Our Prize

We’ve taken our eyes off the prize.

Our gifts.

Our babies.

Our children.

Our future.

For too long. Far too long. Far too lost.

Far too many, too far gone.

Today, the things that matter most to our youth shouldn’t.

And the ones who should matter most, don’t.

The things they want to be, they’ll never see.

The things they should see, they’ll probably never be.

Why?

Because, we’ve taken our eyes off the prize.

So tomorrow, it’s time to reclaim our young generation.

I know it’ll be hard. I know it will be tough.

We’ll have to reach way down to get to them. To dark dungeons of media, society and environment where demons in gold shackles and golden smiles dwell.

And loom large.

To kill their dreams.

And when we get to our children, it’ll be just as hard to lift them up to see the light. To take them from where they are, to where they need to go to grow.

We’ve taken our eyes off the prize.

So now, we’ll have to fight for and with our own babies.

And, sometimes, some of us will get beaten. Some of us will give up. Many of us have.

But I know I’m not afraid or alone. For when it’s time to battle, I will stand tall next to three warriors, rather than cower beside 300 cowards.

And when I’m fighting all those damn demons, I’ll get weary. But find courage and strength I’ll need, Lord help me, in others.

So every day, and every tomorrow, I will fight. And focus. On my vision of a better world and way for my babies. And our children.

While never taking my eyes off the prize.

R. Lee Gordon

The National Black TEEN Empowerment Expo (501c3)
rgordon@nbtee.org
734.395.3079

UniTee Design, Inc.
rgordon@uniteedesign.com
888.our.rbg.tees

The Better Detroit Youth Movement (501c3)
rgordon@betterdetroityouth.org
313.516.8384

Youth Life

Of all the topics we can talk about with our teens and young adults sex appears to be the most prevalent talked about subject discussed by teens and their peers. Since it appears that discussions about sex are important to this age group it also needs to be important to the parents of these youth. I realize that talking to your youth about sex might be a daunting task, but parents must be as open minded as possible.
Some people believe that teens and young adults are having more sex than ever before. On the other hand, some believe this age group of young people is not as active as we believe and sex is not as widespread as it appears. Although we might have some disagreement about teens and sex I think we should research it for ourselves. What do you know about youth and sex? Well, somebody is doing something because teens and young adults account for about 65% or more of the new HIV cases that are being reported today. This is the fastest-growing number of any segment of the population. It is also the result of somebody doing something! The questions are: Why is this happening? Who can we blame? How can we go about educating our teens and young adults in today’s society?
I know that parents have a tough job and odds are against them, but discussing sex is a must. It cannot be ignored. I realize parents have to compete with the media, television, friends, and the internet to get their youth’s attention. These obstacles make it harder to reach our youth. However, it is not impossible; the obstacles just make it more challenging. In order for parents to be more creative, they might have to invest in a day trip. Go somewhere-a place where you both can relax. It will make talking about sex and all that it entails a little easier. Again, sex is a vital part of human life. It cannot be overlooked or ignored.

Youth Life Through the Eyes of Teens and Young Adults

Teens and young adults are a vital part of our future. It is sad to say, but they often feel they are ignored. Most of us are living our adult life and are not giving much attention to our teens or young adults who come home from college during weekends and various breaks. Many of us believe that our children will figure out life by themselves because we had to, no one gave us any life instructions or coaching. However, times are different and every parent, not just some parents, needs to be a part of their children’s lives.
Some teens are being influenced by negativity that surrounds their world. One might say that teens and young adults’ negative/risky behavior is based on what they see and hear. On the other hand, one might say lack of self-esteem and self-confidence can lead teens and young adults to engage in deviant behavior.
Most teens believe we (adults) are too hard on them and we need to see their lives through their eyes and maybe we will understand the pressure they are under. Being a teen or young adult can be very challenging, dangerous, scary, and painful. Sometimes teens and young adults are forced to make decisions on situations in which they have no experience.
Life’s lessons must be taught. Sometimes this is a bumpy ride for teens, young adults and even their parents. Society as a whole has a responsibility to provide our youth with the tools they need to live a healthy life style. We need to make sure we go out of our way to provide them with the tools to be successful and make wise decisions. We need to discuss topics such as, leadership, peer pressure, conflict resolution, drugs and tobacco usage, and abstinence. We need to also address values, self-esteem, money management, depression, and others. I agree…it takes a whole village to raise a child.