarians that keep them out of their chairs, allowing them to interact with other librarians. A model for teen engagement which outlines three key components for engaging teens in libraries is introduced: 1) Building influential relationships with teens; 2) Fostering an environment that welcomes and supports teens; 3) Implementing ideas into best practice with teens.

Throughout the day, personal stories and experiences are shared with the group of various library staff members in which feedback from peers, trainers, and present teenagers is given. When discussing the first component, Building Influential Relationships, one librarian shared her story about her struggles with a particular teenager. She described how a teenage boy visits her library every afternoon and although she was thrilled to have him at the library, the teen tended to bully his peers when becoming bored. With this story, other librarians offer solutions and one comment feeds the other. Trainers are present to give advice and keep the conversation focused. Teenagers are also present to let the participants know if their ideas will be feasible or favored in the teenage world. Many of the library staff shared difficulties that they face in their library and many went home with exciting plans to put into action with the help of fellow professionals, KCN trainers, and teenagers.

Several activities take place within the training to keep the librarians on their feet and stimulated. The training attendees have the chance throughout the day to critically think about how to maintain relationships with teenagers, how to interact with them, and how to develop programs that engage teens in a meaningful way. KCN also provides the attendees with a compiled copy of the information and content that was created during the training activities. This supplies the librarians with a physical source of ideas and plans for action to communicate better with teens. However, the day is not just about interacting with youth. It is based upon these individuals’ inspirations and aspirations for a better tomorrow for Kentucky teenagers, libraries, and communities. With the help of KCN, the librarians of Kentucky have taken the initiative to build relationships with teenagers. They have made the effort to finally bridge the generation gap, which in reality is not so much a gap, but rather a small step towards growth. By improving the waves of communication with teenagers, the librarians of Kentucky are providing a service to the communities, families, and teenagers they serve from across the state.

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Re-thinking Youth: Basic Principles of Positive Youth Development Training Offered to Adults Who Work With Youth
4/1/08
Henderson, KY, March 31, 2008 - Kentucky Child Now (KCN) will present Re-thinking Youth: Basic Principles of Positive Youth Development on Friday, April 4, 2008, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., at the Henderson County Extension Office located at 3341 Hwy. 351 East. The complimentary training is a vital part of professional development for individuals who wish to effectively communicate with youth.

Unlike other approaches that solely focus on preventing negative outcomes, Re-thinking Youth takes a positive youth development approach, which addresses the fundamental resources young people need to be fully engaged and prepared for adulthood. The regional training curriculum works to not only provide an overview of the latest research and best practices in the field of youth development, but also brings these topics to life through shared learning and actual experiences of the trainers.

In this four-hour course, participants will have the opportunity to:

• identify the key principles of the positive youth development approach;
• begin developing a plan for integrating the key principles of this approach; and
• strengthen networks and relationships with others that build support for successful implementation.

"The Kentucky Child Now trainers worked with us to create an excellent training experience on Youth Development and Culture. The consciousness-raising effect has been tremendous," said Carol Baughman, Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives. A wide variety of youth-serving professions have found the training to be valuable including professionals from government agencies, education, juvenile justice; youth-serving organizations, community based organizations, youth theatres, prevention coalitions, family resource centers, after school programs, and many more.

Due to the generous support of the Community Collaboration for Children, professionals who work with young people and wish to learn more about positive interaction with youth may attend the training at no charge. Though there is no fee to attend the training, pre-registration is required as space is limited. Lunch will be served. Registration information is available online at www.kychildnow.org.

Register for the April 4, 2008 Re-thinking Youth training in Henderson, KY.

Learn more about the Kentucky Child Now Training Institute

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i-Jam Attendence Explodes!
11/20/08:
The word is out - the 2008 i-Jam Conference is going to be BIG! MySpace, Facebook, NetSmartz and a host of national and statewide experts are converging on Lexington Monday, November 24 & 25 to help keep Kentucky’s kids safe both online and off.

