Shorty: Your Chicago South Side Resource

I know I’m a little late with sharing this, but here it is now.

I attended Michael Baisden’s One Million Mentor Tour on Thursday, May 27^th at The New Regal Theater. The turnout for the event was disappointing.  When it started at 7:00, there were only about 100 people.  By the time it ended at 8:30, there were only about 300 people.  Overall, it was a good event, and I’m going to share some of the highlights of the event.

Inspired by the death of Fenger High School honor student, Derrion Albert, Michael Baisden set out to promote mentoring for young people. Thus, the One Million Mentors Tours was created.  Chicago was the 61^st stop on the 72 city tour.

There was panel of six professionals promoting the power of mentoring.  In addition to Michael Baisden and George Willborn, panel members included news personality Garrard McClendon; Regina Evans, County Club Hills Chief  of Police; La’Keisha Gray-Sewell, Chair-Windy City Cares Mentoring Circle or the National Cares Mentoring Movement; and Dr. Felicia Blasingame, President/CEO of South Center Community Services.

Sad But True Facts

• People don’t really care about the violence that’s occurring until it affects them directly.
• The black community needs to get mad about all the violence going on.
• Markham juvenile court is the busiest juvenile court in the COUNTRY, not county.
• Most crimes are committed by children. Gang recruitment is a contributing factor.

Garrard McCLendon

• He told Derrion Albert’s mother that he felt closer to her because of the death of his parents than to anyone else at that time.
• He admitted to forgiving the people who killed his parents before getting to the crime scene.
• Black folks have to bring a gift and take a life.
• He mentioned all of the people who helped him as a youngsters from mentors to his boys scout den mother, and encourage adults to mentor young people.

Regina Evans

• Where there’s dope, there are gangs.  Where there are gangs, there are guns.  Where there are guns, there’s violence.  The community needs to get involved and report what they see.
• There are not enough police officers serving due to budget issues.  They cannot fight crime without the help of the community.
• Grammar schools are just as bad as high schools.
• She has seen the streets undo what had good parents have done.
• She admonished the audience to stop judging young people, and to start encouraging them.
• She told parents to start being detectives in their homes.  Stop letting kids lock their doors.  Stop giving them privacy.
• Save a life by turning someone in.
• People on the streets can and do influence your children.
• Children are breaking into houses on a dare.  They are also being punked out.  Some even pay toll money to get to school.

George Willborn

• George’s public service announcement: Whip your kids.  Not beat them.  Sidebar: Before they end up whipping you.
• He apologized to young people in the audience because adults have “dropped the ball.” We didn’t do what we were supposed to do to make sure they were protected and safe.
• He encouraged men to date their daughters so they will know how to be treated and respected.  This will reduce their likelihood of picking bums to date.
• He had all the honor students to stand up for recognition by the audience.  He encouraged non-honor students to not give up and to keep striving.
• Last year, 38% of the students killed were honor students.
• He told young people to have people to earn their friendship; don’t just give it away.  He used Michael Vick as an example of someone trying to “keep it real” after gaining success.  He lost everything plus two years of his life for trying to “keep it real” with his “friends” who turned him in for dog fighting.
• Children have too much privacy.  We need parent; not be their friends.  Look in drawers; look at cell phones to see what type of pictures are coming in and going out; look under mattresses.

Michael Baisden

• He pointed out that men and women should look at the parents of their mate before having children by those people.
• Mentors sometimes need to save children from their parents.
• There are more white men and women mentoring black children than black men.  This is not a race issue, this is a caring issue.

La’Keisha Gray-Swell

• Honor is missing from our community.  Children are watching what we do.  How can we teach them to do things differently from what we’re doing?

• Adults need to reach young people before we go to funerals.
• Be mindful of the words we speak to young people. Speak hope.

Dr. Felicia Blasingame

• She shared her story about growing up in public housing, a traditional environment of failure.  She had to walk to school through the midst of a war zone.  She was told that she would never amount to anything because she lived in the projects.  In high school, someone told her, “We are not going to give up on you.  We just can’t…You get your act together.”
• She currently runs 22 programs throughout the City of Chicago and one in East St. Louis.
• She encouraged young people not to let anyone tell them what they cannot do.
• Your environment has nothing to do with your intelligence.
• She told parents to get involved in their child’s programs.
• We need to get these children off the streets and into something constructive.

There was a lot of information shared during the event.  As you can see, I tried to share as much as I could. I didn’t do too bad if I must say so myself.

Shorty’s two cents.  There is a violent epidemic sweeping the black community, and something isn’t done soon, it’s only going to worsen.  Give of yourself today, and mentor a young person.

Do you agree with anything that the panelists shared?  Share your thoughts.