- Mar 17, 2025
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I am Miki Frost. I am numerous things-- a community activist, the creator of the 8218 (8 to eighteen) Truce Centers, a kid, a daddy, a spouse, an individual who has made errors, and a Black man.
The catastrophe at Harding High School has every part of me hurting. A child of our neighborhood is dead. One is in jail.
One will never ever make it to being a man. The other will find out in the courtroom whether he will be charged as an adult or as a juvenile. His actions and his history will influence what the judge chooses. If he is attempted as an adult, and faces adult repercussions, maybe some of his peers will focus and choose not to strike back.
Perhaps.
I have been in the halls of our schools. I have experienced the disrespect to our educators that some (and only some) of our young people show. I have listened to our youths at the Truce Center state that school doesn't matter; state that being to class ready and on time and wishing to find out is a waste.
When did school and education, which were always the path up and out of the hood; end up being the opponent? When did teachers, no matter their race or gender, become the opponent?
When I walk the halls and kids aren't in class and they are asked by the principal where they must be, they trash talk the principal. And part of requiring better is supporting our educators so that our kids understand that while being in school is a right-- it likewise is a privilege.
We held a neighborhood meeting at the Truce Center the day after the murder. We left with contract that the community needs to try to be physically associated with our schools more. We need for our kids to see that grownups in our community support the teachers and expect students to do more than simply attempt to barely pass. That discovering methods that something brand-new is added, that modification has actually occurred. That becoming a grownup is more than just adding years and days-- it is adding worths, it is acting positively, it is caring about more than yourself, it is finding out how to be a part of society. It is being your own personal favorable modification agent.
Often our society appears to be afraid to say no to our kids. My generation discuss how back in the day the next-door neighbor parents and your parents talked with each other; and if somebody's kid was acting the fool, everyone could step in. Now, it seems that our schools are so scared of stating no to kids (not simply ours, however all kids), that the kids believe that they can do anything they desire, anytime they want.
Until events like last Friday happen.
And may occur again.
Maybe in 2020 eliminating the School Resource Officers made sense to some. Not having the defense and deterrence of officers in our schools now, makes no sense. Our schools, all of them require to be safe areas.
Kids from the neighborhood share a history that plainly consists of oppression and even worse. So did their parents, grandparents and more. Bringing weapons to school, bring and utilizing weapons is a choice that our kids are now making. As adults, we have to be clear that those are incorrect options and nothing in the use of our shared history validates that behavior.
Pride in our community is various than utilizing the past to excuse what is clearly criminal habits. I am not happy saying that there is a culture of excuses for the actions of our youth-- but when I hang around in our schools, our rec centers and on the streets, I see all too often kids who feel that they can do what they desire, when they desire. And a lot of our adults are too good at making reasons for those actions.
Let's do much better. Let's honor our moms and dads and grandparents by telling our youth that their task is school. That being on time, being respectful, preparing for not just the future, however their future is their duty.
Which it is the proper thing to do. Period.
And, that it is worth it. Maturing and making a life is worth it.
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