Over 325 educators, law enforcement officers, prosecutors, librarians, youth-serving professionals, and parents from all corners of the Commonwealth have secured their seats for what promises to be two days of powerful and engaging learning. The 2008 i-Jam Conference will not only address the benefits of online learning and engagement, but also the dangers that lurk online. Most important, keynotes and workshops will address how adults can help to keep kids safe, both online and off. Onsite registration will be available for $100

Kentucky Out-Of-School Alliance Encourages Applications for 21st Century Community Learning Centers
11/11/08:
The Kentucky Out-Of-School Alliance would like to encourage, local school districts, community and faith-based organizations, as well as other qualifying private and governmental organizations to apply for a 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC) Grant. The 21st CCLC grants are offered through the Kentucky Dept. of Education as part of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), Title IV, Part B, "to design and implement effective out-of-school programs that improve student achievement and social development."

To learn more about the Request for Application and further details, please visit the Kentucky Dept. of Education, Office of Leadership and School Improvement's website at
http://education.ky.gov/KDE/Administrative+Resources/Grant+In

Phyllis Elder Receives 21st Century Champion Award
11/03/08: In appreciation of her outstanding efforts to champion out of school time programs, Phyllis Elder, Kentucky Child Now’s Kentucky Out of School Alliance Coordinator was honored on Wednesday, October 26, in Louisville with the 21st Century Champion Award.

The award was presented by the 21st Century Community Learning Centers (CCLC) State Advisory Council in recognition of Phyllis’ commitment to helping children succeed. “I was very surprised, grateful and feel truly humbled to receive this award” said Phyllis. “My goal has always been to make a difference by giving children the opportunity to be inspired and to dream. In my previous position as a 21 CCLC Director, I witnessed first-hand how an afterschool program can change the life of a child." "The biggest eye-opener for me was on a field trip to celebrate the completion of Pirates of the Deep Blue Sea curriculum,” said Phyllis as she shared a personal experience. “Our group was staying at the Embassy Suites – not because we had money, but because we could save money by having more children in the two room suites. When we walked through the door and stepped into the lobby, a little girl looked up in awe at the splendor of the atrium’s glass ceiling and said 'Am I dreaming?' My chest tightened and I started to tear up as I looked at this little girl’s face.”

Phyllis continued, “The next morning, two young boys were stunned and amazed that they could go up as many times as they wanted to the complimentary breakfast. ‘You mean we can eat as much as we want?!’

Phyllis noted that it was during that 24-hour period that she recognized that these children were hungry—hungry in the most literal sense of the word, but also hungry to learn more about the world around them. Their afterschool program offered them the opportunity to see the world around them in a new light and to dream BIG.

“So many times we look at ‘the numbers’, the statistics, the outcomes, etc. to justify the need for out of school programs, when we need look no further than into the eyes of a little girl who for the first time has seen the world open up to her,” said Phyllis. “A world filled with possibilities and opportunities. A world she may never had seen without her afterschool program.”

Afterschool Advocacy Efforts in Washington Pay Off: Congressional Representatives Chandler & Whitfield join the Afterschool Congressional Caucus.
06/09/08:
“It was amazing. My congressmen took the time to listen to what I had to say and cared enough to help!” Paige Hudman, an 8th grade student and afterschool champion from Lawrenceburg, KY, found herself in an place many advocates can only dream of – in arms reach of some of Kentucky’s most powerful and influential congressional leaders.

In honor of the seventh annual Afterschool for All Challenge, Paige along with nine other children from across Kentucky and fourteen adult advocates made a trip to Washington, D.C. in May. The group representing Kentucky Afterschool Network, a partnership between Kentucky Child Now and the Kentucky Department of Education, went to educate and inform congressional leaders as to the benefits of afterschool programs and the challenges they face.

