Building Prospects, Not Suspects

When I travel throughout the country working in schools, I have the opportunity to interact firsthand with very diverse groups of students. And yet it seems that no matter where I travel, there are some common threads that tie together the experiences of young people today. One of these threads, unfortunately, is the desire of so many of our young people to emulate the images that they see on television and other popular media outlets. The problems with this emulation manifest themselves in many different ways, one of which is the "fashion trend" of young men sagging their pants. 


We can debate all day long whether how young men wear their pants has anything at all to do with what their futures hold. But what we can no longer debate is that if we want to build prospects, not suspects, we need to teach ALL of our young men - regardless of race, culture, socioeconomic status, age - that when they pull up their pants, hold their heads high, look people in the eye, and speak words of respect, they THEMSELVES are able to show America that they are prospects and not suspects. 


See, we OWE it to our future generation to hold each and every one of them accountable for greatness. And we have to start somewhere. I challenge you to start a conversation with your colleagues and friends in schools, faith-based institutions, community organizations, and even your own families about the importance of no longer tolerating our young men wearing their pants so low. Period. I challenge you to start using my motto "Heads up; Pants up; Grades up" with the young people in your life. Drill this motto into them. Let them know that you love them and that you EXPECT greatness from each and every one of them. It's not about judging them; it's about holding them - and ourselves - accountable for their futures. 


What are we waiting for?