Challenges Most Ghetto Youths Face
Shane Shue shares a heartfelt reflection on his own personal experiences and challenges faced growing up in an inner-city community.
Many of us who live in the inner-city lack knowledge because we didn’t get to finish school. This outcome can be attributed to various reasons, including improper guidance, underused potential, lack of parental support, and the environment in which we live.
Improper Guidance
In my case, one reason I didn’t complete my studies was the absence of strong parental support. With proper guidance, I might have achieved more in life. Lacking this, I eventually stopped attending classes. Like me, many young men from inner-city communities find themselves distracted by other activities when they should be in school.
Underused Potential
Because we feel this lack of education, we tend to see life in simple terms of good or bad. We feel ill-equipped to think for ourselves, often allowing others to make decisions for us. Even when our parents encouraged us to go to school, we often found ways to avoid it.
Let me tell you something. I’m not qualified in any subjects because I skipped classes, from primary school all the way through high school. I can honestly say that I am now frustrated because I didn’t accomplish my goals. I see other youths who have turned their lives around, leaving behind a life of nothing for something. How did they do this? They made a conscious decision to want something out of life and persisted in their efforts. I believe we can achieve anything if we just put our minds to it. Vision and persistence are key.
The Role of Parents
As I mentioned earlier, I didn’t have anyone around to guide me or to tell me that skipping classes was wrong. At the time, it felt right. My younger brother was more serious about school than I was. He went to Jamaica College and left with three to four subject passes. I attended Vauxhall High but dropped out in the eleventh grade in March 2003. Why? Because I felt I had wasted so much time skipping classes. I had no one who cared, right from the beginning. Although I blame myself for some of these outcomes, I had very little parental support.
Where were my parents during my formative years? Well, I barely know my mother; she lives in America. I honestly don’t know what a mother’s love feels like.
My father lives here in Jamaica, but he gave up on me after primary school because I didn’t take my studies seriously. I had the chance to retake the test twice, but I didn’t pass. Had he given me another chance, I might have accomplished something. However, I do accept some of the blame myself for what has happened to me. There are many who can share a similar story.
There was a time in fifth form when I decided to take things seriously. I told my dad, and he laughed at me. I cannot repeat the words he said. I managed to hold back from retaliating and blamed myself for the situation. If I had taken my lessons seriously, things might have been different.
I’m not looking for fame or recognition. Most of the time, I feel like giving up on life, but something keeps holding me back. Something keeps telling me this is just a phase, my own phase, and I should be strong. But it’s hard to stay strong at times. Why is that?
Sharing the Blame
The environment we live in has a significant impact on how we live and interact with others.
Many of us lack humility. What causes this? Only we know. Some blame others, some blame the environment, and many blame ‘the system.’ I agree with this because of the experiences we’ve had. I used to think that things would go the way I wanted, but I was wrong. Our parents allowed us to do things we shouldn’t have, leading some of us to be disrespectful, bad-mannered, and lacking ambition and humility. I was like this, but I am grateful for the little knowledge I gained in school. I never took it seriously, but I give thanks to the Most High JAH.
A lot of youths face financial, parenting, emotional, and environmental problems. But the most significant problem is ‘the system.’ I could tell you about the experiences I’m going through, and they are not easy to overcome.
A Way Out
Some of us are seeking help to better our lives and the lives of our families. Others turn to violence because they think it’s the right thing to do, given their circumstances or environment, such as living on the borderline of ‘war zones.’ Some would leave the community if they had alternative living opportunities, like rented accommodation or staying with friends or family. They have to leave because they can’t take it anymore. They are fed up! But many have no choice but to stay. What do they do?
A few youths enjoy the situation because they gain something from it. They lack the knowledge and understanding to see that what they’re doing is wrong. They have no one to motivate them in the right direction. They are being used but can’t see it. Many of us have lost friends and family innocently to gunmen, all because of corruption. Everyone is running for power, wanting to be in control, yet they cannot even control themselves. In these situations, there will always be ‘war’ and rumors of such, leading to confusion, disloyalty, and mistrust.
When I look at my life now, I see that there are people trying to motivate me. The Man Up program teaches us how to be men by starting to change our way of thinking and behaving. It helps us admit that we often get things wrong.
I want to ask: How many of us are truthful? How many can accept life for what it is or for what it brings?
There are others as well who are doing so much now to help me believe in myself. I’ve heard things from them that have changed me a lot. I look at life differently now. I accept life now.
Shane Shue was one of the first participants in the Young Adult Circle (YAC) program. His experiences and insights continue to shape this program so Jalawelo can support young adults.