Plan 13: Playing the Waiting Game

Evening! I know it has been longer than a weekly update but I have been busy thinking and attempting to get everything in order! Within the last couple of weeks, I have managed to open a new bank account, with purpose of saving money! I plan to save atleast 400 a month! I have applied for another part time job, which will bring in more income and increase my savings. I am praying to get a call back soon. I have found a roommate who is also my cousin and we will be making this journey together! We have started applying for jobs in the Atlanta area and praying to atleast get an interview soon in the meantime. We have basically picked out the apartment we are hoping to live in, but we need to go and visit and see what all it has to offer! Until next time, we are just waiting for a call or email!

Next Chapter

Hello! It has been a while! Well, it has been almost 2 years since I graduated from UNCG and I feel it is time for the next chapter in life. We can never allow ourselves to become complacent and we often have to renew our strength! For the next chapter I am proclaiming relocation, I like to call it "Plan 13." Atlanta, here I come! My mind is made up, and my heart is telling me YES! Things I will need to accomplish in order for Plan 13 to be successful are as follows: Save, save, save! Visit one more time! Area and apartment search! Mission find a JOB! Go for it and of course TONS of prayer in between! I will keep you all posted weekly about how things are progressing! Until next time!

Returning Back to Readers

It has been a while since I've blogged! Between working part-time and being a force in the community I finally have found time to blog and it feels great! Over the past month or so I am proud to say that I have organized and hosted 2 great events with the help of great friends and family, Ciara, LaTisha and Caleb. We put together a Silent Youth Rally on November 5, 2011 located in downtown Morganton, NC. We held signs that promoted positivity and gave the community awareness of youth issues. Although the crowd was small, we still had a great time and glad that we proceeded with event. On November 6, 2011 we hosted a Black Girls Rock viewing party located at Mountain View Recreation. We invited young girls of color and watched the annual showing of Black Girls Rock on BET. It was definitely a night to remember. Not only did the young girls go home feeling empowered, so did I. We discussed everything from self-image to what it is like being an African American female in society. I am happy that all the events went well. I wanted to become more hands on and do more so that is what I did. We can talk all day, but it's not worth anything unless we do as well. Actions speak louder than words and I wanted my community to know that If I say I'm going to do then that's exactly what I am going to do. Overall, its been a successful month and looking forward to great things to come in the future.

Girl Effect: Effects of African American Girls: When Socioeconomic Factors Become a Way of Life

Young girls all over the world are facing huge issues that drastically affect their lives in many ways. Socioeconomic factors influence deviant behavior and gang affiliation amongst Afican American women. In the African American communities, usually in the inner city, there is preexisting knowledge about gangs. Children are obtaining knowledge about gang violence both indirectly and directly. Indirect knowledge is obtained by television, movies, and intervention programs. Direct knowledge is obtained by gang members living in a household where there are younger children in the household as well. If these children are not seeing gang members in their homes, they are easily seeing them in their neighborhoods and communities. Studies researched by Cadwallader and Cairns found that by the age of five years old, most children have already been exposed to violence and gang activities in their communities (Source: Cadwallader and Cairns 2002).
Peer Influence
Once children have been exposed to violence and gang activities, they develop the desire to imitate those exposures. Peer influence plays a great role in the desire to imitate deviant behaviors. Children see that with violence and gang activities how quick and easy it is obtain personal success such as money, cars, and “flashy” things. Merton's theory, “goal mean gap,” states that a person wants to obtain a goal, but lacks the legit means to obtain it, which leads to pressure and later results in deviant behavior in order to obtain that goal. Another theory would be the Sutherland “Differential Association” theory. This theory states that if the friends and peers that a person hangs around with are deviant, so is that person. They are more than likely to be participating in those same acts of deviance as their friends and peers. Children who spend a great amount of time with their peers who participate in deviant behavior create a strong correlation of delinquency and substance abuse. Children who abuse drugs such as cigarettes and marijuana are prone to be affiliated with gangs (Source: Cureton 2009; Dishon, Nelson, and Yasui 2005; Wright, Fitzpatrick, and Kevin M. 2006).
Lack of Familiar Structure
Children that participate in deviant behavior and are affiliated with gangs usually lack a family structure in the household. A lot of the time the parents are out working endless jobs and do not have the time to give their children the attention that they need. Most of the times these parents are single parents who find it difficult to raise children on their own. In some cases, the parents may be abusing drugs or even in prison. Situations such as those leads children to become emotional and develop behavioral problems. Burke's research found that emotional and behavioral problems were two to three times higher among children in single-parent homes. Relationships with parents usually are not well structured. Many children develop resentment against parents who do not give them the attention that they need, which results in rebellion and more time away from home. Gangs tend to create a family structure that accepts those who are looking for a family structure. They are able to function like a family because they share a common bond of brotherhood and sisterhood (Source: Burke 1991; Burnett 1999; Danyko, Alira, and Martinez 2002; Fleisher and Krienert 2004; Ruble and Nikki M. 2000; Valdez, Mikow, and Cepeda 2006).
In conclusion, I have drawn from these studies and sources that there are many factors that occur within childhood that can lead to criminality such as deviant behaviors and gang affiliation. These factors were things such preexisting knowledge of gangs and delinquency, peer pressure, and lack of family structure. The African American community is prone to having all of these factors within it, which increases the criminality of the African American women. The thing that we can do as a mentor is to be upfront and honest about the situations and issues, but also be there to give reasonable solutions to those things. Let them know that there is a better way of living and society wants them to think that this is the only way of life, but that is false. Young girls really need our support and our positive influence in their lives. Let's stand together and help them through their troubling times of their backgrounds and help them enter into a new, bright future! Young girls have a right to live above the influence and long, healthy, strong lives!

