CLEVELAND – Thursday, May 30 grassroots community leaders from across the United States gathered in Cleveland to not only discuss the challenges facing urban youth, but to come up with a comprehensive solution to fix those challenges.
The morning session of the Urban Peace, Justice and Empowerment Summit began with speakers with a common theme – it is up to the people in the room to improve the conditions of the inner city.
“We are the cavalry,” said Dr. Michael Williams, director of African-American studies at CSU. “So saddle up.”
Williams continued and insinuated the African-American is headed toward distinction and urged those in attendance to research their past and who they are.
“We have to ensure we have something to hand over to our next generation,” Williams said. “Sometimes we’re so busy studying other people’s history; we don’t look at our own history.”
Khalid Samad, national organizer of the summit believes a key component of transforming youth from a lie of crime is for young people to develop a sense of spirituality, and spiritually will lead to urban transformation.
“The spirit is the key to movement,” Samad said.
Samad said the believe in something not seen is important to a person’s growth as a human being, he said it is faith that guides people to do good and improve social, economic, and political conditions.
Samad said the summit one aspect of a movement; all people of color are members of. Media such as rap music, advertisements and material culturalism has been toxic to urban communities and their youth.
According to Samad, the 216 area code has the highest representation of prison inmates in Ohio.
“Our house is on fire,” Samad said. “I don’t care who puts it out.”