We can help kids through school, but can we keep them safe from racism?

The nation is once again shocked by a Black man being murdered by police. This time it was in Nashville, Tennessee.   Below is one of many Tweets that have prompted this post.

I personally know multiple white people who have questioned a police officer after being pulled over (some of them were even intoxicated at the time). None of them were ever told, “Get the fuck out of the car,” or “Bitch put your (hands) behind your back before I break them."
🤔

— Jerome Adams (@JeromeAdamsMD) January 28, 2023

If you have spent any time on this blog over the past 17 years you've seen this graphic, or a version of it.

This shows the goal of organized, volunteer-based tutor, mentor and learning programs, that operate in non-school hours out of neighborhood facilities, which help kids from high poverty areas move through school and into adult lives.  

If enough of these programs were available, in more places and consistently funded, constantly improving, etc., more kids would move through school without detours in the criminal justice system or in need of mental health support.

Here's a concept map that visualizes this same goal.  Note the text box in the lower left corner where I describe a role for volunteers who get involved as tutors and mentors.  

I've never believed that a single mentor can do everything needed to help a youth in high poverty area overcome all of the challenges they face growing up, which I've described in the concept map below. 

Yet I do believe a single volunteers can have a life changing impact.  It's just not predictable in what cases that will happen.  I know that the boy I first met in 1973 when he was in 4th grade says I had a huge impact on his life, but I know he had other people also helping him, including a strong mother.

I've seen countless stories over the past 30 years showing similar life changing mentoring and tutoring relationships.  

Here's what I'm struggling with.  Being Black in America puts you at risk, regardless of how successful you are in business, education, sports, etc.  

You can be running in a park, or driving down a street, and someone will single you out, just because of the color of your skin.  

One of the reasons I support volunteer-based tutor/mentor programs is that they can attract people who don't live in poverty, connect them in one-on-one, on-going relationships with kids who do live in poverty, then slowly educate them of the challenges kids and families face.  

This volunteer growth cycle visualizes that process. See it in this blog article. 

Every time you read about an act of violence or racism against people of color, I urge you to do homework to understand why that is happening and ways you can get involved to help prevent it from happening in the future.

Below are two graphics to consider:

Resource library - links to articles on race, poverty and inequality.  Click here to open

Connect people to this information.

I've used versions of this graphic for over 20 years.  In the middle, the blue box represents libraries of information such as the one I host, and the many that I point to from my library.  You can find many more through your own web searches. You can even build your own.

At the right is a map of Chicago, showing high poverty areas, where kids need extra help and where tutor/mentor programs are most needed.  At the left is a list showing all the people who could be using the information in our libraries to find ways to help kids and families in high poverty areas.

However, as I look at another act of police violence against a grown man, I realize that the is more learning to be done.  Be the YOU in this graphic.

Many of the articles in my library represent starting points in a life-long learning journey.  In this graphic the big circle represents libraries of information. The smaller circles represent groups of people meeting regularly to read small segments of that library and discuss what it means and how they can respond.  In concept its very similar to classroom learning in schools across the world, or to religious circles, where people read scripture and reflect on its meaning.

If you're a volunteer in an organized tutor and/or mentor program working with kids in elementary, middle or high school, start thinking of what future they will have beyond college, getting a job and starting a family.

What can you and people you know do to assure that none of them will be a victim of racial injustice at some point in the future?

I don't know the answer.

I do know that learning can lead to understanding and can show models of how others are trying to solve these problems. And that should stimulate your own thinking of how you, and people you know, can help make a difference.

While this article, and much of my work, focuses on Black youth, racism and hate extend to Asians, Indigenous, Latino and religious groups.  In every case, understanding why and innovating solutions starts with building (or accessing) a library of information.  I encourage others to create their own concept maps and blog articles to draw people to such libraries.  Send me a link to your library and I'll add it to mine.  

Thank you for reading.  Let's do more than "thoughts and prayers" for victims of racism and police violence.