Why I have hope...
My daughter was born 23 years ago this week. I remember when her mom was delivering and gave that final push that brought Isa into the world, we were so thankful there had not been any complications. The doctor asked if I wanted to cut the umbilical cord. Now I was excited to be a dad for the second time, and I knew that was a tradition for some people, but my first thought was, “Isn’t that what we are paying you to do?” I’ve never heard a mechanic say, “I went ahead and changed your oil, would you like to do the flush and fill?” Or a pilot come over the intercom and say, “Looks like we’re about 60 miles outside of Milwaukee, anyone wanna come up here and land this bird?” My point is, you’re getting paid to do a job, finish the job! I told the doctor I would let him go ahead and do what he spent all those years in medical school learning how to do. He chuckled. Isa’s mom rolled her eyes and laughed too. Then we, along with our parents, our siblings, and a very proud big brother, celebrated the birth of our precious Isa!
From the moment I laid eyes on her I was gone! I tell people all the time that my son stole my heart and my daughter stole my soul! No matter how old she is, she will always be my precious baby. She takes after her daddy in so many ways, and one of the biggest ways is her love of Hip Hop and the arts. Just recently, as we were talking about her future she said that Hip Hop is her life blood! It’s what brings her the most joy in the arts and in life period. There were hints of this at an early age.
When Isa was in 3rd grade her school was having a talent show. She wanted to be in it, and she came home from school and asked if she could perform “Children’s Story” by Slick Rick. Now keep in mind that this is around 2012 and that song came out in 1988. I asked her if she knew the words and she immediately started performing it for me. My jaw dropped! But as excited and impressed as I was, I told her it might not be a good idea since even though it has a good message, there’s a lot of violence in it. Then her next question nearly made me fall on the floor! She asked if she could perform Hey Young World instead. Now for true Slick Rick fans, Hey Young World is a certified classic, but it’s not a song the average person would know or certainly even know the words to. Once again I asked her to prove she knew it and without missing a beat she started rapping it.
My mind was officially blown! Of course I don’t know why I was so surprised. My kid’s mom and I were very intentional about exposing them to classic Hip Hop and R&B music. Both of them loved to perform songs by New Edition, Michael Jackson, and The Gap Band. They both have been A Tribe Called Quest fans for as long as they can remember. Isa’s favorite movies are Breakin 1 and 2. We didn’t get everything right as parents, but we definitely got giving our kids great taste in music very right!
I told her she could perform Hey Young World, but I thought I should warn her that most people, if anyone, wouldn’t know what she was singing. That didn’t bother her at all. That’s when I realized how fearless she was. Not that she didn’t have any fear, just less fear than most people I knew. That was the moment she became one of my biggest artistic inspirations. She is never shy about how anxious or nervous she is when it’s time to perform, but the key is, she is not fearful she is fearless. She pushes through the fear and as a result she has less of it.
All her life I’ve been astonished by her willingness to take risks. From getting on stage and performing Slick Rick in the 3rd grade, to leading protests against the brutal murders of Ahmaud Aubrey, Breonna Taylor, and George Floyd, to going to college to study musical theater and then moving to New York City to live out her dreams. Everything about her life inspires me. And what I also know is that Isa is just one of so many young people I meet through my work and travels that gives me hope for both the present and the future.
I call this generation the “We have had enough” generation. I believe this generation is a generation that is ready, willing, and more than capable to make change for the better. And if you are an adult that believes that too, then we need to make sure we do a few things to help clear the path for them as they create a better world for us, them, and those coming behind them.
We can C.L.E.A.R. a path for young people by being:
Consistent – Dependability + Predictability = Trust
Living Examples – Model the behavior we expect from young people
Empathetic – The world young people have to live in, they did not create.
Audacious – Support young people with a daring and shameless boldness
Respectful – Recognize the value of young people and what they have to offer our world
I'd love to come work with you and your program, school, or community.
Let's connect and figure out how to make it happen. Click here and reach out.
We've also created a resource that can serve as a guide for young people you work with that want to make a difference in their world, country, communities, and schools. Please download it, share it and use it as you see fit.
And here's a short powerful video of a spoken word poetry piece that Isa wrote for the Above & Beyond violence prevention and mental health campaign.
Please watch, reflect, and share this video with your network.
As always, thank you so much for the work you do,
but most importantly for the person you are.
Also don't forget to share this to your socials!
I love you because I am you!
