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Crossing one leg over the other I cleared my throat. “Mr. Harvey, if I may. First, I want to apologize for the scene you witnessed earlier.”
“Miss. Howard, I assure you an apology isn’t necessary.”
Okay… So maybe I’m not about to get fired.
I guess he had finished looking for whatever those papers contained because he placed them down on the desk and gave me his undivided attention. “If there was one thing you could change about the way we do things here, what would it be?”
Angling my head to the side, I pondered over his question a second before firing off. “I find that question too difficult to answer.”
“How so?” he countered.
“It really depends on the reason you’re asking. Are you asking because you care and want to make those changes?”
“I assure you I’m not asking to hear myself talk.”
Sighing dejectedly, I rolled my eyes to the ground for a bout before bringing them back to his face. “For starters, this center offers a lot and while there are tons for the kids to do, I feel we lack opportunity.”
“Elaborate for me.” Loosening his tie, Mr. Harvey sat back in the chair awaiting my response.
“The main change I wouldloveto see is something geared toward work force. Especially for the kids that are sixteen and up. Running a ball up and down a court or a field tends to be lucrative if you survive your environment long enough to make it that far. We need opportunities that places them in societal positions. I.E. jobs.
I think we should offer vocational programs like certified nursing assistant, heating ventilation and air conditioning, barbering, and even beauty courses. That way when they do graduate, they’ll have a trade.
Back in the nineteen seventies, those type of jobs was what our people relied on. It taught them basic skills, skills needed to get jobs at plants like Ford, GMC, hell, even the power companies.
Somehow, we got away from that so while giving the kids a place to come after school to keep them off the streets is great, everything we offer outside of that is mundane. Give them a way to make money legally and we won’t have to worry about them robbing, killing, and stealing.”
“I agree with everything you just said.”
“Finally,” I breathed. “Someone does. I’ve reached out to the city and each time was met with resistance. I understand not having faith in humanity but kids. Mr. Harvey, these are kids who can’t help the environment that they’ve been thrusted in. As black people, we should want better for our own.
Whites creates generational wealth for their families and while we aren’t always afforded the same luxuries, the least we could do is put them in positions to be able to feed themselves when they’ve aged out of thefreelunch programs.”
“You said you’ve reached out to the city for help?” he queried.
“Twice,” I noted. “Even went as far as reaching out to a few elected officials. Atlanta is for theblackpeople but only when it’s beneficial to them.”
“How much would you need to make something like this happen? I’m sure those type of programs has to be taught by professionals, or someone who actively works in those fields. What I’m wondering is what would it cost to set it up?”
“That’s the thing. It doesn’t have to happen at this facility. I was thinking more so of partnering with the local junior colleges that already offer those programs. Granted I know there would be a cost for tuition but that’s where I was hoping the state could step in at. At least offer some type of financial assistance for the students who can’t afford it.”
“I like the sound of that Ms. Howard. Give me some time to put a few things in motion and I’ll get back to you with an answer. In the meantime, let’s try to prevent incidents like today from happening again. I understand wanting to be a savior and while I admire you for having that passion, we can’t let it break us down.”
I heard and even acknowledged what he was saying however it was easier said than done. My heart and desire to see these kids win would always have my emotions showing. That’s just how passionate I was about this role. Instead of verbalizing that,I simply nodded my head. “I understand and I promise to work harder at controlling my emotions.”
“Good. As long as you do your part Ms. Howard, I’ll make sure I do mine. Starting with being a little more present.”
“I appreciate that. Was that all you wanted to discuss with me?”
“In fact, it was,” he assured.
“Well,” I sighed. “I think I’m going to cut out early for the day. I have a splitting headache.”
“That’ll be fine. On your way out, let Marsha know you’re gone for the day. Be expecting an email from me later this week. “
“Will do.” Rising from the chair I ambled out of his office feeling lighter than I was when I stepped in. My emotions were all over the place and I knew Gema was the only person that could make me feel better.
“You’re home early,” Gema noted when I stepped into her room.