This article was written by Danielle

Dear Youth,

You may think it’s on you. It’s not. Don’t worry about that.

It’s not all your fault. The American family is more broke than your pockets are right now. Your community forgot that you were the future, that your pubesecent fire and vigilance needed to be harnessed for a positive movement. Heck, they forgot you are a movement. Forgive us, we’re too busy playing with our new I-phones. All youth deserve some command and coaching, moreso some adulation, affection and attention. You deserve some love. And quite frankly, you didn’t really get it.

So you sure showed us. You exist. And we see you. Loud and clear.

See, I can’t insult your intelligence because you could kill me in video games, outsmart me with your youthful wit, challenge me with your candor. You can outdance me with these new moves, steal me with your style, and overwhelm me with social networks. Your generation progresses the internet, pushing the intellectual envelope. You’re more creative, more outspoken and more adventurous than we ever were. Your challenges are different than ours ever could be. The ‘hood is under the magnescope of evil-minded capitalism, and the heat continues to rise. I’m sure you know what I’m talking about. Before you could walk, you knew how to juke. You can reach into the cookie jar of drugs, weaponry and sex. We used to reach for cookies.

Look, let me keep it 100 with you. (You still say that, right?) We don’t totally understand you guys. If we did, we would be able to attack the problems. You’d all be happy children going to school and holding hands. But we don’t get you. And there are some problems that need to be solved. All this killing, impregating, and drug usage? It’s not going to help you out in the long run. It’s a big issue. And you may not want to hear it, but needs to change.

Dear youth, I won’t preach like Creflo, nor will I scold you like a boiling pot. I’m just going to listen. Tell me, youth. Tell me what is on your mind. What’s bothering you? What are you afraid of? I’d love to know. Because I’m thinking the first step in bridging the gap is the pure prospect of hearing what makes you angry, what makes you cry, what makes you smile, what makes you laugh. I won’t judge like Judy. Just tell me.

Okay, I’ll leave you with this. You will always go where your mind goes. What you think, is what you are. I know you’ve probably been through Dante’s Inferno before you hit adolescence. I know you’ve suffered a lot. I’m praying for you guys. They say keep your head up. I say keep it moving. You can make it. I know you can.

Love y’all,

Nate Wilson