A Man without a Dream or Vision Will Perish

I had the most amazing opportunity to visit the monument of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. It was the greatest experience. The scenerary was so surreal and I could feel his spirit. It is definitely breath taking and the connection was beyond words. Surrounded by the monument of himself were walls of his most famous quotes. The one that stood out the most was, "Out of the mountain of despair, a stone of hope." This quote speaks volumns. Generation after generation we have all endured a mountain of despair that seemed to be unmoveable, but by the the grace of God and someone such as Dr. King, we have reached a stone of hope. Young people today do not realize this reality nor embrace this history. They believe that hope does not exist. It's beyond sad that they have no idea that hope is what has gotten us all here today where we stand. When you look around and your circumstances may not be what you imagined at this point of life, quickly change your perspective into seeing that we have broken out of the bondage of despair. Those days are behind us, and the future is full of hope and brightness. Live for soemthing, have a dream or a vision. A man without a dream or vision will perish. Utilize the hope that has been instilled in you and believe and walk by faith that you have every right to be destined for greatness. Stand firm and strong on the stone of hope that Dr. King has created for us. That stone of hope what God has placed in our paths as a stepping stone to go forth and live out our full potential.

Take it Back

Sometimes we need to stop and think about how far we have come and take a look back. Take it back to the days when our grandmothers and grandfathers knew what it was to truly struggle. The days when they had to walk miles for water and carry huge jugs back through an old dusty trail. The days when they had to learn to appreciate the value of a penny or a nickel. The days when shoes were worn until the soles fell off. The days when looking out for our brothers and sisters existed. The days when unity meant something. The days when they trusted their brothers and sisters. The days when knowing that times were hard, but had no desire to go out and kill and destroy each other, but lean on the understanding of God and trusting he would provide. Those were the days when respect existed. Today we have no respect for one another. We have no idea how to rub a penny and nickel together. We don't know what it's like to walk miles and miles for a necessity. We ultimately don't know how to appreciate anything. Our generation has missed the mark greatly. It's time that we look back and see how far we have really come. Never forget where you come from and always embrace it. We have grown accustomed to the “good life” and have no idea what it took to get to this point. Compared to back then we have it made, but still don't appreciate anything. It's time to take it back, wayyyyy back!

Reaching Your Dreams

Over this past weekend I had the greatest time! The 2nd Annual Back to School Connection hosted by Rev. Doug Cuthbertson of Honoring God in Ministry and Gaston Chapel A.M.E. Church took place Saturday, August 13, 2011. "Project Tomorrow" had the honor to host a booth called, "Reaching Your Dreams." Ciara Felder and I came together and created a welcoming and encouraging booth for our youth. We surrounded our booth by Goal setting. The kids came by and we taught them about goals and what they were and how to set them, then ultimatly reach them. We were amazed at not only the quantity of kids that came and participated, but at the goals that each kid set for themselves for the upcoming school year. They made stars and decorated them until their hearts could take no more. It was such a joy to see kids young and old have the motivation and desire to set goals for themselves. They motivated me beyond words. This was such a great event and I was so proud that "Project Tomorrow" was able to be a part of it. This was the "opening" for "Project Tomorrow" and definitely not the last of it. Be on the look out because there is so much more to come! This event taught me that goals can be set and reached at any age and to never give up on yourself. If you believe in you and your dream, then anything is possible!