Forum/Discussions

A great experience yesterday at The National Action Network National Youth Leadership Meeting with Chicago Youth Leaders including 14 year old Mary Pat Hector the National Youth Leader from Atlanta and Dominique Sharpton, daughter of Rev Al Sharpton and National Membership Director and others. It was great to be humbled to have them call on other generation leaders to be mentors to them locally and nationally how this young generation can ignite an empowerment campaign of public policy, consumer education and direct action that can help end urban violence.  National Black Wall Street Chicago and National Black Wall Street USA is proud to embrace these young leaders and their request for generation to generation collaboration. I was not on the agenda, but glad when Dominique Sharpton postponed her remarks and called on me to address the youth leaders.

When it comes to the continuity of "generation to generation" of leadership working together, I have known and worked with the Reverand Al Sharpton for over 30 years as we both as teenagers who joined the youth organization of Rev. Jesse Jackson when he was the head of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr's SCLC Operation Breadbasket and then today to have the young Dominique Sharpton seek to work with me and the other national youth leaders of the National Action Network as they seek to build membership and activism of a new generation of youth organizers and activists and a grassroots agenda for 2012 and beyond.

14 year old Mary Pat Hector, the National Youth Director for The National Action Network is indeed a blessing from God and she is certainly wise above her 14 years of age. Looking at her and hearing her one would not think at all that all the appearance and presentation was coming from the mouth and body of a 14 years. And I am just guessing, but I really think that Rev. Sharpton's National leadership team has more young people in real public positions of leadership that I have seen in other national civil rights organizations and probably why he and his organization has the type of connection with this next generation in general and the grassroots community in particular.

It was humbling to see these group of young people prepare their action agenda to combat urban violence with specific targets that included; preparing intervention programs for parents who themselves need support in being better parents in uplifting their children; legislative action by lobbying for legislation that continue to provide easy access to gun purchasing in urban and poor areas; collaboration with groups like CeaseFire, United In Peace and others in doing more direct conflict resolution exercises with other youth and street organizations in conflict; and how to use the power of young people to engage in increased organizing and direct action in creating jobs and businesses within urban communities through consumer education and consumer action as another generation before them did during the height of the Civil Rights movement, and it was encouraging to hear them with their recommitment to organizing for a large voter turnout of young people in the 2012 elections. And all this leadership coming from a leader who is 14 years of age and not even a legal registered voter !!!

These young people are establishing a great foundation to work and organize their current young generation and those of us from this prior generation need to accept their call for mentorship, guidance and operational unity from generation to generation. Locally and nationally, the Black Wall Street organizations accept the invitation and call to action.  United we stand, for divided we'll fall. 

As one of the national organizers for Rev. Al Sharpton's 2011 "Measuring The Movement" National Conference in New York, this is an excited time to "measure" the agenda of bridging the gap of generations and intergenerational unity.

Mark S. Allen, Chairman

National Black Wall Street Chicago and Chief of Staff to Rev. Michael Carter, National President of National Black Wall Street USA  4655 South King Drive, Suite 203, Chicago, Illinois 60653 773-952-4672 or direct 773-392-0165