Soon after, Paige would learn that her words did make a difference. Not one, but two of Kentucky’s Congressman, Representative Ben Chandler and Representative Edward Whitfield signed on to participate in the Afterschool Congressional Caucus, a bipartisan group of legislators who have joined forces to build support, raise public awareness and to increase resources for quality afterschool programs.

“As part of the advocacy efforts, the Kentucky Afterschool Network felt it was important that our congressional leaders heard about afterschool programs first-hand, from the very children and youth that attend the programs or in the case of Paige, who do not have access to quality afterschool programming,” said Mary Kate Poling, Executive Director for Kentucky Child Now. “As a group we met with numerous legislators including: Senator Mitch McConnell, Representative Ben Chandler, Representative Geoff Davis, Representative Hal Rogers, and Representative Edward Whitfield. We were also able to meet with legislative aides from the offices of Senator Bunning.”

Phyllis Elder, Kentucky Afterschool Network Coordinator for Kentucky Child Now stated, “We feel honored that Representative Chandler and Representative Whitfield not only took the time to listen to each of our personal stories and experiences, they asked questions and – after all was said and done – they understood the need for a voice representing Kentucky’s children in the Afterschool Congressional Caucus.”

Since its inception in 2008, the Kentucky Afterschool Network has grown to 245 stakeholders – an increase of 400% in a matter of months—and is working to ensure that our state’s children and youth have access to quality afterschool programs by creating a sustainable state-wide structure that will influence local, state and national policy. “By joining the national caucus, Representative Chandler and Representative Whitfield, will represent over 121,000 students – like Paige – and the working families across Kentucky who depend on afterschool programming,” said Poling. “It’s a first step – a big step – in what promises to be a long and rewarding journey to help Kentucky’s children.”

To learn more about the Kentucky Afterschool Network or how you can help to support an afterschool program in your area, please contact Phyllis Elder, Kentucky Afterschool Network Coordinator for Kentucky Child Now at www.kychildnow.org.

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Safety Beyond the Bricks & Mortar
Internet safety training now offered through the Training Institute!
06/09/08:
Kentucky Child Now has joined forces with national internet safety advocate and educator, Doris Settles to offer a range of internet safety training. The trainings will address the advent and growth of social networking sites and the safeguards necessary to navigate the web both safely and responsibly.

“We realize that young people, today, know so much more about computers and technology. These trainings help parents and professionals realize what is ‘out there’ and what they can do to protect their kids from predators,” said Mary Kate Poling, Executive Director for Kentucky Child Now.

Settles recognizes the importance of including both youth and adults in the search for effective tools, strategies and safeguards and in doing so, has adopted a unique and powerful communication style. “Her continuous commitment to youth and adult partnerships has allowed her to transcend the communication barriers often found between generations – barriers that seem to compound online,” said Jennifer Watson, Kentucky Child Now Training Manager. “By modeling successful youth and adult partnerships, Doris’ message is as effective with a 16 year-old high school student as it is with their parents.”

“The challenges surrounding the internet require that we work together to make informed, realistic and purposeful decisions about when, what, where, why and how we embed technology into whatever we are doing,” notes Settles. “Finding that balance isn’t easy, and will be different for each of us and the communities in which we live. But ignoring that the problem exists by pulling the plug isn’t the answer. Similarly, opening the door wide and embracing technology just for the sake of embracing it creates a Pandora’s box of problems that can get quickly out of control.”

Upcoming trainings will model the positive youth development approach and will offer an insightful perspective that allows everyone – both youth and adults– the opportunity to protect themselves from online predators and to explore the permanency of online behavior.

To increase your knowledge concerning the online environment or to learn more about upcoming internet safety summits across Kentucky, call Jennifer Watson, Kentucky Child Now Training Manager.

