Universal Greetings with Respect,
It would be a travesty of justice to approach the subject of At-Risk Youth without addressing how people of color are affected since the largest number of At-Risk Youth are of color. Three primary areas of concern are:
1.Our higher rate of incarceration, from juvenile to state penitentiaries, compared to our white counterparts.
2.Our limited access to affordable and quality health care.
3.The lack of appropriate pay for qualified teachers to work in economically deprived areas with our at-risk youth–the shadow kids.
I am aware that it is impossible for a single person to speak to all of the opinions, experiences and ideologies of a race of people however, is my desire to express as much as I am able based upon my exposure.
As a Black man living in America it is obvious that I (We) are attending way too many funerals of our youth. Yet there is a greater number of youth who are physically alive according to medical sources, but to those of us who know them, we know that they are dying–spiritually, intellectually and emotionally due to the infestation of negativity and mis-education. We have...