First, the appropriate music must be played (DJ drop that beat)
This is a topic that is very near and dear to me. I think 3 things that inspired me to write this was 1. "Saving Superman", 2. reading my homegirl @T_Lloyd blogpost (which you can read here) and listening to my linesister, @GenishaMone speak at the C.O.O.L. Kids E-board thank-you brunch. (Sit down. Quick storytime.) Creating Our Own Legacy Kids is a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization that was started in 2010. Genisha envisioned helping children in need and her first thought was to duplicate an idea in NYC she had seen before. It was an annual Christmas party for underprivileged youth. A group of us college alumni came together to raise thousands of dollars using grassroots tactics to put on a Christmas party with games, presents, cookie decorating, moon bounce, face painting, food, books, christmas decorations, santa hat making among other things... at no cost to the kids... All they had to give back was a smile showing that they had a great time... For some kids, that is the only joyous moment they have to indulge in. The adversities they face or have faced may be greater than we can fathom ourselves. In 2010, it was an idea. An idea that was thought to be a one-time venture. In 2011, Genisha took it a step further and made it a non-profit. Its going to keep growing and making a difference in NYC. You want to know more or even get involved check us out: www.coolkidsny.org
Now, back to the story. Her speech. She said one thing that honestly made me tear up: "It's a war out there for these kids. They are living in a society where they're shown nothing but failure. I just want to show them that there is a way". She's right. Think about it. There IS a war outside. And that factor right there is what lead me to my choice in career.
I love my job. Its not because of the benefits, not because of the pay, but because I am in a position where I can incorporate health with educating the people around us. There are many days that its hard. So many times I'm stressed. I am the youngest one in my department. There are days I have to take work home to read research to understand my population better when I really should be sleeping. There are meetings where I have to conduct trainings and lectures to doctors, nurses, seasoned health professionals, and city and state government officials. Yet, they doubt my depth of knowledge because I don't have enough letters following my name. There are policies that try to limit the extent of my work or my involvement with the community but I work to bend them to achieve the goal of educating the people. And everyday I have to strive harder and harder to stand my ground and prove that I deserve to be there and I am more capable than anyone else to disseminate health education. My goal is for the department to be more in tune with the needs of the people and I will utilize every moment of my time to do everything I can to make that happen. I do it after work through meetings with various organizations, speaking to youth or adults at conferences about health, and volunteering. It pains me to tell 12 year old girls that they are pregnant. It kills me that a woman was a few weeks away from having a baby but couldn't read the health pamphlet I gave her. I sat with her to read the whole pamphlet to her. It disturbs me knowing that there are teens that have stated that getting pregnant was a surefire way for them to get benefits... its as though they seen it as a last resort to their problems. I have work to do. Sometimes I need to remind myself that sacrifice may give way to solution. The sacrifices we make everyday, may be their solution.
We are fighting a war in our front yard. In our chosen paths, we are fighting for them because they may not be able to. We stand in a position where we can inspire and educate the masses. When I mean we, I don't mean me and Genisha. There are more. Way more. Inspiring you through words. Encouraging you through their actions. Paving the way for you and me... just so we can use our tools to pave the way for others. We are keeping them out of prisons, off the street, and even assisting them in living another day on this earth. I have talked about in other posts about finding your purpose. Well, this is ours. This is mine. As I said before, we have a lot of work to do. And every day we aren't only reaching to advance our careers, but we are also reaching fervently for progress. Progress in the society we live in. Here is my homegirl, another leader in our society, @JamiraBurley. Just as Genisha's calling is to build doors of opportunity for the African American youth when they seemed trapped, her calling is to fight. Its to fight for the voice of our youth in our government and inspire those around us to prevent youth violence. If there is anyone who can hear them calling for help, I can assure you its her. Please watch her speech at the 2010 Campus Progress National Conference. Be inspired. When you hear your calling, please answer.
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