Astounding! I just heard Geoffrey Canada at the First Unitarian Society of Plainfield, NJ (FUSP). Geoffrey’s the president and CEO of the Rheedlen Centers in NYC. His talk was about youth violence in America, tapping into his personal counseling experience. Besides being a great speaker, he is able to succeed in and bridge the gap between the world of public policy and the world of street violence in Harlem.
His main points:
- Adults need to be more involved in the lives of today’s youth. Parents especially, but also all adults must work with parents to create a supportive environment.
- Adults cannot be afraid of violent youth.
- The lack of spirituality in the lives of youth leads to a lack of foundation with which to interpret advertising and commercialism, leading to a value system based on clothes, jewelry, cars, guns, drugs, etc.
- The government has too much emphasis on the back-end of social improvement (prisons, law enforcement) and not enough on the front end (community programs).
Interestingly, Canada is a martial arts black belt and teaches this skill, but this is not a contradiction. He embraces power and self-expression without embracing violence. He earns respect for his strength without fighting.
I’m excited to read his book, Fist Stick Knife Gun : A Personal History of Violence in America.