Top 5 Tips for a Social Networking Site:

• Use all the privacy settings that are available (including opting out of the capability for search engines to index your site), but do not think that this means your information really is private. Privacy settings are easily hacked, but you still want to put any as many barriers against your information and criminals as you possibly can. You lock your house when you leave, right?
• Approve all comments before allowing them to be posted on your page. Your page is a reflection of YOU, so make sure there is nothing on it that will reflect negatively on you. What you allow others to post on you site may destroy your future.
• Regularly review the profiles of anyone your profile links to as a friend. You are known (and judged) by the company you keep, F2F and virtually.
• If you don’t want to see a picture or text posted in the cafeteria at school or in the sanctuary on Sunday morning, don’t put it online. Looking suggestive might be fun, but it may cost you a job or a college scholarship. And documentation of a crime (like underage drinking or drug use) may cost you your freedom.
• And most important, realize that anything, text or photo, instantly goes out of your control when it is posted online…permanently. In effect, you are giving everyone in the world permission to save and use your photos or information…forever…in any way they want.

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Bridges Out of Poverty – Save the Date!
12/17/07
Bridges Out of Poverty, a conference sponsored by the Health Foundation of Greater Cincinnati, the Ohio School Based Health Center Association and the Kentucky School Based Health Care Network of Kentucky Child Now, will be held April 1 & 2, 2008 in Cincinnati.

The conference will feature, Dr. Ruby K. Payne, best-selling author of Frameworks of Poverty and Bridges Out of Poverty and Phillip Devol, author of Getting Ahead in a Just-Gettin’ – By World: Building Your Resources for a Better Life. Two main seminars will be presented: Frameworks of Understanding Poverty and Bridges Out of Poverty, and will bring a message of understanding economic diversity to community leaders, educators, social workers and other service providers. Participants will learn how they can redesign programs and work within their local communities to improve outcomes for people who live in poverty.
To learn more about Dr. Ruby K. Payne or review the schedule of events visit The Health Foundation of Greater Cincinnati’s website at:
www.healthfoundation.org/rubypayne

Register Now!

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Youth Advisory Council Member Wins State Essay Contest
2/14/08
Martin Luther King, Jr. Essay
By: Dominique G. Norris, 9th Grade, Scott County High School
On August 28, 1963, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. shared his dream with America, and his dream became a vision, and the vision became a mission and the mission became reality for me. I am the grandson of former slaves, but I have never known the divisiveness of segregation. In school, we, little black boys and girls and little white girls and boys, joined hands and walked together as brothers and sisters just as Dr. King had dreamed. And now, I have a home in the Promised Land that Dr. King could only view from the mountaintop. I have a share in the wealth of this great country as a legitimate heir cashing a check written to my father. I am living his dream.

Dr. King’s dream has inspired a dream in me. I dream of a day when kids feel as loved and accepted by their own families as they do in their gangs. I dream of a time when teenage girls think it’s hot to be intelligent and chase. In my dream, young people no longer escape abuse and violence at home through the pipe and pills. I dream of a society where we are hired for our skills, not to meet a quota. I dream of a country where there are more young black men in college than in prison. I dream of the day when my cousin and all our courageous young soldiers come home from Iraq and the Iraqi children can play and go school in peace. I dream of a President who sends as many soldiers to keep the peace and save the people of Africa as were sent to make war and save the oil of Arabia.

I owe a lot of people, who endured the slings and arrows, the whips and shackles, the taunts and jeers, and even the noose, but never gave up their faith in God, their dignity or their integrity.

I strive to repay this debt by living their dream and making it a reality. I am taking advantage of the educational opportunities that Poppa and Granny didn’t have, but they worked so hard that I might have them. I will carry myself with pride and dignity, because I owe them.

I will respect my sisters; I will not call them demeaning names or treat them with disrespect. I owe that to the strong women who have nurtured me.

I will not look and act like a thug, as racists have always portrayed young black men to be. I will not carry a gun, I will not use violence to get what I want, but I will work and earn all that I acquire. I will not become a father until I am man enough to marry and able to support a family. I owe that to my father and grandfather.

When I am judged not by the color of my skin, but by the content of my character, I want my character to be found worthy.

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