Open Letter to LeBron James

Original publication date, July 31st 2018

Dear LeBron,

Salute my Brother. Salute.

Last evening I learned that you had taken your time and "talents" to invest in the youth of Akron with the opening of your new school, the I Promise School. As an educator, fellow father of a Black son, mentor and concerned Black man for young men of color, I want to thank you for this and all that you do. With that said, there is something I want you to please consider taking leadership on pertaining to controlling the narrative in which society shall view your students.

Help us end the labeling of our youth as "At-Risk."

As I watched the news of the opening of your school with utter joy and respect I have to be honest and say that a moment of hesitancy came running through my body as I kept seeing the headlines define the children as "At-Risk". The more I searched the more the headlines defined the school as being for "At-Risk children," the more it became the dominant narrative and I began to cringe. For very few words have done more to stunt and hamper the growth and potential of children of color than "At-Risk," even though it is used for all the best intentions of the world.

Labeling, is a very powerful thing when we attach it to someone or something. Labeling is often the tool that is used to determine how we perceive others and, it is through our perception of others, that determines how we act and interact with them. It is the starting point that can define our relationships with others. Thus, when others perceived our youth as "at-risk" it runs the risk of creating a perception of each child based on what they do not have and the potential of creating relationships, whether with their teachers, mentors or community, that is based on a low bar that does little to celebrate or highlight what each young person's potential is to do great things (honor student, college graduate, CEO), but instead celebrates what we have prevented them in not becoming (i.e. dropout, drugs, gangs, etc). Negative narratives have a way of blurring the reality of our youth. I am sure you nor I want that for the children who attend your school.

So that's why we have to end the use of the term "At-Risk"

We need to end it because you want your teachers walking into the school on Day 1 looking at each child as someone with the potential to take over the world. You want each parent and caretaker being advised on the talents that each child has in subjects such as English, math, science and language. Just as a child is told of their great athletic ability and the potential to go "pro" the moment they step on a basketball court, you want your guidance counselors to see the intellectual abilities of their students and tell them of their potential to get an academic scholarship to Morehouse, Harvard, Spellman or Ohio State. That exists right now within each child that will attend your school. What will determine whether they realize their ability is if their teachers, parents and community pushes them to see all they have inside of them rather than what they do not have. The language you use to define them, "at-risk" or "promise", will be what determines their fate.

I could go on forever but I know you are a busy Brother so I want you to think about this. As I watched the opening of your school on the news, I saw a very energetic and spirited child running up the stairwell of the school in amazement. He must have only been 7 or 8 years old. Though it was only a 2 second shot of him, I could see all of the wonder, excitement and possibility in this eyes. For him, he saw the potential to be anything he wants to be. That is why the last thing that you want is for that young man, as well as all of your future students who will be filled with "promise", is to hear and see themselves constantly be labeled and defined, by the media, educators and community, as being "at-risk." So lets get end that word and every negative connotation and narrative that is used to define our youth and instead celebrate, uplift and invest in their "promise"to be all in which you and I know they can and will be because of you.