Project Transformation Interns’ Blog

Tough Love and Rap

One thing that I have to remember when working with youth or children is that many times the fruit of my labor won’t be instant. Great things don’t happen overnight, and, most times people don’t change instantaneously.  This is my second year-round term at Wesley Rankin. I know, after many conversations, that many of these kids have struggles and problems going on in their lives that even adults would have difficulty handling.  I have one student, in particular, who doesn’t know his parents, lives with an elderly guardian, and whose brother has been involved in gang activity. I know he’s hurting, and the way he expresses his emotions usually gets him suspended at school or in trouble at home. Many times he just runs away.

Over the course of this school year, I’ve had to show this kid some “tough” love. I’ve had to chase him down twice after he tried to run off and almost had to expel him for his behavior. After each of these incidents, we would have a man to man talk. I had to let him know that what he was doing was unacceptable and that he was headed in the wrong direction in life. However, all of these conversations ended with a reassurance that we loved him here at Wesley Rankin and that we wanted the best for him.

Outside of Project Transformation, I do positive music. One day he asked for a cd, so I gave him one. He listened and talked about it all next week, and then, last week, he wrote a rap about being drug free for a project at school! He was so excited to give it to me and I was glad to hear it.  Here is the final version:

Instead of doing drugs – you can get your degree

Go to college – Or just live your life free –

Cause there’s a lot of ways to be drug free

Here’s one way – Come follow me 

You can rap – you can play on your PlayStation

You can go outside – you can sing – you can camp

Get inside – go on Facebook – text your homies

Say what’s up bro – what you doing –

Come to my house

And just chill out

That’s all the ways to be drug free

That’s all for me

Larry Randolph

Project Transformation Site Coordinator

2011-2012

Leave a Comment so far
Leave a comment