Got A Teen Listen Up
In the 6th grade my son had a teacher that would change his academic life forever.
The teacher was a loving strict disciplinarian who gave each and every child in his class a voice and several opportunities to succeed. Parents of a six grader wanted their child in my son’s class.
At home I was grooming my son to develop projects that made him happy and contributed to his life success. After basket ball my son desired to perform on stage with his best friend cousin. Both were trained and influenced to dance to hip-hop by an older sibling. Then, rapping became the second most desired thing to do after high school basketball where they both were captains of their high school teams.
Our family was blessed that our young men were not involved in the streets in a big way. Living were we lived they were challenged to join everyday. Many of their friends lost their young lives or went to prison. It was a tumultuous time for young Black youth however before my son went to college he came to tell me that after college he will pursue becoming a lyricist in Hip Hop as his career. With the violence in the Hip Hop in the late nineties in the music industry I worried. Still, I encouraged him to be positive hoping in college he would become a lawyer like his cousin, a well known entertainment lawyer that was a strong mentor. Afterall, she encouraged my son to take pre-law as a major in undergrad.
At the time I had been volunteering for the NAACP’s Afro Cultural Technological Scientific Olympics (ACTSO) as well as teaching entrepreneurship at an alternative high school. The new category in the Olympics was entrepreneurship. So the spring of my son’s last semester of high school when he was facing serious finals, I told my son he had to compete in ACTSO’s Olympics at the city level in entrepreneurship since he would be pursuing a career in music. Of course he complained that he was too busy with school finals and his music.
However, I told him that if he was going to pursue Hip Hop as a career he was going to learn as much as he could in entrepreneurship and I was not playing. We fought and argued a lot until I kept silent and he knew he better do what I asked. I even got the silent treatment from him. After the battle, he gave in last minute and somewhat discombobulated he won by default in Boston and got the opportunity to compete in New York City with hundreds of ambitious high school competitors in every category.
Coaching my son in the foundations and fundamentals of entrepreneurship was my job. With little internet access back then my son created a display for a Hip Hop Radio and TV Commercial Business. His display was a blinking masterpiece that inadvertently captured the eyes of all the participants and judges. He did not win the national competition, however judges told him that he came in 4th for his idea.
On the plane home my son kneeled done next to my chair and said “ Mom thank you so much for making me do that competition I learned so much and I met some incredible entrepreneurs and friends.”
Today, my son and my nephew have traveled all over the world performing and setting up hip hip shows. They have independently produced countless songs and albums. Known for their lyricist abilities, they have worked with renown hip hop and R&B artist, produced and contributed to many world wide album releases, opened a agent booking service, developed a clothing line, set up programs for youth, lectured at major universities and contributed to Harvard University ’s Hip Hop museum. My son and my nephew have in fact saved many youth’s lives with their work ethics and their prestige in this genre.
Today, many of our youth are challenged by life, the wealth gap, homlessness and joblessness. I believe as a mom, an educator, community activists and a serial entrepreneur that training our youth in entrepreneurship is a must. Unfortunately, most school trainings teach the theory and that is great but I believe training should extend to the home were family can learn too and contribute there best. You see the family should participate as a whole in encouraging, guiding and sharing historical family experiences in entrepreneurship.
Youth from 13-25 whether or not they pursue a career in any industry will benefit from learning to take care of self and family. In fact, I believe that we all can turn our interest into an entrepreneurship project to make money and to fulfill our happiness.
That is why my company has created the Entrepreneurship Apprenticeship Practicum Program, a self-directed entrepreneurship class. EAP- Training http://www.ebony100.net is ready.
For $49.00 your child ages 13-21 can be encouraged to get a head of the curve and create an entrepreneur project or do a related experience practicum she is interested in right from the comforts of home where her family can support, learn and participate.
Marie Firmin, President
mfirmin@ebony100.com
617-803-0937
