One Hood, One Goal

Black Truth News: Instead of me assuming that its difficult dealing with the youth let me ask you directly, how difficult is it working with inner city kids? How much of it is perception versus reality?

Darius Thomas: The perception of it all aides, and makes it more difficult. The reality is, this current generation has been brought up on despair. When you have no hope, or when you think there is no hope; when you don’t think there is anything out there in the world for you, you turn a deaf ear to everything. That’s one of the reasons I’m doing it the way I’m doing it, through media and arts, because a lot of young people feel like they have a chance of being the next Lil Wayne, than they do of being the next college graduate.

 It’s a sad thing but it’s the truth. So what I want to do is get them through our program, and get them in our system, and show them some behind the scenes things involving arts and entertainment. Some things where you can actually be involved in the decision making process, and be in a position to find the next Lil Wayne, but a lot them don’t know that. So perception is important, because they have a limited view and the reality is there is a vast of opportunities.

It’s hard to work against it, but my mantra is anti-corny. You got to be 100 percent with these young people, and you got to let them know you not preaching, I’m trying to make it appealing for you. You have to be real with them and put all your cards on the table.

Black Truth News: You mentioned Lil Wayne, and what goes on behind the scenes in entertainment. A lot of people are not aware of the people who make his operation go, he has engineers, managers, make-up artist, Etc. How easy/hard it is to explain these occupations to the young people, and get them to pursue employment in those fields?
Darius Thomas:  One of the things I want to do through the program, is establish workshops for the kids, what I want to do is show different aspects of arts and media, basic foundation on script writing, film and editing, basic foundation on producing, what producers actually do, and basic foundation on fashion, things so they can see what these people do behind the scenes. So they will be able to see that and touch that, and as they move through the program, they would be able to try different aspects of different things. If you see what a producer does behind the scenes, or what a manager does, you will be able to try what you like, and if you don’t like it, you can move to something else.

When you find your niche, you will be able to move forward and continue your education and find a career in something that you want to do. And maybe down the line some of them can be put in the position where they can make decisions on their own. After they are exposed to that, they can see a lot of money exchange hands, and a lot of that money doesn’t go to Lil Wayne, or Baby, or the artist in the forefront. It’s all a system, and all you got to do is find your niche and plug into it. The person with the fame is not always the one making the money.