State Representative Johnson and Councilman Jones "get real" with our Teens- By Kristy Baldwin

There are a lot of stigmas behind Philadelphia politicians. Media outlets often portray them as 'fake' 'corrupt' and 'greedy',but, today, I was inspired by two great leaders in Philadelphia. It wasn't the amount of power, nice clothes, or slick brand news cars that impressed me while spending some time with Councilman Curtis Jones and State Representative Kenyatta Johnson,but, it was their ability to talk about issues in such a way that it felt like they were sincerely interested in my group and the paths that these young men are starting on.
Representative Johnson, started the day by greeting our young men at the door with handshakes and a smile. The conversation almost immediately turned to the kids school and social lives, even before we entered the conference room where we were to sit down with Councilman Curtis Jones. It was clear that Kenyatta Johnson really cares about the future of young men in Philadelphia, and he was visibly excited to introduce his friend and mentor, Curtis Jones, to the teens from UYA.
Curtis Jones approached the young men, in a way that wasn't political or pretentious, but as someone, as he says, "from their future". His message to the young men was; that at any instant a decision we make and how we are prepared to handle a situation can alter our paths.
He hammered on the idea that he could have easily ended up dead or behind bars if he had continued down the path he started on as a teen. For councilman Jones, it is not enough to simply avoid trouble, but to also be aware of unknown factors that can alter a young black man's life. He quotes the African proverb "When you see the lion in the woods, be concerned. When you do not see the lion in the woods, be afraid." In other words, he wants these young men to be aware of potential dangers and to know that, in their neighborhoods and in their lives, there are hunters watching them, even when they are unaware. This resonated with my group because of our recent discussions on President Obama's speech to the NAACP, in which he tells African Americans that it is in fact harder for them to essentially 'make it' in this world, but it is up to them to realize this and then work harder toward their goals. This is an idea that these two leaders clearly believe in.
Throughout the day, Jones had many interesting pieces of advice for the young men, one of which was "Being the tallest midget on midget island doesn't impress me" he explains this further when he tells the young men that if they are the smartest ones in the room, then it's time to find a new room, if they are the best basketball player on the team, then it's time to find a new team. "You should strive to be average in the next level up from you, and then you work hard to become the tallest midget, and move on to the very next level". Both Jones and Johnson spoke to the teens, not as though they were future voters, but as future black men who have every opportunity in the world available to them, as long as they work hard, remain focused, and keep pushing for that higher level. As someone who has seen these young men in action, I know this to be true, and I am so very grateful for the time and effort State Representative Johnson and Councilman Jones put in to reaffirming that fact to these bright young men.