Jamil Jackson grew up on the North side of Minneapolis with two parents and was active in school and sports. By age 16, Jamil found himself as the man of the house, with no parents and responsible for feeding 6 siblings by working part time at Target and doing what it takes to keep the lights on.
Today, Jamil is a leader in our community, but you may have never heard of him. I hadn’t, not until my 17 year old mentee told me about his Run and Shoot league. Every Sunday, Jamil and his coaches pack the gym at Farview Park with hundreds of the city’s best athletes. These kids show up and show out on the court, but Jamil also requires them to attend a mentoring session. At these sessions kids connect lessons from the court to life. When I spoke to the room full of kids, I asked, “do you know anyone with a criminal record?” and every hand in the room went up.
Ask yourself, what lessons have these kids learned? What obstacles do they have to navigate? Who do you think should be helping them navigate these obstacles? Maybe someone who has been through the same thing? The policies supported by elected officials and corporations make sure that people who have been through the system face barriers to employment, housing, democracy and are kept from working with the young people who need them the most. This is a problem, and it is time demand change.
This Saturday, community members impacted by the justice system are coming together to build a plan and take action. Jamil will be there sharing his story and I hope you will join him.
