At first, I felt awkward as one of the only white people in the presence of a primarily African American youth group, but as I saw my brother Brennen interacting with people different than him, I found the courage to take a chance. It began with baby-steps, making small talk with a pair of youth at the pool table and then I joined a group of girls in a game of Uno at a booth and after that I joined a group of boys in some basketball. Something stirred inside me and I found myself having the ability to tap into the language and the humor; I found the common human element. Perhaps this is the effect of my accumulated experiences with diversity and tolerance for it, perhaps this was purely the power of the Holy Spirit. Whatever it was, it worked because I could tell I was receiving a considerable amount of respect from the group. I noticed this during our “God Moment” when I could gracefully quiet the group when someone was sharing their thoughts, which happens often with youth. To be honest, I feel my heart going out to these youth and this community. I saw the barriers in their lives by just interacting with them but during our program, I could see beautiful, un-oppressed, and empowered adults with the capacity to change their worlds. It was similar to seeing a butterfly creeping to the outer part of its cocoon; sheer awe.
Things we did well: Elephant Man Game… Building rapport with the youth. Discussion on expectations for the center, themselves... given it was expectedly quiet. Thank the volunteers
Things we didn’t do well: Some of the kids weren’t following the rules to the point, we didn’t close on time, we didn’t utilize the volunteers in our “God moment,” some even left at that point (they felt they didn’t have anything to contribute).
Things I wish we did:
I wish and hope that we can guide these youth in inquiry (something resembling the Socratic method) about themselves and their community. Often Brennen and I don’t give feedback to kid’s responses or continue the conversation.
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