This book will explore “Why some young urban males succeed even against the odds when so many others do not.” This topic of discussion was born out of endless discussions with parents who are raising and have raised young males in urban cities or inner cities. Over the last ten years, I have traveled to urban cities throughout America. I have attended conferences on youths, families, re-entry and education and the common theme throughout them all were “what to do about our young urban males?”
Chapter 1 “The Problem with Young Urban Males”
It was the early spring of 2006, as I sat on a wooden handmade chair inside the conference room of Yale Child Study. I was attending one of their weekly partnership meetings. As always, I was attempting to redirect the group back to addressing the issue of urban gun violence. I “laid it all down” to them about what I was seeing from my eyes as a Black cop who was out everyday walking the beat in an area that was leading the city in firearm related homicides and assaults.
I told them “these young males out there today are being set up. Many of them live in single parents homes, which almost will insure that they live below the poverty line. A condition then contributes to access to poor health care, and substandard housing. Most minority males in almost any urban city in the America is at a greater disadvantage for quality education and educational opportunities. In addition, for those living in New Haven the challenge is so severe that when a young Black, Latino/Hispanic male from the city attends Yale University it is viewed as an anomaly. With many fathers in jail or just absent, mothers working two and three part-time jobs, secondary family fragmented, the State of our youth are in crisis.”
One of the directors of Yale Child Study looked at me and said, “well Shafiq, You made it. What was so different from you, because you are from that same environment?”
Damn! I said to myself. He is right. Is it about the environment you come from? Is it about the color of your skin? Is it about home much money your parents make? Does it matter rather you have two or one parent? Does it matter if you go to a public of private school? Is it about extended family? Your religion? Your looks? Is it about self-values and morals? As I sat there, all these things ran through my head in 10 seconds. To be honest, I really could not give an answer that day; the burden that was placed on me was more than I could bear. Notwithstanding that given, the company I was in, my response would have served as the “official response” for an entire urban minority community. So I………
This book will explore “Why some young urban males succeed even against the odds when so many others do not.” This topic of discussion was born out of endless discussions with parents who are raising and have raised young males in urban cities or inner cities. Over the last ten years, I have traveled to urban cities throughout America. I have attended conferences on youths, families, re-entry and education and the common theme throughout them all were “what to do about our young urban males?”
This book will examine the elements that contribute to problems that arise in raising young urban males. It will address the core values that are essential in producing leaders from young males who reside and or visit inner cities. The book is packed with resources that parents, teachers, clergy, law enforcement officers and social workers can use to aid them in their journey in molding positive young urban males.
Pre-order paperback copies will be available for purchase after April 2013
Young Urban Males scheduled to be released in Spring 2013
Urban Gun Violence Prevention Program
Young Urban Males 