Hello ladies! In response to the question above I think I would start with a program that promoted stability of the family. In the wake of the tragedies of 9/11 I think it is all the more important that you have family members to counsel with. I would encourage educating parents on how to talk to their children, because this is a new day and therefore you often have to use new methods to get through to your children.
Secondly I would not only focus on education but also encouraging young people to explore careers that do not have a lot of minority influence, such as in medicine or science. I know first hand with being a chemistry major that there are not many african americans that even bother looking into these fields. All young african americans should be able to follow their dreams, because they will already have a great burden ahead of them in life.
Also, I would feel a need to set up some type of network for young women of color especially black women, to interact with each other and share each others stories. There is so much going on today with the threat of AIDS, teenage pregnancy, physical demoralization, etc., and the best type of education is something that you can experience first hand. We could set up for them to visit with women who are dealing with these things, and hopefully you learn from the mistakes of others.
